Dear Jim,
May God bless you today, your 18th birthday. May He cause His face to shine upon you and give you peace. May He throw His protecting arm around you and keep you from all harm.
Wherever you are
Whatever you do,
May Jehovah's love
Abide with you.
Aunt Ginnie
James Bennett (Jim) Conway died in the jungles of Viet Nam on the 12th of April, 1966. He gave his life to save his men after they walked into an ambush. The newspaper got the date wrong.
NASHVILLE BANNER and then the DEMOCRAT UNION in Lawrenceburg May 16, 1966
Capt. James Conway, Son of Local Man, Dies Heroically In Jungles of Vietnam
Capt. Jim Conway, son of Mr. Lee Conway of Lawrenceburg, and Mrs. Elizabeth Conway of Ft. Benning, Ga., has been reported killed in action while commanding a Special Forces unit in Vietnam. Capt. Conway, holder of many decorations and citations, was a career soldier with 15 years to his credit, a master paratrooper, had logged 2000 hours as a bomber pilot, and spoke two foreign languages. He had served his country three years in the rugged terrain of Korea, and been in Vietnam for a year. This story, reprinted from the Nashville Banner, was written by Marshall Morgan, special correspondent.
________________________
On the afternoon of Monday, April 11, 1966 - in the jungle hell of Vietnam - an American-Vietnamese patrol felt its way, cautiously, near the Cambodian border. The reconnaissance group was made up of picked men, 22 of them, all members of the elite "Green Beret" jungle fighters. Every man had been trained for his special task.
The patrol leader that ill-fated day was Capt. James B. Conway, 35 year old native of Franklin - a man who had volunteered for a second combat hitch in the American ordeal in Southeast Asia.
Crossfire
Suddenly the patrol met the deadly crossfire of an ambush. Outnumbered five to one, the gallant handful of Green Beret men fought back, without yielding, for four interminable hours.
A Viet Cong bullet swept from his head Capt. Conway's jaunty beret, miraculously leaving him uninjured.
Fighting by his side was Sgt. Harold T. Palmer, of Norfolk, Va.
"Captain, they've got you zeroed in!" was his warning cry.
Capt. Conway, reloading, found time for a wry grin.
"Your turn, next, sergeant," he said. Then, with a sweeping motion of his left arm, he gestured toward the rear.
"Get out of here - all of you!" he yelled. "I'll cover for you!"
++++
Yesterday, in Franklin, the Captain's younger brother, Carter Conway, was handed a long expected, long dreaded telegram. It was crisp, unemotional, almost impersonal.
"The Secretary of the Army expresses his deep regret that the status of your brother, Capt. James B. Conway, has been changed from missing in action to that of dead...His body has not been recovered."
It was not until May 9, almost a month after the deadly encounter, that Sgt. Palmer found time to write his father.
"Capt. Conway yelled for us to go back, that he would cover for us," penned the combat weary noncom. "Then he got it - through the head. But even as he was falling, dying, he got off a shot from his automatic that finished off a VC attacker."
Sgt. Palmer deliberately disobeyed Capt. Conway's last order to retreat. Instead, with a companion equally insubordinate and gallant, he crawled to the side of his commanding officer, now fatally wounded. They stayed with him until he died; then, still firing, they backed away to temporary safety.
++++
The grim details, even now are scanty.
A rescue group secured the area the next day only to find Capt. Conway's body missing. There were signs that it had been dragged through the elephant grass.
Wrote Sgt. Palmer to the 26 year old brother of his commanding officer:
"Capt. Conway is a hero, and saved my life. He will be highly decorated for his action this day. I've never been much at words, but Capt. Conway was the finest man I have ever served under."
++++
Capt. Conway was never much at words, either; but once he said to his brother, Carter: "if anything happens to me in Vietnam this time, never mind any heroic tombstone. Just have engraved on it my name, the date of my birth and death - and one word. I want that word to be this: 'Soldier'."
And so, in Franklin's Mount Hope Cemetery, though no body will be interred, soon there will be a simple marker. It will read:
"Capt. James Bennett Conway. Born November 23, 1930. Died April 11, 1966. Soldier."
________________________________________________
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
________________________________________________________________
Capt. Jim Conway, son of Mr. Lee Conway of Lawrenceburg, and Mrs. Elizabeth Conway of Ft. Benning, Ga., has been reported killed in action while commanding a Special Forces unit in Vietnam. Capt. Conway, holder of many decorations and citations, was a career soldier with 15 years to his credit, a master paratrooper, had logged 2000 hours as a bomber pilot, and spoke two foreign languages. He had served his country three years in the rugged terrain of Korea, and been in Vietnam for a year. This story, reprinted from the Nashville Banner, was written by Marshall Morgan, special correspondent.
________________________
On the afternoon of Monday, April 11, 1966 - in the jungle hell of Vietnam - an American-Vietnamese patrol felt its way, cautiously, near the Cambodian border. The reconnaissance group was made up of picked men, 22 of them, all members of the elite "Green Beret" jungle fighters. Every man had been trained for his special task.
The patrol leader that ill-fated day was Capt. James B. Conway, 35 year old native of Franklin - a man who had volunteered for a second combat hitch in the American ordeal in Southeast Asia.
Crossfire
Suddenly the patrol met the deadly crossfire of an ambush. Outnumbered five to one, the gallant handful of Green Beret men fought back, without yielding, for four interminable hours.
A Viet Cong bullet swept from his head Capt. Conway's jaunty beret, miraculously leaving him uninjured.
Fighting by his side was Sgt. Harold T. Palmer, of Norfolk, Va.
"Captain, they've got you zeroed in!" was his warning cry.
Capt. Conway, reloading, found time for a wry grin.
