15 Oct 2007 My name is Anthony V. DiGiorgi. I was the Platoon Leader for Bravo Company, 2/12 Infantry, First Calvary Division, assigned to the area of operations located in Tay Ninh Province, RVN, during this great man's service in 1969. Ray was my RTO - Radio-Telephone Operator. But he was a "grunt" first - an Infantryman - who also carried my communication device with the rest of the platoon. April 8, 1969, was not a good day. As with each day, Ray and I started out with some hot cocoa and talked about where we were supposed to go that day. Ray usually knew before I did about our instructions because he would be contacted by radio from Battalion and then relay their instructions to me. I would check with Battalion and then we would be on our way to the mission for the day, just as Ray had faithfully related. That day, April 8, 1969, we were to go to a landing site for evacuation by helicopter to another area. As we approached the woodline of the LZ, we came under fire. The enemy looked for the antenna of a radio, knowing the unit's commander would be there. Ray, in back of me with the telephone, tragically was hit. I was not. Another soldier took over the telephone, and after we had returned fire, Ray was moved to a place where the medic could attend to him. He was alive, then, and I went to see how he was and told him to hold on because the Medevac was coming. I looked at him, and he looked at me. He wasn't saying anything, and I told him he was going back to the world and would be fine. He was fine, and he died. I miss Ray. He was my friend. We lost others that day. It was sad when we were able to think about our lost soldiers. April 8, 1969 was a bad day. I miss you, Ray. Anthony V. DiGiorgi Lt, Inf B 2/12 First Air Cavalry Division RVN 807 North Avenue, Millvale, Pa 15209 crafter48@netscape.com

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall On 08 Apr 1969 the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry, lost five men in Tay Ninh Province west of Saigon: A Co, 2nd Bn, 12th Cavalry SGT Charles C. Dickerson, Jacksonville, FL SP4 Keith N. Miller, Racine, WI B Co, 2nd Bn, 12th Cavalry SP4 Edward M. Kachman, North Braddock, PA PFC Raymond A. Gray, Cleveland, OH PFC Jackie L. Tate, Branson, MO

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