Resting in the meager man-made shade in our perimeter at Loc Ninh.

Joe, Dave Groh and Garland Randall all came to 2/28th from the 1/26th "Blue Spaders" in September '67. Garland Randall was killed in the Battle of Ong Thanh in October '67.

Joe Karczynski was in the Battle of Ap Gu, which took place on the night of March 31st-April 1st, 1967. After a heavy mortar barrage, the 1/26th Infantry Blue Spaders and 1/16th Infantry Rangers were attacked by more than three battalions of Viet Cong. Joe was one of four members of a listening post which was deployed about 200 yards from the battalion perimeter. They had to fight their way back to the perimeter, with the VC all around them and following them into the American perimeter. Once back in the perimeter, which was being overrun, they found that their sector had already been breached, so they fought a series of holding actions. Joe was wounded by two grenades while defending the company Command Post, where the enemy forces were finally stopped. While the estimated VC body count was over 600, the American force suffered 17 killed and 102 wounded, mostly Blue Spaders. Especially hard-hit was Charlie Co., which was Joe's unit. 1/26th Inf. was commanded by LTC Alexander Haig.

You can find more information about the Battle of Ap Gu here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Ap_Gu

All four of the guys in this photo were brave soldiers and good people. I'm proud to have served with them.

Photo courtesy of Joe Hare.