"Your turn, next, sergeant," he said. Then, with a sweeping motion of his left arm, he gestured toward the rear.
"Get out of here - all of you!" he yelled. "I'll cover for you!"
++++
Yesterday, in Franklin, the Captain's younger brother, Carter Conway, was handed a long expected, long dreaded telegram. It was crisp, unemotional, almost impersonal.
"The Secretary of the Army expresses his deep regret that the status of your brother, Capt. James B. Conway, has been changed from missing in action to that of dead...His body has not been recovered."
It was not until May 9, almost a month after the deadly encounter, that Sgt. Palmer found time to write his father.
"Capt. Conway yelled for us to go back, that he would cover for us," penned the combat weary noncom. "Then he got it - through the head. But even as he was falling, dying, he got off a shot from his automatic that finished off a VC attacker."
Sgt. Palmer deliberately disobeyed Capt. Conway's last order to retreat. Instead, with a companion equally insubordinate and gallant, he crawled to the side of his commanding officer, now fatally wounded. They stayed with him until he died; then, still firing, they backed away to temporary safety.
++++
The grim details, even now are scanty.
A rescue group secured the area the next day only to find Capt. Conway's body missing. There were signs that it had been dragged through the elephant grass.
Wrote Sgt. Palmer to the 26 year old brother of his commanding officer:
"Capt. Conway is a hero, and saved my life. He will be highly decorated for his action this day. I've never been much at words, but Capt. Conway was the finest man I have ever served under."
++++
Capt. Conway was never much at words, either; but once he said to his brother, Carter: "if anything happens to me in Vietnam this time, never mind any heroic tombstone. Just have engraved on it my name, the date of my birth and death - and one word. I want that word to be this: 'Soldier'."
And so, in Franklin's Mount Hope Cemetery, though no body will be interred, soon there will be a simple marker. It will read:
"Capt. James Bennett Conway. Born November 23, 1930. Died April 11, 1966. Soldier."
________________________________________________
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
________________________________________________________________
Distinguished Service Cross
Awarded posthumously for actions during the Vietnam War
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918 (amended by act of July 25, 1963), takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Captain (Infantry) James Bennett Conway, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces. On 12 April 1966, Captain Conway was serving as the Senior Special Forces Advisor to a reconnaissance patrol operating in the Ia Drang Valley in the Republic of Vietnam. As the patrol screened their assigned area, they came under hostile automatic weapons fire which wounded several and halted their progress. After insuring the safety of the wounded, Captain Conway led the friendly forces in an assault which routed the Viet Cong from their positions of concealment. As the friendly forces pursued the hostile contingent, they came upon a well-positioned insurgent force of company size. Despite the hostile force's numerical and positional advantage, Captain Conway led the patrol in successful attacks claiming many insurgent lives. With complete disregard for his own personal safety, Captain Conway courageously engaged a well-fortified insurgent machine gun position at extremely close range with grenades and small arms fire. Throughout this action, he continually exposed himself to murderous fire to insure the success of the assault. When the Viet Cong maneuvered to encircle the hard-pressed patrol, Captain Conway planned and led an evasion route in order to regroup the force and continue the attack. As the hostile machine gun fire increased, Captain Conway again exposed himself to heavy Viet Cong fire and directed effective suppressive fire with effective results. During the final stages of the friendly evasive action, Captain Conway was mortally wounded while engaging friendly troops positioned about him. Captain Conway's extraordinary heroism and supreme sacrifice were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Army and reflect great credit upon himself and the military service.
General Orders: Headquarters, U.S. Army, Pacific, General Orders No. 164 (July 19, 1966)
Action Date: 12-Apr-66
Service: Army
Rank: Captain
Regiment: 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Division: 1st Special Forces
Awarded posthumously for actions during the Vietnam War
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918 (amended by act of July 25, 1963), takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Captain (Infantry) James Bennett Conway, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces. On 12 April 1966, Captain Conway was serving as the Senior Special Forces Advisor to a reconnaissance patrol operating in the Ia Drang Valley in the Republic of Vietnam. As the patrol screened their assigned area, they came under hostile automatic weapons fire which wounded several and halted their progress. After insuring the safety of the wounded, Captain Conway led the friendly forces in an assault which routed the Viet Cong from their positions of concealment. As the friendly forces pursued the hostile contingent, they came upon a well-positioned insurgent force of company size. Despite the hostile force's numerical and positional advantage, Captain Conway led the patrol in successful attacks claiming many insurgent lives. With complete disregard for his own personal safety, Captain Conway courageously engaged a well-fortified insurgent machine gun position at extremely close range with grenades and small arms fire. Throughout this action, he continually exposed himself to murderous fire to insure the success of the assault. When the Viet Cong maneuvered to encircle the hard-pressed patrol, Captain Conway planned and led an evasion route in order to regroup the force and continue the attack. As the hostile machine gun fire increased, Captain Conway again exposed himself to heavy Viet Cong fire and directed effective suppressive fire with effective results. During the final stages of the friendly evasive action, Captain Conway was mortally wounded while engaging friendly troops positioned about him. Captain Conway's extraordinary heroism and supreme sacrifice were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Army and reflect great credit upon himself and the military service.
General Orders: Headquarters, U.S. Army, Pacific, General Orders No. 164 (July 19, 1966)
Action Date: 12-Apr-66
Service: Army
Rank: Captain
Regiment: 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Division: 1st Special Forces
I am the son of Harold T Palmer Jr. He to recieved the DSC during the Viet Nam War. One of the few things that my father was willing to talk about regarding Nam was his respect for Capt Conway. My father passed away back in '94 from Agent Orange exposure.
ReplyDelete