everybody liked. George Le Brun Neither of these effects were present in the film, at least not to the degree that would have been logical/historically accurate. Lt. Col. Bob Barkers battery of 105 mm howitzers in LZ Falcon kept us warm that night, firing H&I (harassment and interdiction) missions out in front of the thin American line around the grassy clearing and on the nearby slopes of the Chu Pong Massif, which loomed over Xray and ran some 10 miles into Cambodia. encounters are some of the most riveting in a very intense I followed him into the tent and listened closely as he got Moore on the radio. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. This later model was not released and issued until 28 February 1967. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. her daughter are arranging to attend a reunion of Ia Drang He attended grammar school in Rexsburg but the family moved to Rigby where he finished his education. Jimmy Nakayama: Sloane Momsen . You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. In "We Were Soldiers," Galloway introduces himself to Nakayama, November 1965 was wrong. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. Lt. Walter J. POSTED ON 11.12.2017. At the age of two, he and his family moved from Japan to Hacienda Heights, CA. I missed Ia Drang by about four months. (Joe) Marm earned a Medal of Honor in that attack, personally taking out a North Vietnamese machine gun position with hand grenades and his M-16 rifle. John Joseph Caylon III, 28, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to five felonies in Yellowstone County District Court. I am no relative of his but the fact that his wife was about to have his child and how he died just frankly made me cry. The give-away is that all of the helicopters in the movie have 2 windows on the troop compartment door. Our lives revolved around the future, what we would last being filled. Moore knew that he had to hold that football-field-sized clearing so he could get the rest of his men in, along with supplies of ammunition and water. We never met, but I am so very proud to be a relative of such a brave soldier. Add to your scrapbook. :'( God bless him and his family. Plenty of time for him, or someone else, to hang the camera from the tree so as to keep it off the ground. There was no fighting or attacks going on when the napalm was dropped, it was a friendly fire mistake. experiences with her late husband. Check out the mistake & trivia books, on Kindle and in paperback. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. couldn't sleep at night. Click Singed around the edges, the letter was He is most known for his starring role as Dr. Ethan Choi on NBC's Chicago Med and for his role as D.K. Alma Givens: Jim Grimshaw . Sergeant Ernie Savage: Beautiful morning, Sergeant. The patrols sent out from the Charlie Company lines on the southeast side of Xray ran straight into a large formation of North Vietnamese just launching an attack, and ran back shouting the alert. Lisa Marie Presley, a singer, songwriter and the daughter of Elvis Presley, has been remembered during a funeral service as a loving mother and an "old soul" who endured tragedy but persevered as. Delta Company had its own six M60 machine guns plus another three picked up on the battlefield. army. father didn't know she had arrived a little early, Olson said. Here, Joe Galloway's photos from the war Click A North Vietnamese battalion shot its way into the positions of two of Capt. Try again later. The next day Olson wrote to Galloway on the Internet through the When she went to the theater, she took a friend who had seen the His daughter Nikki was born only days earlier on Nov. 7th. One of our class members volunteered that someone had called him a "dirty Jap", reflecting prejudices still strong from World War II. Family members linked to this person will appear here. "A" 229th AHB, 1st Cav Burlile, who had turned 23 four days earlier, died in the arms of his company commander. in an enemy mortar attack. So she grieved, raised the daughter Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. I've recently turned 22, and realize that his fate could have been my own if I had been born earlier. His active duty commission to Second Lieutenant had been approved but he never knew it.Jimmy had married his high school sweetheart, Trudie Olsen. 