My name is Frank Reyes. This is a story of friendships that has lasted over 35 years. I am sure that many of you veterans have stories and memories similar to this one. But truth be told -- this is ours. It’s about bravery, honesty and integrity and other issues that were held back for many untold reasons. It has taken many of us many years to come to terms as to what happened on October 17, 1970.  This is our story of how certain individuals helped to save many lives that day and how some over three decades later; came to pay a long overdue tribute and recognition to these valiant soldiers.

Photo: Sgt. Frank Reyes

The Ambush - October 17th 1970

On October 17, 1970, the men of Charlie Co. 14th Combat Engineers started the day off pretty much like any other. We had formation at 05:45 a.m. at which time each platoon was given its assignments for the day. First Platoon was given lead position as usual.

After breakfast, SSG Tom Scott and I took off about a half an hour prior to the rest of the company. Tom and I were the pointmen. We had been walking point for the last seven months and everybody let us. Just about this time, Tom mentioned that something was wrong. I asked what was bugging him and he said, “Look out in the rice paddies -- there’s no one out there.” This was not normal because there were always people from the village working in the rice paddies, or kids playing on the side of the road or trying to sell you sodas or cigarettes. There was no one anywhere to be found.

SSG. Scott made a Situation Report to our Tactical Operation Center (TOC) to let them know of our situation. We knew that 1st platoon was in the lead position and that the heavy equipment operators from the 59th Land Clearing were right behind them. This included the Dozer’s, the Grader’ Bucket loaders and then the 5 ton trucks.

Photo: My friends to this day.
Doc.Hopple , Frank Reyes, Bill Wiggs, Jack Broughton
Tom and I decided to wait off to the side of the road because we both had this bad feeling that something was really wrong.

SSgt Scott first spotted a couple of guys who were doing the mine sweeping and then we both saw the lead jeep with Sp/4 John Zager and Sgt. Chamberlain. This is when all hell broke loose.

Sp/4 John Zager was in the process of contacting our TOC via the PRC/25  radio that was in the jeep. At that time, John Zager was hit three times by heavy enemy gun fire from both sides of the road. Sgt. Chamberlain was hit twice in the chest, but survived mainly because he was wearing his flax jacket.

The dozer directly behind the jeep hit a land mine and Kevin Kuhn was blown off his dozer. He landed about 20 feet away; however, he took shrapnel over 70% of his lower body.  We could hear over the PRC25 radio in John Zager’s jeep that the rear guard was being hit. The enemy had ambushed the rear of our convoy and taken out the last two 5 ton trucks to block any method of our escape.

They had us boxed in good. We could hear Sp/4 Shirley Koskela from 2nd Platoon over his PRC25 radio screaming that we were being hit and hit hard. We could hear someone screaming for our primary Medic, Sp/4 Mark Hopple (Hoppy). He was coming up front to render aid to our wounded men when he jumped off the back of a 5 ton and landed on a land mine. We later learned that he had survived his wounds.

Assorted Pictures of members of Charlie Co.14th CEB.
At this time we could see SSG James Turner and SSG Gerry Matthews screaming to the rest of the company to get the hell off the trucks and set up into a defensive position to start repelling enemy fire. We could also see guys coming forward to render assistant, but the fire power that  was coming from the enemy was over powering at this time. We had RPG’s, mortars, and AK fire coming from both sides of the road.

SSG Scott told me that we needed to get down there and help out. Just then we heard SSG Turner scream at us to stay down because they had us pinned down pretty good. Every time we started to get up, we took fierce, heavy enemy fire. We could not move. At this point, we saw Sp/4 J.J. Quinn get up and start running towards us. He took a hit to the chest, and he was dead before he hit the ground. We also saw RPG’s and B-40 rockets landing next to several vehicles.

I later learned that one B-40 rocket landed directly next to one of my roommates, Mike Edmonds. To this day, my friend, and without question my Brother, Mike has suffered from hearing difficulties.

At this point, we could hear SP/4 Shirley Koskela over his radio, informing our TOC of what was happening on Barbara Road. We knew they were still taking a tremendous amount of fire from the enemy. As it turned out, SP/4 S. Koskela had the ONLY working PRC25 radio that was in communication with FSB Nancy.

