During 1968 and 1969, I spent time with both the First and Third Marines Divisions in combat in Vietnam. I was fresh out of high school and felt extremely patriotic and wanted to join the Marines. I enlisted in May of 1968 during the Vietnam war, and was headed toward an experience I will never forget. I saw human tragedy from war and went from being a teenager to being a man very quickly.

I met many new friends while in the the Marine Corps and in the Vietnam war, but there were two Marines and one day I have never forgotten. Years later, I traveled to Washington DC to find their names on the Vietnam Memorial, and have had their names on my Office walls over the years.

With the advent of Internet WebPages, I began checking for my old Vietnam Unit information periodically. A few years ago I finally located a website dedicated to Alpha Company, 1st Marine Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division. One part of the website was dedicated to those who had lost their lives in Vietnam. When I checked the names of the Marines killed, I immediately noticed two of the Marines I served with who died in a battle on January 22, 1969 were not listed. They were the Marines whose names I had gotten from the Vietnam Memorial so many years ago. I immediately emailed the webmaster and advised him of the omissions. I received an email back several months later acknowledging the omissions and the names William St John and Mark Taylor were added to the list of Marines killed in Vietnam from Alpha 1/3.

In 2003 I located a website dedicated to Mark Taylor. I remember the battle so vividly and remember the circumstances surrounding Mark's death. There was a place for Guests to sign his page on the website. I signed it "I was there, a friend."

Another Marine died that day in the same battle. I had served with this Marine in Boot Camp and with Alpha 1/3 in Vietnam. I carried his body after he was killed heroically charging a bunker that had his platoon pinned down. His name was William St John. I was never able to find a website dedicated to him.

Several years have passed since I signed Mark Taylor's page and I had gone on with my life, but never forgotten. I was never able to find anything more about Bill St. John. One day in December of 2007 I was checking my email and out of the blue received an email from a person whose name was William St John. When I saw the name, I immediately thought of Bill St John who also died on January

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