Wayne Robert Barth
Lance Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps

Wayne Robert Barth was born on 28 May 1946 in Eureka, SD, to Elmer Norman and Melita Voegel Barth. The family ultimately consisted of nine children; 5 girls and 4 boys. Wayne attended schools in Bowdle, SD, graduating in 1964. Shortly after graduation, Wayne’s oldest sister Dianna, who was married and living in Lodi, CA, visited her family in Bowdle. As the prospects for finding a job in Bowdle, a farming community in north-central South Dakota, were negligible, Wayne returned with her to Lodi, in the hope of finding work there. Wayne got a job as a gas station attendant at a local Chevron station and worked in that capacity for a period.

In 1965, the Vietnam War was expanding so Wayne enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve in San Francisco, CA, rather than risk being drafted by his Selective Service Office in Roscoe, SD. Upon graduation from “boot camp” at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, CA, Wayne was sent to the 2nd Infantry Training Regiment at Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, CA, for advanced infantry training. He completed the course of instruction and was assigned Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) 0311 (Rifleman). He was then placed on Extended Active Duty and ordered to Vietnam.

Combat History & Events Leading to the Death of Lance Corporal Barth

Upon his arrival in Vietnam in mid-April 1966, Wayne was assigned to 1st Platoon, Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Amphibious Force in Quang Tri Province. Initially, his platoon commander was 2ndLt Peter L. Meade but, in mid-July, 2ndLt David L. Mellon took command. Wayne was assigned as a rifleman and in that capacity participated in Operations, Da Nang, Liberty and Macon. Upon the conclusion of Operation Liberty on 30 June 1966, Bravo Company took up a static position on the southwest edge of the Battalion’s Tactical Area of Responsibility (TAOR). Wayne’s 1st Platoon was located approximately 1000 meters east of the confluence of the Song Thu Bon and Vu Gia rivers and patrolled the area extensively to keep Liberty Road, the Main Supply Route (MSR) from Da Nang to An Hoa open through their assigned territory.

The Battalion departed Vietnam on 29 September 1966 to go through a refitting process on Okinawa in preparation for serving on the Special Landing Force (SLF). New personnel joined the platoon during the intensive training period at Camp Schwab on Okinawa and at the SLF Camp in Subic Bay in the Philippines. As part of the reorganization, Wayne was moved to the 3rd Squad, where he became a rifleman in the First Fire Team, under Corporal James G. Pomerleau [Honoree Record ID 271033]. His new Squad Leader was Sergeant Gilberto Telles.

On 6 January 1967, Wayne’s company was committed to Operation Deckhouse V in the Phanh Phu District of Kien Hoa Province, south of Saigon in the Mekong River Delta. Bravo Company launched from the LST-1166 USS Washtenaw County in LVTP-5 (Amtraks) and amphibiously assaulted the beach. The operation was intent on disrupting the activities of the Viet Cong’s 518th Coastal Security Battalion and the C-530 Company. Wayne’s platoon pushed to the northeast along the beach for the next 7 days. While the platoon received sniper fire on a daily basis, only a couple of serious firefights occurred during the operation. At 22:00 on 8 January, the platoon was attacked in its night defensive perimeter by small arms and rocket propelled grenades. On 10 January, Wayne’s platoon was ambushed by a squad of Viet Cong at 14:45.

During this engagement, one of the Marines in Wayne’s squad, LCpl Robert W. White [Honoree Record ID 285494] was killed and two other Marines were wounded. On 12 January, Wayne’s squad was patrolling southwest of the platoon patrol base. At approximately 15:15, the squad observed 4 Viet Cong entering a hootch. The squad approached and a Marine threw a hand grenade into the hootch. As the Viet Cong attempted to flee, they were killed by Wayne’s squad, resulting in body count of 4 and the recovery of a rifle, pistol and a briefcase containing the Viet Cong tax records for the area. In this action, Wayne’s squad had gotten some measure of revenge for the killing of their M-79 man, LCpl White two days earlier. Wayne’s platoon was relieved on 13 January and returned to the command ship, the USS Iwo Jima. Operation Deckhouse V concluded two days later on 15 January and after stops in Vung Tau, Vietnam, Subic Bay, Philippines, and Camp Schwab, Okinawa, the Battalion returned to Vietnam on 5 February. The Battalion debarked from ships and motored up the Perfume River in Landing Craft, Medium (LCM) to the ramp in Hue City. Marine trucks moved the Battalion to Phu Bai. Next, Wayne’s Bravo Company was detached from the Battalion and sent to Khe Sanh, an isolated combat base in the northwest corner of Vietnam near both the Laotian border and the Demilitarized Zone that separated North and South Vietnam. His Squad Leader, Sergeant Telles went immediately to Khe Sanh with the advance party to help plan the relief of 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines who had been providing security for the combat base. Before the balance of Bravo Company arrived, Sergeant Telles was injured in his back by exploding ordnance that had been discarded into a burn barrel. Accordingly, until Sergeant Telles recovered, Cpl Pomerleau became Wayne’s acting Squad Leader.

