Merrell, James Keith, SP 4

FINAL MISSION OF SP4 JAMES K. MERRELL - SP4 Danny R. Scott served with 1st Platoon, C Company, 3rd Battalion, 22nd Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. On January 7, 1969, his unit was on a mission in the dense jungle northwest of Tay Ninh, about 8 miles from the Cambodian border. As his company were returning to Fire Support Base Washington, they were split in half after the lead element walked past several well concealed NVA bunkers. The NVA waited for several of the soldiers to walk past the bunkers and into the jungle before they opened up with everything they had. SP4 Scott was killed as he fired upon the NVA. Charlie Company had to fire carefully at the NVA as the enemy were between the main element of C Co. and the lead element. Five men died in the firefight and a sixth (SP4 William Francisco Jr.) died three days afterwards from wounds received. The three other lost soldiers included 1LT Leo R. Mullen, SGT Robert J. Bowlin, SP4 James K. Merrell, and SP4 Craig S. Olson. A seventh soldier was missing in action. SGT Larry D. Welsh, who had been lightly wounded during the fight, disappeared while seeking aid for another wounded soldier. Although one wounded soldier and the body of another were recovered when U.S. forces returned to the area the following day, SGT Welsh was not found. He was carried as Missing in Action until February 11, 1974, when the Secretary of the Army approved a Presumptive Finding of Death. (Narrative by David DeMauro) [Taken from c322association.org and virtualwall.org]