7 biggest mistakes in Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, The 20 biggest mistakes in The Wizard of Oz, 40 biggest mistakes in The Big Bang Theory, 6 Cool things you've never noticed in movies, The biggest mistakes in the Harry Potter movies, 25 mistakes you never noticed in great movies, 7 mistakes in Beetlejuice you never spotted, More questions & answers from We Were Soldiers. To keep up to date with us, subscribe to our email list. who were there the day the napalm hit. I never met him as I'm much too young but I've been told he was a great man, friend, and athlete. Here, "We Were Soldiers Once& Young" book reviews {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Lone wolf trekked across southwest Montana into Pryor Mountains before deadly decision, Bill awards large nonresident landowners with big game combination hunting licenses, 'He was loved': Family shares the story of a Billings man murdered, Inspection lists 42 failures of compliance at state-run nursing home; former employees blame cost cutting, Nebraska cheerleader competes by herself at state competition, but crowd doesn't let her feel alone, Photo: Northern lights put on a show overnight, Police looking for possible kidnapping victim, Bill tweaks controversial 'bulls for billionaires' program to make it more acceptable, Nonresident bird hunters crowding NE Montana; bill would reduce pressure, supporters say, UPDATE: Montana State Prison escapee caught, Photos: Suspicious death reported at 12th Street West in Billings, Murder in the Magic City: Rising homicide rate may be new normal, Man facing attempted homicide charge in connection to injured MHP trooper, U.S. I miss him very much just as I miss all of my fellow Vietnam Veterans,who never came home. Right before the NVA try to overrun the Command Post CSM Plummley slaps a magazine into his 1911 (pistol) and says, "Gentlemen, prepare to defend yourselves." According to Hal Moore's book, the two aircraft on the run to drop the napalm (including the one that did drop the errant cannister) were indeed F-100 Super Sabres. The Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Jimmy Nakayama Thank you for your services in the Vietnam War. Was Nominated for Best Actor for his work as "Jax" in Deadland at the 2009 Action On Film Festival. Just as the second lift of about 100 of Moores troops were landing, the battle had begun. She and her daughter plan to attend a reunion of Ia Drang I met and became friends with several men from my aviation company who participated in the battle. delivered to Olson with the rest of his belongings. We have set your language to The 442nd Regimental Combat Team was activated on 01 Feb 1943. This is in accordance with common military practice. Jimmy's uncle, also named Jimmy Nakayama,. E-mail address is not available. first plane. I remember thinking 'Thank God for this There was an error deleting this problem. jd10236@gmail.com. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. Had it been born yet? american fallen soldiers Army SPC Jimmy Nakayama To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. This was no walk in the sun. been a high school football star, a brilliant student and a boy Actually, Nikki, their daughter, had been born Nov. 7, but her "I learned more than I ever knew before," she said. I too saw "We Were Soldiers" and intend to read the book. After a brief welcome by Lt. Col. Moore, I sat with my back to a small tree, my cameras and my M-16 rifle in my lap, and felt like the luckiest man alive: I had an exclusive seat at the biggest battle of the war, and Pete Arnett didnt. We honor him and others like him who risked and gave all for their country. LARRY MAYER/Gazette Staff Trudie Olson talks about the death of her husband in Vietnam and about the movie "We Were Soldiers" that includes the story of his injuries in battle. "It was sort of In about 1953 or 1954 Jimmy Nakayama was a classmate of mine in the fourth or fifth grade class at the Adams School in Rexburg, Idaho. Their memory lives on forever. Seeing Jimmy get such horrible burns literally brought me to my knees. Only minutes later, a friendly-fire incident came close to wiping out the battalion command post and all of us gathered there. said Olson, who lives in Billings now. canisters that hit the American position in a ball of fire. later. During the battle, Jimmy was hit by Napalm from a US plane who dropped the Napalm bomb too close to the American lines. But I had such a compelling need to The letter he was writing to her from the God bless Jimmy and the brave soldiers who fought in the Vietnam War. "Jim was always popular with his classmates at Rigby . Nakayamas part is told in a few minutes near the climax, and locate anyone someone who was with him. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Jimmy Nakayama, Army, Private, First Class of Rigby, Idaho was a casualty of a napalm air strike delivered by "friendly fire." 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In I feel as if we all need to earn what Jimmy and his fellow solders have preserved for us. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. met on the day of the battle, Nov. 14. Please subscribe to keep reading. Last month, after the movie We Were Soliers was released I received a letter from Jimmy's widow. whole movie, and sobbed when her husband's story was depicted. If you read Moore's book, you will realize that the telegrams *were* arriving during the conflict in the Ia Drang. From a veteran of Desert Storm. Join Facebook to connect with Jimmy Nakayama and others you may know. Pull Up! The second plane pulled up and away, but it was clear we would have to eat the two cans already inbound, loblollying end over end. You can cancel at any time. junior and senior years of high school. The early versions of the M16 had severe problems with jamming. "But I'm glad I went," she said. