Barbosa-Villafane, Antonio, PFC

Casualty Occurrence:  This Soldier was killed by fragmentation wounds during a NIGHT PATROL AMBUSH NEAR LAI KHE 19680204 in Binh Duong Province. 

POSTED ON 9.19.2019. POSTED BY: WKILLIAN@SMJUHSD.ORG. FINAL MISSION OF PFC ANTONIO BARBOSA-VILLAFANE. Lai Khe Base Camp was a Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) and U.S. Army base, located along Highway 13 (“Thunder Road”) to the northwest of Saigon. It was the Headquarters for the U.S. Army's 1st Infantry Division. Late in the afternoon of February 4, 1966, near sunset, a platoon-sized patrol consisting of 32 men departed the camp on foot to conduct a night ambush mission in the area to west of the base. Most of the personnel were from 3rd Platoon, A Company, 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry of the 1st Infantry Division. After clearing the perimeter, the point element crossed the Saigon River. As the command group, including some officers and the Forward Observer and radiomen, were preparing to cross, two U.S.-made M18A1 Claymore anti-personnel mines were detonated in a sandbar. The blasts killed ten Americans and wounded another nine. The explosions could be heard within the base, and when Battalion couldn’t establish radio contact with the patrol, a reactionary force raced over to their location. Helicopters were launched, and medivacs soon landed to remove the dead and wounded. It would take over four hours to completely police-up the ambush site as members of A Company worked in the dark to remove weapons and equipment. The lost personnel included PFC Antonio Barbosa-Villafane, PFC William A. Bason II, PFC Samuel L. Dellos, SGT Arnold E. Ison, SP4 Stephen E. Laier, SSG Paul R. Setzer, SSG Frank R. Stamper, SSG Charles E. Strader, SP4 John H. Thompson, and SP4 Stanley J. Thompson. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and information provided by Jose Rafael Sierra September 2019)].

POSTED ON 8.5.2021. POSTED BY: RAFAEL SIERRA. ALPHA CO. 1ST BTN 16TH INF. I was with you then, as I am now. Rest In Peace Brother. SP4 Rafael Sierra FDC Mortar Platoon, Lai Khe, Vietnam 1966.

Manuel Pino B/2/8th Cav 68-69, Fellow Vietnam Army Vet. A/1/16th Inf Rgt, 1st Inf Div. MY COUNTRY'S FLAG CRIED the flag bowed it's bars and wept starry tears as it hung at half-mast for a soldier's years. another youth it had called and another youth had died. I stood and i watched as my country's flag cried. It clothed the drab coffin in its red, white, and blue, silently protecting the contents for the comfort of a few. It brought strength to some, to others, bitter pride. But, as mourners filed by, my country's flag cried as it rode to the field where the soldier was laid. The flag recalled the pledge that he used to stand and say to war he went and to keep that pledge he tried. As the guns fired their last salute, my country's flag cried. As taps rang out, it was folded with care for the soldier's soul, a chaplin whispered a prayer. He asked god for peace in this world to abide, and in a grieving mother's arms my country's flag cried! Aug 10, 2007.