13 Aug 2002 The photo and following article is taken from The Philadelphia Daily News, special supplement entitled 'SIX HUNDRED AND THIRTY,' October 26, 1987. Ashlock graduated from Edward Bok Vocational High School in 1964. A teacher there remembers the former commercial art student as a "quiet gentleman." He enlisted in the Marine Corps in October 1964 and was sent to Viet Nam in June 1966. The 21-year-old sergeant was wounded during Operation Sutter against Viet Cong forces in December 1966, but returned to duty with a rocket unit of Company D of the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division. Ashlock disappeared on May 12, 1967, as darkness fell after daylong combat in a valley near Que Son, Quang Nam Province. He was not found during an intensive search the following morning, and was declared missing in action. Ashlock is one of nine MIA's from Philadelphia. Survivors included his parents. SEMPER FIDELIS, MARINE! From a native Philadelphian and Marine, Jim McIlhenney christianamacks@comcast.net

 

21 Apr 2003 Carlos Ashlock, Although I never got to meet you, you seem like a very brave and just individual. You are on my POW/MIA bracelet that I bought while I was in D.C. I don't know that much about you, but I have been looking for more. Hopefully some day I may know just an ounce of how much of a good man you were. Semper Fi, Marine. Matt Shupinski 167 Morwood Rd. Telford, PA 18969 semperfi398@hotmail.com

 

11 Nov 2003 Carlos Ashlock, You are on my POW/MIA bracelet that I have had since high school. You will never be forgotten. I am a Sergeant in the Marine Corps and every day think of all the Marines who have come and gone before me. Thank you for serving, without you and fellow service members I might not have had the honor to serve. Semper Fidelis You Are Not Forgotten "Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference. The Marines don't have that problem." - PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN, 1985 - Sergeant William Owen (Active 1999-?) Quantico, Virginia owenwf@tecom.usmc.mil

 

1 Jul 2004 Sergeant Ashlock, Your name is on my POW/MIA bracelet. I've worn it since August 1994 when I was on my way home from the Corps. I haven't taken it off since then and I remember you and and all that have fought to keep this the land of the free. Although we never met we are from only 50 miles apart. Thank You for being the brave Marine you were. Cpl Larry Seip Jr. Allentown, Pa no1ozz@yahoo.com

 

29 Sep 2005 I've worn a bracelet with your name engraved upon it every day of my life since 1972. I had to procure another one some years back as the original (which I still have) became so worn you could no longer read the text. I've been to other sites and learned of the action you were involved in that led to your loss. This is my first time here and I'm honored to be able to keep your memory alive in some small way. On behalf of every single American I thank you and your family from the bottom of my heart for your service to Our country and pray that God will see fit to allow you to someday be returned to us. Until that day please know that YOU WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN. William Paupst Bristol Twp, Bucks County, Pa wjpaupst@comcast.net

 

18 Jul 2006 Carlos, I have always known about you, I have only learned your name recently. My Dad Corporal Charles Wormus considered you his best friend. My Dad passed away April 1st 2006 and I received his case file from the VA. There is a letter in the file from my dad that describes you as his best friend and the letter also tells of your injury and return to duty as well as your capture on that Friday night. My dad was there with you both times. It was all too hard for him to discuss with me while he was alive, but a day never passed that he did not think about and miss you. You will not be forgotten. Now that I have been assigned a duty by my father's passing, it will always be my responsibilty and honor to preserve what a brave and good person you are. Semper Fi! Thank You for being my Dad's best friend and a Hero to our country. From the son of Cpl. Charles Wormus, David Edwards-Wormus davidedwardsgc@gmail.com

 

01 Nov 2006 I was with Carlos Ashlock when he disappeared. I remember him well. We talked many times about what we were doing and what was going on. He was a leader to all of us, especially the younger Marines. If there is any one of his family alive, you can be proud of him and for all that he did. A lot of Marines did things every day in Viet Nam that deserved medals. He was one of them. Joe A Montoya Delta Co 1/5, 1st Marine Division 1966/1967 907 San Marcos Blvd, San Marcos, Ca. 92078 usmcdelta15@aol.com

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall On 12 May 1967, Delta 1/5 Marines were conducting a sweep in the vicinity of the village of Que Son in the Rue Son Valley, Quang Nam Province, as part of Operation UNION. The Marines were taken under attack by two reinforced Viet Cong battalions. By late afternoon the outnumbered Marines were forced to withdraw, having taken numerous casualties: Cpl Jerry D. Basnett, Columbia, MO Cpl Chester L. Hopkins, West Paris, ME, H&S with Delta 1/5 HM3 Gregory D. Jenkins, Graham, NC, H&S with Delta 1/5 Cpl Ernest G. Madden, Wellsville, OH (Silver Star) Cpl Harvey R. Sanders, Garden Grove, CA Cpl William H. Travis, Mikado, MI LCpl Paul R. Edington, Dallas, TX LCpl Gary A. Farlow, North Olmsted, OH (Silver Star) LCpl David L. Gale, Long Beach, CA LCpl John M. Geary, New York, NY Pfc Michael J. Davidson, Cassville, WI Pfc Terry S. Hearon, Lugoff, SC Pfc William H. Myers, Salem, IN (Navy Cross) Pfc Cloyde C. Pinson, Dallas, TX Pfc Gerald A. Reiter, Karthaus, PA Pvt Bobby G. Stanford, Monroe, LA Pfc John Straudovskis, Lost Nation, IA Two others, Corporal Carlos Ashlock and Lance Corporal Jose Agosto-Santos, were known to have received serious wounds, believed to be fatal, but their bodies could not be recovered by the Marines as they pulled back. When the Marines returned to the area the following morning the two men could not be found. According to the Task Force Omega report linked below, one surviving Marine reported seeing VC troops carrying Agosto-Santos away. Task Force Omega states that intelligence reports indicated that two wounded Marines, possibly Agosto-Santos and Ashlock, were in the custody of the VC; that a former Viet Cong doctor at Hospital B-25 reported Corporal Ashlock was alive and had been treated at his hospital; and that Ashlock was seen alive in July 1967. TFO does not indicate the source documentation for these claims. Task Force Omega also states that both men were "immediately listed as Killed in Action, Body Not Recovered." In Ashlock's case, at least, this statement is incorrect; Ashlock was listed as "Missing in Action" until a Presumptive Finding of Death was approved by the Secretary of the Navy on 08 July 1976. LCpl Agosto-Santos was a different matter: He and another Marine, Pfc Luis A. Ortiz-Rivera, were released by the Viet Cong on 23 January 1968. During his debriefing LCpl Agosto-Santos reported that he had not seen Corporal Ashlock after being captured and did not know if Ashlock had been captured alive. Task Force Omega goes on to say that "In March 1991, Vietnam repatriated a group of remains, one set of which they identified as those of Carlos Ashlock. The remains were taken to the Central Identification Laboratory-Hawaii (CIL-HI) for examination. After an examination of all remains returned to US control in March 1991, CIL-HI personnel determined that neither the remains identified as Cpl. Ashlock, nor any other remains returned at that time, could be associated with Carlos Ashlock." Two sets of the remains repatriated on 06 March 1991 have been identified as those of AT3 Thomas Plants, USN, whose EA-1F was downed over North Vietnam on 06/02/1965, and LTC Howard K. Williams, USAF, whose F-100 went down in North Vietnam on 03/18/1968. The Virtual Wall cannot confirm or deny that additional remains were repatriated during March 1991. As of 21 April 2003, Sergeant Carlos Ashlock's remains have not been identified. Taken from the POW Network , Task Force Omega , and DoD Personnel Missing SEA sites.

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