1st Platoon, A Company, 4th/47th Battalion, 2nd Brigade Gia Dinh Province – June 19, 1967

These excellent photos were contributed by David Bertolino – if you recognize any of these fine troopers, please contact us (click at upper right).

These excellent photos were contributed by David Bertolino – if you recognize any of these fine troopers, please contact us (click at upper right).
Alpha Company troopers at Dong Tam – Robert Eldon Broyles (Tenn) and trailing behind him is Roy Robinson (Missouri).
There’s Roy R. Robinson facing the camera. . .
Camp Bearcat sandbaggers: Frank Lewanowich with shovel James Moore in front, James Flannery 2nd from right, and James Smith at right.
The 4 troopers facing the camera are: Roy R. Robinson, Smith, James E. Moore, and Sgt. Donald Hargett. Al Brown faces them.
Alpha Company Troopers passing time aboard the USS General John Pope enroute to South Viet Nam – Jan 1967.
Lt. Frank A. Rybicki, Jr.
Sergeant Freddie Atkins Dong Tam – Feburary ’67.
Lt. Bertolino (left) checks out his mortor team. James J. Caruso standing (rear) – Gary D. Sheppard (right) – Pasquale Marino sitting.
Lt. Bertolino standing at left and Gary Smith (Kansas) is kneeling at the right. Dong Tam – approx May 1967.

I remember Lt. Fred Bertolino very well. One evening during our training at Fort, Riley, Kansas, we were out in the field on bivouac exercises – the hills were dry with tall grass. Our Alpha Company had set up a perimeter for the night, we were in our pup tents. Lt. Bertolino and Lt. Zum Mallen, both West Pointers as I recall (and both died in the June 19th battle) came to my tent and called me out saying “Estrella… bring your M-14″….. we went outside the perimeter about 200 yards. One of them had gotten hold of a rifle flair, and they wanted to see what it would do. I don’t remember which one shot it, but he aimed the rifle up into the air at a high angle and the other Lt. said wait… they will see it. So, he aimed parallel to the ground and fired away from the perimeter. It only took minutes before that part of Kansas was ablaze. We ran back to the perimeter and as soon as we got inside, turned around shouting Fire, Fire… The battalion spent the next couple of days dealing with that fire and we never got caught!

Regards, Milton Estrella