I went to school with ROBERT PAUL DEGEN
in the 1960's in Vancouver, Wa. He was a fine person
with a great sense of humor, his loss was felt all
over Vancouver, WA, and probably will be for some time
yet. Now may he rest in Peace, in the golden light of
eternal love, from now and forever more.

Remembered by a friend,
Greg Payne
teetee199thlib@excite.com

I went to Hudson's Bay High School in 1967 in Vancouver, WA, With DELL COLEMAN ODEGARD. He went by the nickname of "Coley". I had CWP - Contemporary World Problems - with Mrs. Richards, while Coley had it with a very controversial teacher at the time, a Mr. Kurrie. Mr Kurrie, because of a controversial flag he had hanging in the classroom and some rather controversial beliefs that he taught, was believed to be a Communist. Well you know then the kids were going to tease him. Coley had a good sense of humor, we'd ask Mr. Kurrie, "What's the film going to be on today, Mr. Kurrie? Mickey Mouse sees Red China!" DELL COLEMAN ODEGARD was a fine person, with a great sense of humor. His loss was felt all through Vancouver, Wa. Now may he rest in Peace, in the golden light of eternal Love from now and forever more!

Your Friend,
Greg Payne
teetee199thlib@excite.com

I was classmates with DANIEL LOYD POFF in the 1960's in Vancouver, WA. He was a very fine person, with a good sense of humor. His loss was felt very much in Vancouver. Now may he rest in Peace, in the golden light of eternal Love, from now and forever more!

Greg Payne
700 Veterans Drive, The Dalles, Or 97058
teetee199thlib@excite.com

I first met DANIEL GUY WESSLER at the track field in 1962 at McLoughlin Junior High School in Vancouver Wa. He did events like pole vaulting, broad jump, 100 yd. dash high hurdles, and 50 yd. dash high hurdles. Myself I did shot put and sometimes the 50 yd. dash. I attended a P.E. class and a Mechanical Drawing class with Danny while at McLoughlin Junior High School from 1962 - 1964. From there I was with him at Hudson's Bay High School from 1965 -1967. There I had P.E. again with him, as well as on the high school year book " The Aquila", where he did the sports section and I did the art and advertising. He was also on the high school wrestling team, and ran track. From there he went into the Marine Corps on the buddy system with another good friend of mine, Ronnie Joshua. They went through Boot Camp, ITR, and Advanced Infantry then on to Vietnam together. DANIEL GUY WESSLER, was one of the finest people that you'd ever had wanted to meet. Ever since that day the old Irish song "Danny Boy" about their loved one that went to war so many centuries ago, and never came back. "O' Danny boy, I love you so" --- The loss of DANIEL GUY WESSLER was felt all over Vancouver, Wa, and will be felt for many more years yet. Now may he rest in Peace and in the golden light of eternal Love, from now and for evermore!

Your friend,
Greg Payne
Gregory Payne
700 Veterans Drive, The Dalles, Or 97058
teetee199thlib@excite.com

PFC James Earl Bouyer was one of the first people I met as I entered into D Company 4th Battalion 12th Infantry 199th Light Infantry Brigade. PFC Bouyer was our Platoon R.T.O. (Radio Telephone Operator) - he carried the infantry PRC-25 Radio. It was given to him after CPL Larry Eugene Boyer was killed. PFC James Earl Bouyer was very pleasant, a good person to have been around and had a good sense of humor. He was innocently involved in a very tragic grenade accident that took his life and the lives of two other people. His loss was felt throughout our Company and by all his friends and family. Now may he rest in Peace in the golden light of eternal Love from now and for evermore.

Your friend and comrade in arms
Sp4 Greg Payne
teetee199thlib@excite.com

SGT Richard Allen Thursby and SP4 William DeBates
also died in the same grenade accident.

The men of the 199th Infantry Brigade (Light)
who died in Vietnam are remembered at
http://redcatcher10alpha.com/mini_wall/wallnames.htm

One of the first people I met when I entered into D Company 4th Battalion 12th Infantry 199th Light Infantry Brigade, in the northern parts of the MeKong Delta Region of Vietnam, was my new Squad leader for 3rd Squad, 1st Platoon, SGT RICHARD ALLEN THURSBY. SGT Thursby was probably one of the most knowledgeable people I've ever had the opportunity to meet. SGT Thursby for the most part was a good survivalist, he taught us how you could actually see an incoming mortar round during a Viet Cong mortar attack. As soon as you heard the marking round go off in the tube, you got down and rolled over, looked up in the sky, and for just a split second, at it's arching point you could see a black spot up in the sky, then you could get a rough idea just where that mortar round would land. Anything after that arching point would become invisible to the naked eye as it descended.

