The Fallen of Fire Support Base Burt
New Year’s Battle, January 1–2, 1968
Tây Ninh Province, South Vietnam
On January 1–2, 1968, Fire Support Base Burt (Suối Cụt) was struck in a fierce, multi-wave assault during what was supposed to be a holiday ceasefire. Soldiers fought through the night under mortar fire, RPGs, and ground attacks that reached the perimeter. The base held, but 23 Americans did not come home.
Today, mickyspano.com/ and The Micky Spano Show honor them together, name by name, because remembrance isn’t a headline, it’s a roll call.
Roll Call of the Fallen (23)
- 2LT John W. Beckett
- SSG Fred C. DuBose III
- SGT James J. Lind
- PFC Samuel Rivera Fernandez
- SGT Anderson L. Ruderson
- SP4 David R. Smith
- CPL Alton L. Watkins Jr.
- SP4 Robert L. Campbell
- SP4 Thomas G. Bernardy
- PFC Ronnie Edsel Ballard
- SP4 Eldon Garamillo
- SGT Robert Eugene Bowman
- SP4 Kenneth Braxton Carpenter
- SP4 Ennis Eugene Crow
- SP4 Houston Clifford Box Jr.
- PFC Willie Petty Jr.
- SP4 Able Croom Stroud III
- SP4 Odell Stokes Jr.
- SP4 Ralph Lee Rotter
- CPL Bobby Joe Winkler
- SP4 James William McCaffrey
- SP4 Victor David Tomczyk
Reflection
They didn’t get a “Happy New Year.”
They got the hard version of midnight, the one with incoming rounds, broken sleep, and the quiet decision to hold the line anyway.
So we do what we can, from here, in peace:
We remember.
We speak their names.
We refuse to let them vanish into statistics.
Coolbeaners Appreciation
At mickyspano.com/, we honor the men and women who stepped forward when our nation called.
Today, we recognize the 23 Americans lost at Fire Support Base Burt on New Year’s night, January 1–2, 1968. We honor their sacrifice, the soldiers who fought beside them, and the families who carried the weight afterward.
mickyspano.com/
The Micky Spano Show
Honoring a Veteran of the Day, every single day.
Leave a Reply