1LT Franklin Leroy Koch, Wheaton, IL on www.VirtualWall.org The Virtual Wall® Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall

Probably the last photo of LT Franklin L. Koch, killed 3 months after I left him on the helipad on or about 28 February 1969. I was his Company Commander from the day he arrived in June until the end of February.

- - LTC Stephen E. Shepard, (USA, Ret)
June 28, 2014

Siege of Dak To - - May thru July, 1969

In May of 1969, the North Vietnamese launched a major campaign against the American base at Dak To. Cynics claimed that the engineers and gunners had been left behind to the draw the NVA from their hills, thus exposing them better to bombing strikes by B-52s flying from Guam and Thailand. The American military officially denied this, but the commander of the 42d ARVN Regiment openly stated that it was indeed the reason.

During the ensuing siege of Dak To, from May through July 1969, the American base was defended by the 299th Engineer Battalion, A Battery of the 1/92d Artillery, and a detachment of "dusters" from the Americal Division. Total American troop strength at Dak To probably was not more than 600 men, while an estimated 5,000 NVA took part in the operations against the Americans and the ARVN infantry bases.

During the battle, the American engineers suffered an extremely high casualty rate of about 45%, though fortunately most were comparatively minor wounds. Still, at least 19 engineers died of their wounds. The artillery suffered 6 killed and 25 wounded. It was a favorite target of the NVA because of the damage it was inflicting on enemy forces. Alpha Battery often exchanged direct fire with the NVA while providing fire support to ARVN forces. As a result, it took numerous direct hits from rockets, mortars, recoilless rifles, and B-40 rockets. Two of its howitzers at the Ben Het Special Forces Camp suffered equal damage.

Dak To was subjected to daily 122 mm rocket attacks. The usual time for the shelling was around noon, the NVA hoping to catch the Americans dining in the mess hall. The NVA did get lucky when the 15th LE Company took a disastrous hit, but not during lunch. A 122 mm rocket chanced to penetrate their headquarters bunker, killing the company commander, first sergeant, operations sergeant, company clerk, commo section on duty, and a reaction force which had taken cover there.

1LT Koch was the Engineer Equipment Officer and Company Commander when the communications bunker was hit. At 1728 hours, the night's first 122 mm rocket struck the base. In the next eleven minutes eleven more rockets exploded. One of these hit between the blast wall and the entrance to the 15th's bunker.

One witness recalled, "I was sitting there and the next thing I knew I'm in a heap with a bunch of other guys," Gearhart said. "Can't hear. Can't see. Can't breathe. Along with the others that were still alive, I began scrambling toward the light. As I clawed my way out over the debris I saw the entrance was completely gone." You can read that full 'war story', Dak To Defenders, here.

In all, nine engineers died and nineteen were wounded in the blast. The 15th's command structure and its communication capabilities were all but destroyed but the engineers continued to perform their duties. The men from the 15th Engineer Company killed in their communications bunker were:

1LT Koch was featured a June 27, 1969 LIFE magazine cover story entitled "The Faces of the American Dead in Vietnam: One Week's Toll." The 15th Engineer Company was inactivated on 20 March 1972 in Vietnam.

1LT Koch was reported as missing in action (MIA) on 28 May 1969 and it was not until June 4 when his status was changed to killed in action (KIA). He was survived by his wife, Georgette C. Koch, Park Circle, Sun Prarie, Wisconsin, and his parents, Mrs. and Mr. Milton Koch (1915-1971), West Indiana Street, Wheaton, Illinois.

1LT Koch was buried in Chapel Hill Gardens West, Elmhurst, Illinois. His father Milton, also a veteran of World War II, was buried with Franklin when he passed away in 1971.