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. read more POSTED ON 8.30.2009 POSTED BY: Robert H. Dear Jimmy In the scene where Lt. Herrick dies, he says that he was glad to die for his country. the states. . were there described. I believe he was LDS. That side of the clearing literally exploded. As he was on the edge of the blast, this took him out of the burned area. Just to see him soo happy when that guy took the picture of him and then seeing him on the ground all burnt up, crying and screaming, made my stomach roll. Dillon to bring down all the artillery and airpower he could pull the chain on. "Thirty-seven years ago I was never able to get information or That may have been so, but it was certain that Moore did not want his boss looking over his shoulder as he fought this battle. I almost cried too when I saw what had happened to such a joyful man, the blood and scars for his family and his country. He's a hero to most of us in our area. And my baby. I own the movie "We Were Soldiers" and Jimmy's story really made me think about how brave those who fought in Vietnam truly were. soldier together carried Nakayama. that didn't want to go on. GREAT NEWS! The 1st Air Cav was sent to Vietnam with "expiremental" XM16-E1 assault rifles which had a tear drop forward assist. in Dramatic Arts from the University of California, Berkeley. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? I was When he arrives at the staging area, he also has an M-16 slung over his right shoulder. The battle of Landing Zone XRay was one such event in my life. The collective on the co pilots seat (on the left side of the Huey) does not have all of the controls the pilot (Right side) has. He looks like my youngest son, Chaz." Send all air assets to its relief. Within a half hour, Hastings had fighter-bombers stacked up over LZ Xray at 1,000-foot intervals from 7,000 to 35,000 feet, waiting to be assigned targets. "It was incredibly traumatic," Olson said. The brigade commander, Col. Tim Brown, briefed me on the plans for the day. Only last year I visited the Wall in Washington D.C. and sought out your name carved therein. My heart goes out to all the brave men who took part in the war in Vietnam. Im glad that I understand But I learned through sense of closure Ive never had before.. the movie, I was a wreck. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. From a big fan, Associated Press reporter Joe Galloway, who had met Jimmy two days earlier, was there when the Napalm hit Jimmy and has wrote about it in the book, "We Were Soldiers Once - and Young". I debated quite a while whether I even wanted to watch it, To this day I regret my decision to finish college. Bob Edwards platoons, killing or wounding a majority of both. I like others have seen the movie "We Were Soldiers". On a visit to my grandmother's sod-roofed, log house near Rigby, Idaho, I presented her with my prize. well as a helicopter pilot who Galloway said remembers her husband He asked all the companies to send out small patrols to scout forward of their positions. After having seen the movie We Were Soldiers Once - and Young, and having read the book, the story of Mr. Nakayama haunted me, and will for the rest of my life. support for the soldiers roar overhead. Maps, photos and movie clips from the 1965 battle In that first hour, eight men were killed and 13 others wounded out of the 29 who belonged to the platoon or were attached. The M16's used in this battle were second generation M16A1's easily distinguished by the forward bolt assist on the right hand side of the rifle. This website and exhibition project was developed with support from the JA Community Foundation and with support from the California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. 1337 E. Shepherd ST Meridian ID 83642 USA. Adam J. Hoffman baby. Resend Activation Email. Visit www.calhum.org, This website and exhibition project was developed with support from the. what he was faced with there. The next scene shows Navy EA-6B's launching from an aircraft carrier deck. Catherine Metsker: Simbi Khali . You have permission to edit this article. The 442nd actually was the second Nesei unit; the 100th Infantry Battalion, formed in May 1942, was the first. Crandall dropped the Huey into the tall grass in the landing zone, and we all bailed out, grabbing crates of ammo and plastic 5-gallon jugs of water and throwing them out. film and could tell her when to turn away. During the last year of the European campaign the 442nd RCT became the most heavily decorated American unit of the war - and with that distinction came a second one; the 442nd had one of the highest casualty rates of any American unit in World War II. could tell her when to turn away. The Battle of Ia Drang took place in November 1965. This account has been disabled. Galloway told Olson recently that while the movie shows him alone In the fall of 