Fifty years may have passed but heroes never die.

Fifty years ago, the US Army had its first military engagement with the North Vietnamese forces in the battle of the Ia Drang Valley. About 1500 men engaged a force of about 5000 communist backed Vietnamese soldiers.  After the four day battle the stories of valor from that engagement fill volumes of books.  Storied of men like Bruce Crandall and Ed Freeman who flew their unarmed helicopters in and out of the landing zone bringing in supplies and ammo to the men surrounded and rescuing the soldiers who were wounded and dying on the battle field. Both of these men would be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for their selfless courage to rescue their brothers in arms.

Before the first Battalion of the seventh Calvary left for Vietnam their commanded Hal Moore made a promise to leave no man behind.  In the second day of fighting specialist Willie Godbolt was following his orders and was mortally wounded. His platoon leader 2nd Lt. John "Jack" Geoghegan, following his commander’s orders, lost his life to make sure that Willie would be returned home to his family.  Although both men lost their lives that day the both were returned to their families and were buried with full military honors. The truly unique part of this story was in the mid 1960's the civil rights movement was in its infancy, Jack, a white man from Pennsylvania, risked everything to try and save his friend and brother Willie, a black man from Florida. Because of their friendship and the actions in combat Jack and Willie's names will forever be next to each other on the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington DC.

Captain Thomas Metsker, who served with distinction under Col. Moore, was wounded during the battle, he was shot in the shoulder and was taken to Bruce Crandall's helicopter for evac.  While he was seated in the copter he looked out and saw another wounded soldier being carried over to the helicopter.  Despite his wounds he jumped out and gave his spot to the wounded man.  While helping to load his fellow soldier into the copter he was shot in the head by a sniper and fell into the copter.  His fellow soldiers held on to him for the entire flight back to base, unfortunately they were unable to save Captain Metsker.  He rests a short walk from the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery.

Sargent Ernie Savage was a young NCO and the leader of the 3rd squad, when the battle started, after the battle began his company commander and two of his senior NCO's were killed in action and Sargent Savage took command of his platoon which had been shut off from the rest of his company.  After a night of fierce fire fight Sargent Savage and the remainder of his platoon was rescued and when given the chance to return to base they stayed in the fight.

The last man I want to write about will never have a rank in front of his name and cannot rest forever in the gentle rolling hills of Arlington National Cemetery.  His name is Joseph "Joe" Galloway. Joe is a fellow Texan, he comes from the small town of Refugio, Texas.  He was a reporter who at the last moment jumped into a helicopter and joined Col. Moore in the Ia Drang Valley.  As a non-combatant Joe went into the landing zone armed with only his camera and his keen eye.  After the four day battle the young reporter returned as a battle hardened hero who along with his friend Hal Moore would write and tell the stories of these men.  For his actions Joe is the only civilian to receive the Bronze Star for Valor in the Vietnam War.

Each man here received awards for their service to their country, but there are countless men who fell fifty years ago who's valor will never be known because their actions of valor were witnessed only by their fellow soldier, who never got to enjoy the world without war.  Unfortunately their actions are known only to God. 

The men who survived would forever carry the pain of the loss they suffered in that distant field.  The heroes who died in this intense four day engagement are immortalized forever on panel 3E of the Vietnam Memorial.