WILSON, WAYNE VASTER Bravo Company – 1st Battalion 9th Marines
Name: Wayne Vaster Wilson Branch/Rank: United States Marine Corps/E5 Unit: B CO 1 BN 9 MAR 3 MAR DIV Date of Birth: 04 October 1945 Home City of Record: THOMASVILLE NC Date of Loss: 02 July 1967 Country of Loss: South Vietnam Loss Coordinates: 155500 North 1070000 East Status (in 1973): Missing in Action Category: 4 Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: GROUND Missions: Other Personnel in Incident: Refno: Source: Compiled by P.O.W. NETWORK from one or more of the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews and CACCF = Combined Action Combat Casualty File.
REMARKS: CACCF/ARTILLERY/ROCKET/QUANG TRI No further information available at this time.
Comments Searching for anyone that may have information on Wayne Vaster Wilson from NC. On 02 July 1967 the North Vietnamese Army's 9th Battalion, 90th Regiment, ambushed and overran Bravo Company, 1/9 Marines, leading to a day-long battle fought on Route 561 between An Kha and Gia Binh, Quang Tri Province. Alpha and H&S Companies reinforced Bravo and at day's end the battalion broke contact with 53 known dead, 190 wounded, and 34 men missing from its units. 1/9 Marines regrouped and returned to the battleground on 5 July where they recovered additional bodies, raising the casualty count to 84. One Marine was carried as Missing in Action - Sergeant Wayne V. Wilson.
The North Vietnamese never claimed Wilson as a prisoner, and he did not return with the POWs in 1973. Sergeant Wilson simply disappeared on the battlefield and has never been found. On 05 September 1973, the Secretary of the Navy approved a Presumptive Finding of Death, changing his status from MIA to KIA/BNR. Have recently adopted SSGT. Wilson and very interested in learning more about him. Thanks. R. Riley
From: Richard Riley
Email Address: rpr618@earthlink.net
Date: Tuesday March 18, 2003
POW-MIA Ribbon
Vietnam Campaign Ribbon
Pfc. Gregory Rea Benton, Jr.
BENTON, GREGORY REA, JR. Delta Company/2nd Platoon
Name: Gregory Rea Benton, Jr. Rank/Branch: E2/US Marine Corps Unit: Company D, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, 3rd Marine Division Date of Birth: 18 April 1950 Home City of Record: Vallejo CA Date of Loss: 23 May 1969 Country of Loss: South Vietnam Loss Coordinates: 160700N 1072000E Status (in 1973): Missing In Action Category: 3 Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: Ground Other Personnel In Incident: (none missing)
Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 01 March 1991 from one or more of the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews. Updated by the P.O.W. NETWORK in 2000.
REMARKS:
SYNOPSIS: Greg Benton is an American Indian (the USG shows Benton as Caucasian) and above all he wanted to do his part for his country. He has a pin in his leg as a result of a car accident while delivering newspapers as a boy. Because of the pin, Greg had to fight to get into the Marine Corps and had a difficult time in boot camp because of it. But he badly wanted to become a Marine.
When PFC Benton went to Vietnam, he was assigned to Company D, 1stBattalion, 9th Marines in Vietnam. Like other soldiers in Vietnam, Benton was overwhelmed by the death of his comrades. In a letter home he wrote: "Death is slowly catching up with me, and I cannot avoid it much longer. I dislike having my life end in this hole, but there is little I can do to prevent it. Though my body may be weak and soft my spirit is strong and bold." On May 23, 1969, Benton was part of a security force evacuating casualties at Quang Tri when his helicopter landing zone was overrun. A firefight ensued, and when it was over, search efforts were conducted of the area. All personnel were accounted for except for Benton. No trace was found. It was not known whether he had been injured, captured, or killed. Benton was classified Missing In Action.
When U.S. involvement the war ended in 1975, thousands of refugees fled Vietnam to escape the communist regime, bringing with them stories of Americans still in their country. Since then, over 10,000 such reports have accumulated in U.S. agency files. Many experts, after reviewing the information, believe hundreds may still be alive today, still prisoners. It is not known if Benton survived the attack on the landing zone on May 23, 1969 or if he is one of those said to be still alive. If he is still alive, he surely remembers and has lived by the Marine Corps slogan, "Semper Fidelis". He knows the importance his fellow Marines placed on recovering even the dead from the battlefield. If he is alive, he must wonder why his country has broken faith with him and why he has been abandoned. It's time we brought our men home. =============================== From - Mon Jul 10 17:03:48 2000 My name is Mary E. Benton and I am Greg's older sister and his Primary Next of Kin as listed with HQMC. I just wanted to correct a few mistakes. The reason the USG shows my brother as Caucasian is because when we were born our parents registered us as Caucasian because they were ashamed to be Native American in those days. I have provided the Marine Corps and other government agencies with documents to correct my brother's nationality to Native American. It is very important because of the DNA testing. Greg's date of birth is April 18, 1950.
The quote you have: "Death is slowly catching up with me, etc." is actually part of a poem Greg wrote while he was in Vietnam and sent to me. On May 23, 1969 Greg had just come off a 4 hour patrol when 2nd squad was ambushed down in the valley below hill 891 where Greg's squad was (3rd squad). His squad went back down the hill to act as security while the two dead marines and one wounded were loaded aboard the helicopter. Because the enemy was still in the area, the squads were ordered back up the hill immediately after the helicopter left and it was while the men were going back up the hill from the valley that my brother disappeared. No one went back down the hill for four hours to conduct a search because the enemy was still in the area. They searched for approximately 45 minutes and could find no trace of my brother. My brother is the only MIA from 3rd Marine Division during the whole Vietnam conflict.
Two years ago I found 1Lt Larry McCauley and SGT Cecil Phillips who were with my brother that day in Vietnam. Larry was my brother's Platoon Command and Cecil was the Platoon Sergeant. They both feel that my brother was captured by the NVA troops that were in the area. No shots were heard after the initial incident and no trace was found of my brother or any of his belongings.
I will be going to Vietnam for my brother's birthday on April 18, 2001 with Larry McCauley. I want to leave a Native American totem pole and a plaque for my brother. I want to perform some Native American spiritual ceremonies for him. I am going to try to find information about him while I am in Vietnam.
Mary E. Benton
Thank you for all you have done for our men and women on the Wall. My E-mail address is: pow52369@earthlink.net
