A story of an unsung Marine hero, an Autauga County High alumni and a Prattville (Alabama)hero in a Vietnam story told to me by a witness of his death, a Prattville Veteran of that war, and a story of a Prattville hero. So sad: Talked to the fellow former Marine, a Viet Nam vet and friend, Winston Hines, who had told me about it before, today, and finally got the name of the Marine and Winstons permission to use his name, etc. Winston Hines was in Lima Company and fellow Prattvillian Chic Bryson was a sergeant in India Company, 3rd Bn, 3rd Marine Division in Viet Nam. Highway 9 ran right through their compound. Lima Companys area was called the Rockpile and on the other side of Hy 9 was Lima Companys camp called the FishBowl. Winston said he and his unit got into a serious firefight or battle in the jungles of Vietnam near their camp on Hy. 9. The VC/NVA were hitting them hard, it was an ambush. From his platoons position he saw a man go down on the road a ways up ahead. Then he saw two medics go to help him. They too were shot down by the enemy, regardless that they were medics. Then a lone soldier ran, fighting and killing the enemy all the way, up to the road bed and pulled those wounded and dead men to safety, one by one, fighting and taking fire all the while. Finally the VC got him and gunned him down too and he fell on the road, lying there alone, his blood mingling with those he saved or attempted to save. Finally relief came, they drove off the enemy, helicopters lifted off with the wounded, including that wounded hero who had risked his life to save his comrades. Marine Winston Hines watched as that helicopter lifted off. When two or three hundred yards up it took hits from the enemy, and banked turning to get away, trailing smoke. As it leaned over banking, the wounded hero fell from the helicopter (must not have had him strapped down) and fell two or three hundred yards onto the ground. They all had to retreat temporarily. Well, a couple of days later they came back and made a Battalion sized sweep of the entire area to make sure it was clear of the enemy and retrieve any bodies, ours or theirs. This soldier made it a point to go find the body of the hero he had watched from his position, and had watched fall from the helicopter. When he finally found the body it was face down. He gently turned it over and thought he recognized the dead Marine but was not sure until he looked at the dog tags and saw the name and was so sad and sickened. Lo and behold it was a friend from high school, from Prattville, a class mate from Autauga Co. High, Edward Murf (not sure of spelling), and he did not even know the fellow was in his unit, evidently in another platoon or company. Winston, a couple of days later back in their compound, walked over the Rockpile and over Hy 9 and into the Fishbowl, into India companys camp to find his friend Sgt. Chic Bryson. He said he found Sergeant Chic Bryson sitting down outside on something, sort of sad. He asked him what was wrong and Sgt Bryson said he had been the one to talked Edward Surf into gong into the Marines and felt bad about it had cost Surf his life. Poor Winston Hines, my friend, had red rimmed, teary eyes while ago as he finished that story. He said he had never, ever told that story before, that it hurt him too much to remember it all, to talk about it. He named the soldier that died and I asked him if the poor dead hero was ever given recognition for his bravery and what he did or if his parents were ever told the whole story of their sons death. He said he did not know. I would like to submit this to the Prattville Progress or even the Montgomery Advertiser, this story ought to be told. I apologize for this long story taking up so much room and time, but I just thought that a Prattvillian, one of our own, who served honorably in the United States Marines, and died a heroes death, should be remembered! And I still wonder if he ever got the recognition he deserved! He should have gotten a medal, even if posthumously! RIP Marine, for thow troddest through fields of clover where only heroes are allowed!
Posted on: Wed, 05 Mar 2014 21:20:00 +0000
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