Many American soldiers have been killed or wounded in the service of their country. Sometimes the numbers are overwhelming, so on this Memorial Day, I would like to honor one in some detail, hoping to bring to light that each has a story.
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I met David Hann in May 1971 when I assumed command of B Battery 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery near the Cambodian border in the Republic of Vietnam. He was a specialist fourth class member of an 8” howitzer gun section. He was from Tennessee and had enlisted rather than been drafted. He was 21 years old. You can find his name on Panel W2, line 33 of the Vietnam Memorial.
I noticed him quickly because his boss, the Chief of his section, used him as a deputy. He could do every job in the section and could do it well.
Then his boss finished his tour in Vietnam and went home. There was no replacement. I decided to make David the Chief of Section.
The job called for a noncommissioned officer (NCO) two ranks above David, normally with 6-10 years of service. David had so little time in the Army that regulations would not allow me to promote him to the next rank, which would have been Sergeant E5.
However, I was allowed to make him an Acting Sergeant, and that is what I did. My two senior NCOs, who had 32 years of service between them, enthusiastically supported my decision, and they weren’t shy about giving me honest advice.
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David was in charge of 11 soldiers. More was required than courage under fire, which he demonstrated frequently.
His gun had to be ready to fire 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This required organizational skills far beyond what you would expect from a 21-year-old. Each soldier had to be able to perform multiple jobs and do them perfectly. In the artillery, there is no room for error. A small mistake can result in a terrible disaster.
David was a magnificent Chief of Section.
In late September 1971, a North Vietnamese offensive forced us off the border to a big base called Tay Ninh, next to a city of the same name. On the morning of October 3, election day for in-country troops, David drove me in a jeep to a meeting. The North Vietnamese had decided to discourage voting by firing Soviet made rockets with 100-pound warheads indiscriminately into the city. But the first two went into the military base. I got out of the jeep moments before the first rocket hit. It took David’s life. His death affected me deeply and still does.
He was an outstanding soldier and person. Please honor his memory on this Memorial Day. His actions reflect great credit on himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
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Image from The Wall of Faces.