Over 30 years ago, I saw something heroic on a battlefield in Vietnam. Two Navy Corpsman were killed that day, both from small towns in Iowa. No one ever realized how brave they were except for the Marines who saw them make the ultimate sacrifice.

  I have always wanted to tell their story, so at least their family and friends would know how they died and the courage they both showed. The Navy corpsman were Paul Ekart, Ottumwa, Iowa, and John Reid of Dewitt, Iowa.

  We were with India Co, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, 3rd platoon. The battalion had been in the DaNang area since December 1967. At that time, we were assigned to the Valley Forge, a helicopter assault carrier. After two weeks of training in the Philippines, we returned to Vietnam.

  We arrived off the coast of Vietnam in mid-December and proceeded to carry out operations in northern Vietnam. From mid-December until January 1968, India Co. was on several operations. Our company was lucky and did not experience much action. Some of the other companies in the battalion were hit pretty hard, but our luck held.

  On Jan. 25, 1968, the battalion was on an operation near the demilitarized zone. We were set up in a defensive position with orders to sweep a big village the following day. They told us a North Vietnamese Army regiment was in the village. We had been told this before, but it never materialized. India Co. would sweep through and the NVA would be gone.

  During the night of Jan. 25, Naval gunfire, artillery and mortars pounded the village. This continued on the morning of Jan. 26. Just before we were to start the sweep, jets bombed and napalmed the village. None of us believed anything could live through such fire power and were not very worried as we began the sweep.

  As we approached the village, Ekart was with the third squad on the left flank. Reid was with the first squad to the right. The third squad was in a very exposed rice paddy with little protection. NVA soldiers waited until we were about 200 feet from the front of the village. In that moment, they opened up with intense automatic weapons fire. We had heavy casualties in the first few seconds.

  When the first Marine was shot Ekart started to his aid. He was wounded and went down. He could have stayed down and saved himself, but he got up and continued toward the injured Marine. Ekart was hit a second time and colapsed. Again, he got up and struggled forward. The corpsman was hit and this time he did not get up.

  Reid managed to make his way to the third squads position. He wanted to know where Ekart was. He was told that Ekart was in the paddy and hit. Reid started toward the paddy, but someone grabbed him and told him to stay down. Reid shook him off saying, thats my friend I gotta go." Reid went out under heavy fire, was hit and killed.

  I was wounded about 20 minutes later and medivaced out. In three weeks, I was back in the states. Seven months later I was discharged and put Vietnam behind me.

  In all the years that have passed, I have always remembered Paul Ekart and John Reid. Without hesitation, they gave their lives trying to save others. I am deeply sorry it has taken more than thirty years to tell their heroic story.

  It was an honor and privilege to have served with those men. I will never forget either of them.