Vietnam 2nd battalion
Melvin Bailey
B Company 1968
I was a combat infantryman (11B) with the 2nd/327th in company B. Joe Won was my first squad leader followed by James Adams, who I knew as “Slick”. There was a red headed Alabaman that we called “Rebel” and a former Green Beret nicknamed “Buzzard”. Jack Page was briefly in the same squad when he was very short. I joined my unit in the later part of September 1968 at FB Bastogne where my squad was positioned atop “Rocket Hill”. Shortly afterward we transfered to FB Veghel, then back to Bastogne before we had a short stay at Camp Eagle where we got a new platoon leader before going out Hwy. 1 right past FB Tomahawk where we took position at a bridge and RR bridge two or three clicks away. There was one particular night patrolling between the bridge and Tomahawk that we lost two men that I knew as “Furlance” and “Whitey” in mortal combat. I would have some closure if I knew their names. I realize how difficult that it must be for their children to find out anything about them if those who knew them for a short time only knew them by another name.