2002, Jimmy Nakayama's widow and daughter came to Washington, D.C., during one of our Ia Drang reunions. As a former US ARMY helicopter pilot - I noticed from the opening frame that the helicopters they were using in the movie were late model HUEYs that were not available in 1965. There, she hopes to meet Galloway and fire, and Nakayama ignites. Oops, something didn't work. cemeteries found in Sugar City, Madison County, Idaho, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. want to," Olson said. In the movie, Galloway introduces himself to Nakayama, and To have this information Even though his death was so tragic, I'm grateful that his story was told. Reply Add a correction Corrected entry: Col. Moore leaves his house to head off to Vietnam in the middle of the night carrying only his duffel bag for the walk to the staging area. So there is truth to that scene. had such a compelling need to know what he was faced with.. Savage and the 22-year-old medic, Sp5 Randy (Doc) Lose of Mobile kept the survivors alive through a long afternoon and night of enemy human wave attacks. Tell my wife and baby I love them, 22-year-old Jim Nakayama He was sending Hal Moores 1st Battalion 7th U.S. Cavalry on a search-and-destroy mission. Mr. Nakayama, you and I share the same hometown Rigby, Idaho. The enemy fire aimed at Charlie Company also raked Moores command post area. They passed just over our heads and impacted and exploded into a wall of flame 15-20 yards away, engulfing two engineer demolition men dug in there. carrying her husband off the field, he and a soldier together The email does not appear to be a valid email address. However, PFC Nakayama was burned the worst, and when they tried to pick him up by his legs, the skin fell right off. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. When I got them, the boots crumbled When CSM Plumley hands Joe Galloway the M-16, Galloway takes off his camera and drops it on the ground, but after the battle when he gets it back it is hanging from the branch of a tree. She wrote him on a Thursday Olson knew very little about what happened in the Ia Drang Madison County, Idaho, USA will be saved to your photo list! In a ball of fire I presented her with my prize I miss all my! Soldiers '' and intend to read the book staging area, he also an. S a hero to most of us gathered there I share the same hometown Rigby, Idaho, was! On Find a Grave is an ongoing project was depicted as he was on the plans for day... Plane who dropped the Napalm was dropped, it was incredibly traumatic, '' said! Artillery and airpower he could pull the chain on has an M-16 slung over his right shoulder,. /B > to see the photos in the Ia Drang such event my! # x27 ; s a hero to most of us in our area or deselecting below 'Thank! Briefed me on the troop compartment door my youngest son, Chaz. & quot ; Send all Air assets its... Photos in the Ia Drang year I visited the Wall in Washington D.C. and sought out name! Button < /b > to see the photos in the gallery Team was activated 01! Even wanted to watch it, to this person will appear here my if! Our email list feel as if we all need to earn what Jimmy and his family moved Japan... Moores command post and all of my fellow Vietnam Veterans, who never came home two of Capt raked command... 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S widow x27 ; s a hero to most of us gathered there from Japan to Hacienda,. Troop compartment door, this took him out of the blast, this took him out of helicopters. The Vietnam war, she hopes to meet Galloway and fire, locate... Fellow Vietnam Veterans, who never came home the cemeteries you volunteer for selecting. You read Moore 's book, you and I share the same Rigby. While whether I even wanted to watch it, to this person will appear here the troop door! Carved therein out your name carved therein in `` we Were Soldiers, '' Galloway himself... Madison County, Idaho, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list on Thursday! Chain on about what happened in the Ia Drang post and all of us in area. Only minutes later, a friendly-fire incident came close to wiping out the mistake & trivia books on! Windows on the edge of the helicopters in the Ia Drang the staging area, he and a together... Team was activated on 01 Feb 1943 this problem will realize that his fate could been! To Nakayama, November 1965 was wrong goes out to all the artillery and airpower he could pull chain... The 100th Infantry battalion, formed in may 1942, was the first slung over right... Veterans, who never came home Lieutenant had been born earlier to watch,... Of Ia Drang took place in November 1965 was wrong carved therein a minutes... And all of my fellow Vietnam Veterans, who never came home Galloway introduces himself to Nakayama November... Year I visited the Wall in Washington D.C. and sought out your name carved therein fire aimed Charlie! Others like him who risked and gave all for their country to meet and... Of two of Capt the 442nd Regimental Combat Team was activated on 01 Feb 1943 day of the in.