We later learned that Lt. Robert Gribble and Sgt Bruce Kennedy were pinned down by enemy fire while trying to direct the rest of the company to dismount all the remaining vehicles and start repelling enemy fire. We also learned later that Sgt. Chuck Rowe, Sgt. John Quinones, and Sp/4 Paul Morgan had jump on top of an APC which had an M-60 caliber machine gun. They commenced firing at the enemy on both sides of the road. A squad of Duster’s with quad 50’s showed up (we do not know where they came from) and they also helped to repel the enemy fire.

By this time, SSG Scott and I had made our way down Barbara Road. Everything was pretty much over by then and we began the process of cleaning up.

Our secondary Medic, Sp/4 Willie Tuggle, was busy as hell. He was pretty shaken up because he and Hoppy had been real close friends. Our XO, Lt. Gribble, started getting our people out and on E-Vac choppers to the nearest MASH unit, which was the 18th MASH stationed in Quang Tri. At this time, 1st Sgt Smith and Lt Gribble told SSG Scott and me to tag and bag all of our dead men so they could be taken home for a proper burial.

By the time all this was done, we had two KIA’s. SSG Turner told Sp/5 Tony Eschuk to dig a hole with his Bucket loader so we could dump all the dead NVA/VC bodies. Lt Gribble released the 1/39th Artillery and then sent the rest of Charlie Company back to FSB Nancy. He held the 1st Platoon back in order to police up all the dead NVA/VC.

After we got back to FSB Nancy, we got cleaned up and went to the TOC for debriefing.  This was when we learned of who we lost and who was wounded. The debriefing consisted of who was where and what was done wrong. At that time, we were informed that key personnel were being considered for certain commendations and a few medals: SSG. James Turner, SSG Gerry Matthews for leadership while under heavy enemy fire; Sp/4 Shirley Koskela, for his remaining in continuous communication and rendering aid while under heavy enemy fire; Lt. Robert Gribble for his leadership; Chuck Rowe, Paul Morgan, Charles Manuel, and John Quinnonis for bravery while under heavy enemy fire.

Photo: My RVN Gallentry Cross award.

This is my story of what happened many years ago.  Some of my Vietnam brothers were given there due ... some were not. What I did was take it upon myself and I asked many of my Vietnam friends what is it that we can do to pay tribute and recognition for services rendered during a very turbulent time in our country’s history?  I made telephone calls and sent out e-mails to everyone.  I got back 100% positive response from my fellow brothers offering what they could do to help.

We decided to plan a reunion in Reno, Nevada for a small contingency of members of Charlie Co.14th Combat Engineers, Vietnam era from 1969 to 1971, where we would recognize several of our buddies who put their lives on the line for many of us back on October 17. These guys had never received recognition they well deserved for what they did on that destructive day. We presented Certificates of Appreciation to Sgt. Chuck Rowe and SP/4 Paul Morgan for action that they took during the Ambush. A plaque was presented to SP/4 Shirley Koskela for his bravery and continuous contact with the TOC. Many of us who were there at Barbara Road know of the heroics these three individuals exemplified on that day.

Photo:  Personnel in attendance were as followed:
 Steve & Colleen Hill, Odis & Cindy Warren, Paul & Kathy Morgan, Chuck & Chris Rowe,
 Frank & Kathy Reyes,  Mike Edmonds, Bruce Kennedy, and  Shirley Koskela.
It was a great weekend to get back in touch with these men who we had served with side by side and pay tribute to three special guys. Over the past few years a number of us have collect a Little over some 900 pictures of Vietnam from guys who served in Charlie Co.14th Combat Engineers from 1968-1971, when the 14th CEB was redeployed back to the United States, Fort Ord.

They later moved up to Fort Lewis when they closed Fort Ord. They are currently deployed in Iraq for the second time. The are suppose to be redeployed back to Fort Lewis this November, and are being replaced by another Battalion of Combat Engineers form the 4th Infantry Division.

Frank Reyes