 3/1 Kilo Company
Synopsis Of Fallen Brothers
Missing In Action
Created & Contributed By: Jim Keely, MGySgt Ret. Kilo Co. 1965-1966 |
Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines
Prisoners Of War/Missing In Action |
Private First Class Dennis Ray Carter was born on May 2nd, 1947 and is from Lomita, California. On August 28th,1966 PFC Carter was declared as Missing In Action. He was declared a casualty on September 12th, 1974;presumptive finding of death and body was not recovered. Private First Class Carter was promoted to Staff Sergeant.
Private First Class Robert Leo Babula was born on March 7th, 1947 and is from Indiana, Pennsylvania. On August 28th, 1966 PFC Babula was declared as Missing In Action. He was declared a casualty on November 7th 1974;presumptive finding of death and body was not recovered. Private First Class Babula was promoted to Staff Sergeant.
Private First Class John Eugene Bodenschatz Jr. was born on May 29th, 1946 and is from Los Angeles, California. On August 28th, 1966 PFC Bodenschatz Jr. was declared as Missing In Action. He was declared a casualty on January 21st, 1975;presumptive finding of death and body was not recovered. Private First Class Bodenschatz Jr. was promoted to Staff Sergeant.
Private First Class Robert Curtis Borton Jr. was born on June 24th, 1946 and is from Winfield Lincoln, Michigan. On August 28th, 1966 PFC Borton Jr. was declared as Missing In Action. He was declared a casualty on August 24th, 1977;presumptive finding of death and body was recovered. Private First Class Bodenschatz Jr. was promoted to Gunnery Sergeant.
SYNOPSIS
On August 28th, 1966 Privates First Class Robert L. Babula, Robert C. Borton Jr., John E. Bodenschatz Jr. and Dennis R. Carter were members of 1st Platoon. The four were assigned as fire team patrol/ambush with instructions to establish an ambush site approximately 500 meters to the south of their platoon patrol bae. The specific location is in Hoa Hai Village within grid square BT o667 that falls in Hoa Vang District, Quam Nam-Da Nang Province They were last seen when they departed their platoon base area in the early morning hours and when the fire team did not return at the scheduled time a squad was dispatched to search the area for the missing fire team while 1st Platoon, Company K conducted a search in grid square BT 0666, returning about1915H after dark without success. The following day two companies conducted a thorough search within grid square 0667 and within 4,000 meters of this area with negative results. Adjacent units were notified of the missing fire team, and in turn conducted an extensive searc of those ares bordering the 3/1 TAOR. All search parties have been unsuccessful. An agent reported that the fire team had been attacked by hand grenades and three Marines were killed. However, no evidence of graves had been discovered. A continued effort had been made to obtain more information on this incident.
On August 29th 1966 at 0900H, the missing members of the fire team from Company K were declared Missing In Action (MIA).
Indigenous personnel in the area were questioned, but no evidence was uncovered which gave any clues. Villagers were questioned and serch continued. An extensive two-week search effort was conducted when Private First Class Bodenschatz's millitary identification tags and some personal items from other Marines were located. Heavy engineering equipment was brought in to locate possible graves Regrettably no further traces of the fire team were found.
On September 13th, 1966 the Battalion cordoned off grid squares BT 0567, 0667, 0566, and 0666 as part of a and all inhabitants were assembled, screened and interrogated by an ARVN interrogation team from Hoa Vang Distict Headquarters. Three Viet Cong suspects were detained for further questioning, however, no additional information was obtained concerning the four Marines.
The Battalion continued to aggressively search its TAOR with negative results.
As a result of two field investigations in 1992 and 1993, Department Of Defense personnel located witnesses who reported that guerrillas killed the four Marines and their bodies buried. The remains of Gunnery Sergeant Borton Jr. were returned on Febuary 8th 1993 and identified on March 29th, 1995. However the remains of Staff Sergeants Babula, Bodenschatz, Jr. and Carter have yet to be located.
In September 2000, Department Of Defense personnel excavated three sites that were believed to be related to this case. Regrettably, no remains or evidence was recovered that would further the investigation during the current excavation. The case continues to be investigated.
Our three Marines are presently part of the 1,858 Americans who are presently unaccounted for from the war.
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