A Tribute To 2nd. Bn. 4th Marines

Forty years ago the 2nd Battalion 4th Marines entered into a battle with the North Vietnamese Army east of a geographic point ironically called "A Place of Angels." The day-long engagement took many Marines' lives and consisted of small arms, rocket, mortar, and artillery fire directed at the attacking companies of 2/4. The NVA were well entrenched and fighting from concealed positions. The ferocity of the fight coupled with the closeness of the combatants produced substantial casualties among the Marine companies. Also demonstrated by all of the Marines who were thrown into this day-long battle was heroism, valor, and unquestioned resolve to prevail in the face of overwhelming odds. The intensity of the small arms fire forced the Marines to leave dead comrades on the field, a fact that clearly identifies the magnitude of the combat, the determination of the NVA to annihilate the battalion, and the commitment of the Marines to win the day.
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Today, I stand on our hallowed ground of freedom in the United States and write for those Marines who cannot tell their story. Our mission, especially for the Marines of 2/4 who survived September 21, 1967, is to collectively remember those who did not survive, who gave the final measure for our lives so we can realize and pass on the liberty and freedom we enjoy today. The battle born on September 21, 1967, typifies the essence of what our country stands for, and what levels of commitment the Marine Corps is willing to accept as its responsibility in providing freedom for America's citizens. The brave souls left on the field and those carried from the battle ground should not be forgotten. The Marines who fought this battle did so with the utmost honor, heroism, and allegiance to American values with unfaltering devotion to duty and country in the face of certain death. You cannot ask any more of an American than what these Marines of 2/4 gave willingly forty years ago. Their spirits will remain with us forever.

Terry Fairbanks
Fox 2/4 1967