Kea, Edward Kikau, MSG

Final Mission of MSG Edward K. Kea - Task Force Oregon (TFO) was a U.S. Army division-sized unit composed of three separate infantry brigades active in Quang Ngai and Quang Tin Provinces, RVN, from April to September 1967. Headquartered at Chu Lai Base Area, TFO allowed the 1st Marine Division to move north to Da Nang to support the 3rd Marine Division in northern I Corps. TFO undertook offensive operations in conjunction with the 1st Cavalry Division against North Vietnamese Army units in the western mountains and local Viet Cong battalions operating on the coastal plains. On July 10, 1967, during combat operations nine kilometers (5.4 miles) southeast of Duc Pho in Quang Ngai Province, a supporting TFO tank from C Troop, 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division hit a mine near the hamlet of An Thach. Four men died after sustaining blast, burn, and fragmentation wounds. They included SGT Arlan D. Gable, MSG Edward K. Kea, driver SP4 Fred A. Kelley, and PFC Claude P. Miller. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and “Combat Pperations: Taking the Offensive, October 1966 to October 1967” by George L. MacGarrigle]