Vietnam Wall Panel coords 39E 055

REX....I Met your Father Homer Tutor at the Dedication .......
VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL...John Bradley

I remember you, Rex
Company B, 588th Engineers was assigned to reinforce Co A in the area of Parrots Beaks, north of Tay Ninh. Co A was building a Special Forces camp at Thin Ngon less than 10K from the Border of Cambodia. Cpt Siedel and I agreed to spit B Co into two jobs hauling soil for the camp walls and mine clearing the road in between. After starting the mine sweeping for three days in a row from the Special Camp, I came up with a plan to bivouac at the pit and sweep north in the AM. I had left the 2nd Platoon at the Camp with all the "Short Timers". PFC Rex Tutor was in that group. During our movement toward Camp, I was surprised to see one tank and 3 APC leave Camp heading our way. All of a sudden, a APC blew up and there was a lot of automatic weapons fire. They had been ambushed by a reinforced company size North Vietnam Unit. I formed the men around me into Westside and Eastside of the road units and counter attacked. The NVA were surprised and withdrew. All of the KIA and wounded were with the 2nd Platoon. No men in my section were injured. We secured the the site, evacuated the wounded and dead and moved into the Camp to reorganize. About noon we reopened the road without enemy contact. I have been in contact with about a dozen members of Co B through the Web and the 588th Engineers Web site. In August 2002, My wife and I left California and met SP5 Andy Begosh and SSG Jack Engle in Ohio and journeyed to Belleville MI., where SP5 Kenneth Fulton, a medic that was killed the same day as Rex, is buried. With Ken's wife and brother, we conducted a "Remembering A Fallen Comrade" service at his grave. There was a lot of healing that took place that day. Timothy Richards CPT Eng (Ret)
Saturday, January 25, 2003

Tutor, Rex Franklin, SP 4