While Bravo Company was at Khe Sanh, enemy activity began to intensify. The 1st Squad from Wayne’s platoon was involved in a significant action on 25 February. Bravo 1-1 relieved a squad from 2nd platoon that had made contact with an enemy force earlier in the day approximately 2500 meters west of the combat base. At approximately 14:00, Bravo 1-1 deployed and, under cover of supporting artillery fire, moved to the top of the knoll where the original contact took place. After exchanging small arms fire and hand grenades with the NVA, a Huey helicopter with a Forward Air Controller (FAC) aboard was sent from the Combat Base to assist. The artillery fire mission was terminated and the FAC called in a flight of F-4B “Phantom” aircraft armed with 500-pound bombs. In the face of the massive display of supporting arms, the NVA broke contact and retreated. A subsequent sweep of the battlefield found 9 NVA bodies, 1 complete 82mm mortar, 2 more mortar baseplates, 1 mortar bipod, 1 mortars sight, 180 – 82mm mortar rounds with fuses and a complete fire direction center. Bravo 1-1 had disrupted the NVA plan to mortar the Khe Sanh Combat Base. However, the fight proved costly to the Marines as well. The Squad Leader and the Platoon’s Right Guide died and 8 other Bravo 1-1 Marines were wounded. Following the mortal wounding of the 1st Squad leader, Corporal Pomerleau was assigned that role and Sergeant Telles returned from the 12th USAF Hospital in Cam Ranh Bay to resume duty as Wayne’s Squad Leader.

In the aftermath of the 25 February action, Bravo Company became even more aggressive in patrolling to the northwest of the Khe Sanh Combat Base. Daily squad patrols were replaced by multi-day platoon-strength patrols. For a time, Bravo Company was joined in the security mission by Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines. On 16 March, as Echo 1 moved up the eastern side of Hill 861 they came nder small arms fire and mortars from NVA troops located near the summit of the hill. Bravo 2, under 2ndLt Kramer, was directed to go to their relief. As speed was critical, Bravo 2 shed their flak jackets and double timed to Echo 1 position. This mistake led to significant additional serious casualties when the combined units were mortared later that afternoon. The combination of small arms fire from prepared and camouflaged positions, and precise mortar targeting, devastated the two platoons. Echo 1 suffered 10 Marines KIA and 29 WIA, while Bravo 2, suffered 8 KIA and 34 WIA.

On 24 April Wayne’s Bravo 1 platoon was involved in the early fighting of what later became known as “The Hill Fights” at Khe Sanh. At 04:30, Bravo 1 and Bravo 3 moved out of overnight positions north and east of Hill 861. They were tasked with checking out some caves on the northwest slope of Hill 861 that the NVA were suspected of using to cache supplies. By 10:00 Bravo 2, with a section of 81mm mortars, had moved from the combat base to Hill 700, two kilometers south of Hill 861 in order to be able to support Bravo 1 and Bravo 3 while they moved in a westerly direction on the north slope of Hill 861 toward the caves. Bravo 1 was in the lead as the two platoons proceeded and 1st Squad under Cpl Pomerleau had the point. They encountered a 4-man stretcher-bearing team carrying a wounded NVA soldier. A firefight erupted and the NVA attempted to escape down into a gully. Cpl Pomerleau led his squad in pursuit and the firefight continued. Shortly there was a muffled explosion and a “Corpsman up!” call sounded. Apparently a white phosphorus grenade exploded near Cpl Pomerleau, almost cutting him in half. His body was retrieved and brought to the platoon’s position.

While this was taking place, a forward observer team had been ambushed on the south side of Hill 861, near the Bravo 2 perimeter, with three Marines killed. Hearing these reports, the Company Commander, Captain Sayers, thought he could catch the NVA on the summit of Hill 861 in a pincer from the North and South. He and his radioman choppered out from the combat base to Bravo 2’s perimeter to the south. Capt Sayers also retasked Bravo 1, directing them to turn south and sweep toward the summit of Hill 861, hoping to catch the NVA between his two maneuvering platoons. Bravo 1 had been moving southward for approximately 30 minutes with Sergeant Vermillion’s 2nd Squad on point, when the NVA triggered an ambush. The NVA were in prepared position firing from hardened bunkers. Suddenly, there was a scream - Lance Corporal Barth had been hit in the leg. While the volume of fire was initially very heavy and precluded a Corpsman reaching him to administer first aid in time, it subsided. During the lull, Wayne’s Squad Leader, Sergeant Telles, was able to make his way to Wayne's side and recalled him yelling at the NVA, “It’s okay Charlie (nickname for Viet Cong and NVA soldiers), I’m going home and I’ll still be able to ride a bike!” Moments later, Wayne was mortally wounded by a gunshot wound to the left side of his chest. LCpl Wayne Barth was killed just days before he was scheduled to be withdrawn from the field to begin out-processing for his return to the States and he was within two weeks of his flight out of Vietnam. Wayne died one month and 4 days short of his 21st Birthday.

Bravo Company suffered 23 KIAs and numerous WIAs during the fighting that continued for two days after LCpl Wayne Barth was killed. Bravo Company was able to limp back to Khe Sanh Combat Base on the morning of 26 April. The remnants of the Company were flown by C-130 from Khe Sanh to Dong Ha at 16:30 on 27 April where they received additional personnel and reorganized to again become an effective fighting force. During the period of time that LCpl Wayne Barth served at Khe Sanh, he was credited with participating in Operations Prairie II and III.

Regretful Confusion

Medals and Awards

Purple Heart
Combat Action Ribbon
Navy & Marine Corps Presidential Unit Citation
Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation
National Defense Service Medal
Vietnam Service Medal with Bronze Service Star
Vietnam Cross of Gallantry Medal
Vietnam Civil Actions Medal
Vietnam Campaign Medal

Honors

The name Wayne R Barth is located on Panel 18E Line 78 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.

Burial

On 18 May 1967, Lance Corporal Wayne Robert Barth was buried, with full military honors, at Cherokee Memorial Park in Lodi, San Joaquin County, CA, in the Garden of Hymns, Block 1016, Space 4.

[The information in the above Combat History & Events, and the three photographs for this honoree record, were furnished by LCpl Barth's Platoon Commander, 2ndLt David L. Mellon (later Captain), and are used with his written consent.]