He taught us how to walk in the mud that no western human being had words to describe. "Don't get your legs together," he'd tell us, "It will form a vacuum around your legs, and you'll never get out, the more you work to get lose the deeper you're gonna go. If your boots aren't tied right, it will also suck them off your feet, so be careful how you tie your boots." He showed us how you had to wrap the extra laces around the top of the boot then tie them in a square knot, this method would keep that extremely deep mud from pulling the boots right off your feet.

He taught us how to lean forward into the "chopper" wind, so as to not get blown over.

He was a pretty good thinker in time of an emergency, for one time he stepped flat footed on a tripwire on a booby-trapped rice paddie dyke. Realizing what had happened he froze and said, "Get off the trail and get down, I'm flatfooted on a tripwire and I'm apt to go 'Boom'. I'm not going to wait all day for this either, so I hope this M-60 machinegun ammo can will be heavy enough to hold this wire in place."

He slowly lowered the ammo can off his shoulder and very carefully, very gingerly set it down on the booby trap wire, then slowly and carefully lifted his foot up and off the tripwire. It worked, he saved his life that day. Then he had us take a ball of twine he had us carry and tie it onto the canvas strap of the ammo can, unravel the twine, get down behind the dyke and pull the string pulling the ammo can off the tripwire and blowing the booby trap in place.

Yes, SGT Richard Allen Thursby was one of the best Squad Leaders I've ever had the opportunity to meet. He was a very good person with an equally good sense of humor. Unfortunately, SGT Richard Allen Thursby and two other men were very tragically killed in a grenade accident.

May he now rest in peace in the golden light of eternal light and eternal Love, from now and for evermore.

Your friend and comrade in arms,
Sp4 Greg Payne
teetee199thlib@excite.com

WILLIAM ARTHUR DeBATES was one of the first persons I met upon entering D Company 4th Battalion 12th Infantry 199th Light Infantry Brigade, Vietnam. He was a fine person who came from a good family. William was innocently caught in a very tragic accident that took his life and the lives of two other people, a grenade accident on top of a bunker. May he now rest in peace in the golden light of eternal love, from now and forever more.

Your friend and comrade in arms,
SP4 Greg Payne
700 Veterans Drive, The Dalles, Ore 97058
teetee199thlib@excite.com

The men of the 199th Infantry Brigade (Light)
who died in Vietnam are remembered on the
199th LIB Wall

PFC DAVID EDWARD KENNEY was another person I first met in D CO, 4TH BN, 12TH INF. A lot of action came while we were there together, but the biggest action was in June of 1969 when PFC David Kenney was killed in action by an NVA claymore mine. His loss was felt greatly through out our Company and by his friends and family. He was a very good person with a great sense of humor. His loss will always be felt. May he now rest in Peace in the golden light of eternal Love, from now and forever more.

Your friend and comrade in arms
Sp4 Greg Payne
teetee199thlib@excite.com

General William Ross Bond came to Vietnam to the 199th Light Infantry Brigade after I had already left the 199th LIB and Vietnam. I would have been at Fort Hood, Texas at the time of his death. From what I understand of General Bond, however, he was no back seat General, he wanted to be right up there with the front line troops, and wanted all the front line information to be gathered and sent back to Headquarters himself. He was one brave and gallant man, according to the people I've talked to who actually knew him. I'm just picking up this site so he won't be forgotten, now others who actually knew him can add their memories to his Memorial site.

Gregory Payne
Oregon Veterans Home
700 Veterans Drive
The Dalles, Oregon 97058
teetee199libvietnam69@yahoo.com

IN MEMORY OF DAVID WALLACE BAKER

To my cousin DAVID WALLACE BAKER, to a strong willed person, one who did not back down from a fight. Who stood up for the truth of which he believed in in his heart to be right at the time. A defender of the weak, with a strong background in God and Country.

For these reasons you joined the Marine Corps, the rough and tumble life fit you well. You answered the clarion call, and when sent to Vietnam, you did more than your duty; o'David you laid down your life for your country. Even though I write this soliloquy, for once you were a combat soldier, though you were scared you did not run, for once you were a combat soldier, for by God you were a Marine! Go o' David, go and take what you have fought so long and hard to get. Take hold of your eternal life, as the golden rays of the setting sun light up all eternity, go o' David, to rest in Peace in the golden light of eternal Love that shall be with you for now and forever more!

I LOVE YOU, DAVID.

Your cousin, Greg Payne
teetee199thlib@excite.com