Simpkin, Wallace Frederick, SSG

     I served with SSG Simpkin at Phu Tai, Viet Nam in 1968 before his death. He had 2nd section in the 3rd Platoon ( 3rd & 4th team) We was construction lineman and placed buried and airiel cable. MOS 36C20.
     He come to me the day before and asked me if i wanted to fly up to Quang Tri with him to catch up some re-enlistment cards on guys we had up there working. I told him sure, i would love to get out of here for a couple days. He said he would clear it with Platoon Sgt Kelly.....and i said ok i will get my things around. He come back and told me that he said i couldn`t go.  We was not doing anything but rebuilding bunkers at the time, waiting on more material from the states. The next morning was saturday and i was near the front gate rebuilding the roof on that bunker when him and the jeep driver come up and stopped. I walked over and talked to him for a few minutes and told him i would see him when he got back. They drove out the gate and the jeep driver took him into Qui Nhon to catch his flight. 
      That night i was sitting in the E5 hooch when the Plt. Sgt. Kelly come walking in and told me Sgt. Simpkin had been killed. I was speechless and could hardly beleive what i was hearing. I said you know, there was no reason why you did not let me go, we was doing nothing here, and you had let me go before. I asked him....why didn`t you let me go? He looked at me and said......Darrell....i don`t know why.....I just had the funniest feeling that you had better stay here and not go. Something i will never forget, i can see him to this day standing there telling me this.
        SSG Simpkin and I was good friends and got along very well. I liked him as a person and was glad to know him. We will meet again one day my friend.............Happy to have served with you.