PFC.
FORREST LA WAYNE BARTRAM
Born
on Feb. 26, 1949
From SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
Casualty was on May 16, 1968
in THUA THIEN, SOUTH VIETNAM
NON-HOSTILE, GROUND CASUALTY
Panel 61E - - Line 6
Forrest
La Wayne Bartram
(picture courtesy of his sister, Brenda Carrington)
Pfc.
Forrest Bartram served with the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines,
Mike Company. His name stands proudly on the Mike 3/5 Wall of Honor.
Semper fi, Brother Marine. We will never forget.
Forrest
La Wayne Bartram
(picture
courtesy of Brad Reynolds)
Rocket
Accident
Forrest
Bartram was 19 years old, only 2 months in Nam. On May 16, 1968, we
were kicking back waiting for the next operation. I wasn't too far
from Forrest when a huge explosion occurred. When me and several other
Marines arrived, he was already dead. Several of us Marines tried
to revive him , but he was gone. Apparently, he was cleaning the 3/5
rocket launcher when it went off. Most of the time we carried a round
in the tube. The back blast is what killed him. This is one of the
memories I will never forget. I always remembered his name, and thought
one day I would like to meet his parents and explain what happened.
So sad.
Semper
fi,
Steve Howsmon
Mike 3/5/Wpns/Rockets
Pfc.
Forrest Bartram
(picture courtesy of Brad Reynolds)
It
was my rocket launcher he was cleaning. I've never forgotten.~Brad
Reynolds
M
Co. 3/5 Weapons Plt.
(picture courtesy of Tom Hoying)
Front:
Forrest Bartram, Tom Briggs, Frank Ambrose, Bob Montgomery
Back: Unidentified, Richard Hipp, Unidentified, Brad Reynolds, Tom
Hoying, Ken Fields, Unidentified
(If anyone recognizes the unidentified Marines, please let us known)
M Co. 3/5
Rocket Team
(Picture
and caption courtesy of Steve Howsmon, M/3/5)
Front
row, the Marine holding the 3.5 rocket launcher is Ron Markel, the
middle crouching down is Forrest La Wayne Bartram. The Marine right
holding the rocket launcher is Vic Sosa. Back row left is Steve Howsmon,
middle is unknown, and last is I believe is Lance Cpl. Hoying. Notes
on back of picture read: The Marine crouched down holding a
rocket is dead. His name was Bartram. He was here only a month. The
Marine on the right holding the tube is Vic Sosa. He’s my squad
leader, and he’s the one who wrote Marion a letter.
Mike
3/5 Weapons Platoon/Rockets
Forrest Bartram (sitting, far right)
(picture courtesy of Steve Howsmon)
To
a Good Marine
I
was already in the hospital in Okinawa when I heard that you had been
killed in an accident on May 16, 1968. I thought, "what a shame"
after what you had just gone through. It turned out that the battle
at Hai Van Pass, Hill 1192, when "Mike" Company, 3rd Battalion,
5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, ran into an unexpected huge NVA
Base Camp on May 8, 1968, in Thua Thien Province is finally coming
out in the open, after being hushed for over 32 years. This mess lasted
for over 5 days, and you made it through that okay, only to be killed
in an accident.
You
were a real good friend of mine, and my cohort on the 3.5 rocket launcher.
My heart sank when I found out, and more than one tear came to my
eyes. You were a good Marine, and I'll never forget your friendship.
Rest in peace, buddy. You are not forgotten.~Jerry
Lomax
Operation HOUSTON II (NVA Base
Camp)
(3/5
Memorial graphic by Vic Vilionis, 7th Marines)
