In honored remembrance of these seven members

In honored remembrance of these seven members of the United States Marine Corps, who were killed in the Republic of Vietnam when their LTV exploded on 26 January 1969.*

They all rest together in Section 46 of Arlington National Cemetery.

* E-Mail: March 2005: (I served with Kilo 3/26 on Operation Bold Mariner in January, 1969 and witnessed the explosion that took the lives of the 7 Marines buried at Arlington beneath the headstone in the photograph. As I have always understood it, and as the last text of the web site indicates, the line charge they tried to fire detonated prematurely while still coiled within the vehicle. They did not strike a landmine, although they were many landmines in the area. The village of Mi Lai (sp?) is located less than 1 mile south of the point where the explosion took place. I have seen film of the same device being used successfully in Iraq and Kuwait. It took the lives of 7 Marines who died in Vietnam to make it safe for others to use the device in another war.Charles Cammack

Charles Anthony Brezinski
Corporal, United States Marine Corps

Robert Lee Johnson
Sergeant, United States Marine Corps

Marvin Cook, Jr.
Captain, United States Marine Corps

Russell Lloyd Equi
Second Lieutenant, United States Marine Corps

Martin Joseph Gimbert
Corporal, United States Marine Corps

Bradley Eugene Suchka
Corporal, United States Marine Corps

Brad was survived by his loving family, including his mother, Donna L. Travis, lives in Crittenden County, Kentucky; his brother, Michael W. Travis, currently residing at Scott AFB, Illinois; his brother, Robert Suchka, who also served in Vietnam with the Army and currently lives in Southern California; his brother, William L. Travis, who resides in Scipio, Indiana; and his sister, Kathy Morris, who lives in Crittenden County, Kentucky.

Brad enlisted in the Marines in the July 1967 and completed his training for Amphibian
Crewman on 28 September 1967. He started his tour of Vietnam on February 17, 1968. At 10:50 AM on January 26, 1969, the amphibian tractor that Brad was on was conducting a mine clearing operation twelve miles south of Chu Lai, in Quang Ngai Province, Republic of Vietnam. The tractor fired a demolition line charge which detonated prematurely, destroying the tractor and killing all seven men aboard instantly.

Courtesy of Brad’s Brother, Michael Travis

Stanley Harold Newman
Corporal, United States Marine Corps

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Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard

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