Bernie Rosales, Jr
Corporal
E CO, 2ND BN, 39TH INFANTRY, 9TH INF DIV, USARV
Army of the United States
Ithaca, Michigan
February 08, 1948 to September 10, 1968
BERNIE ROSALES Jr is on the Wall at Panel W44, Line 19

cib.gif
 
phndvsvc.gif
 
Bernie Rosales
usarv.gif 9infdiv.gif 39thinfrgt.gif

 
After Boot, Bernie (Baby-Face) was assigned to Echo Company, 2nd BN, 39th Infantry, 9th Division, US Army, and he began his tour of duty on May 23, 1968. At the age of 20 years, Corporal Rosales was killed in action in the Province of Long An, South Vietnam while checking on a fallen comrade. Before 24 hours had passed, Bernie's body was airlifted and repatriated to his family in Ithaca, Michigan.

Bernie is remembered with much love by his friends and classmates of Ithaca 1966; and with great pride by his Comrades of ECHO Company.

"Yes, Bernie always had a smile. When anyone was KIA, the Company Commander wrote a letter to the parents or wife. I remember Bernie's mother wrote back and sent all of us a box of goodies, cookies, etc. From my recollection, the letter was in Spanish and, unfortunately for us, we couldn't read it.

"Bernie was killed while checking on another fallen comrade. We were at close quarters around a hooch ... Charlie Company was coming in from the other side ... There was a VC/NVA in a bunker we didn't see and he shot and killed this guy from Charlie Company.

"After the VC was eliminated, Bernie walked up and leaned his rifle against the hooch and bent over to see if the guy was dead. There were 2 VC in a spider hole (which is impossible to see) and one of them shot Bernie. Tears were shed.

"We then eliminated those two VC. Later we captured two more. We had to stay the night in a defensive position until the next day.

"Bernie's body was airlifted out that night along with the two prisoners ... the Company Commander told the Battalion Commander if he didn't come get the prisoners they may not live through the night ... I think he was probably right. We were not in the best of moods."

~ Joe Rambo
ECHO, 2nd BN, 39th Infantry, 9th Division, US Army

Visit the
PaddySloggers





06 Dec 2006

Baby Face, you are still missed!

And here you are:
Bernie Rosales, Jr.

Thank you for helping to keep me free, Bernie.

From a classmate, Ithaca 1966, Michigan,
Nancee Greenlee



16 Jan 2007

Bernie,
You are still missed.
Nan



From a friend and classmate,
Nancee Greenlee
14130 Southwest 105th Ave, Apt. 20, Tigard, Or 97224
njogreenlee@verizon.net

Contact Us © Copyright 1997-2019 www.VirtualWall.org, Ltd ®(TM) Last update 08/15/2019.