PAUL MARQUIS

WEB MASTER

Robert Theodore Marmie

10 Feb 2006

Bobby is my cousin. I really didn't know him that well, since I grew up in Cincinnati and he was from Columbus.

I do remember him being a fun cousin! Whenever he would visit, he'd throw the kids around in the pool and we loved it!

Robert Mayman, Jr

excatho@hotmail.com

Notes from The Virtual Wall Note

During the summer of 1969 the North Vietnamese Army made repeated attempts to drive Allied forces from the heights of Mutter's Ridge, which formed a portion of the southern boundary of the DMZ. According to the Command Chronology for the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines on 10 August Echo Company, 2/3 Marines, lost 19 men in heavy fighting near Hill 484.

On the night of 09/10 August the 3rd Platoon, Echo 2/3 and the attached portion of the 81mm Mortar Platoon, H&S 2/3 established a night defensive position near Hill 484. At 0415 on 10 August the position was attacked from three sides by NVA regulars. Although the NDP perimeter was breached the Marines held out and the NVA withdrew - but only to reorganize. At 0615 the NVA attacked again, this time under cover of a heavy mortar barrage. Once again, the Marines held and the NVA withdrew. At 1015 on 10 October, reinforcements from Alpha Company 1/3 Marines began to arrive. As noted, by that time the men from 2nd Platoon Echo 2/3 and the Mortar Platoon elements had incurred 19 men killed in action and 75 wounded - in effect, every man in the NDP was dead or injured.

While the 2/3 Chronology reports 19 Killed in Action, The Virtual Wall thinks there were 21 - one man from Alpha 1/3 was killed later on 10 August, and one man from 1/12 Marines was killed. The 1/12 Marine is believed to have been an Artillery forward observer team member; 1/12 was in support of Echo 2/3 that day. The 21 dead were

HQ Btry, 1st Bn, 12th Marines

Pfc Reginald M. Sater, Eau Gallie, FL

A Co, 1st Bn, 3rd Marines

Sgt Alberto T. Anzaldua, Santa Rosa, TX (Silver Star)

E Co, 2nd Bn, 3rd Marines

SSgt Charles B. Seminara, Syracuse, NY (Silver Star)

LCpl Lawrence K. Dowd, Bridgewater, MA (Silver Star)

LCpl Stephen Glowe, Detroit, MI

LCpl Dale S. Wilkinson, Lighthouse Point, FL

Pfc Joseph L. Hesson, Pennsauken, NJ

Pfc Richard A. Johnson, Wallingford, CT

Pfc Peter F. Kristof, Medfield, MA

Pfc Robert T. Marmie, Columbus, OH

Pfc Ronald R. Ozimek, Depew, NY

Pfc Charles A. Poe, Las Vegas, NV

Pfc Lindsay C. Turner, Edgemoor, SC (Silver Star)

Pfc Luther Walker, Johnston, SC

Pfc Brian E. Wolfe, Oxnard, CA

H&S Co, 2nd Bn, 3rd Marines

LCpl Sam Catalano, Pueblo, CO

Pfc William R. Dickey, Mentor, OH

Pfc Donald L. Elliott, Springfield, MA

Pfc James G. Hilliard, Tampa, FL

Pfc Michael J. Mooney, Long Beach, CA

Pfc Michael F. Sheridan, Atglen, PA

As noted, PFC Bobby Marmie was one of the Marines who died that day. He, and the other men who died during the Mutter's Ridge battles of 10 August and 17/18 September, are listed on the

Virtual Wall's Mutter's Ridge Memorial

The point-of-contact for this memorial is

a cousin,

Robert Meymann Jr

excatho@hotmail.com

10 Feb 2006

Mutter's Ridge

   August-September 1969

Mutter's Ridge was an east-west ridgeline which formed part of the southern boundary of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). During the Vietnam War, the North Vietnamese paid no more attention to the "Demilitarized" Zone than they did to the internationally guaranteed neutrality of Laos or the sovereignity of eastern Cambodia. The boundary between North and South Vietnam ran along a river valley on the north side of Mutter's Ridge, followed by a higher set of hills that overlapped the northern half of the DMZ and extended into North Vietnam.

Because Mutter's Ridge controlled a key infiltration route from North Vietnam into South Vietnam, it was contested ground from the first days of American involvement in the war. While ownership of the ridgeline, and especially of the peaks, changed hands several times, the 3rd Marine Division more or less retained control of the area. During the summer of 1969, that control was severely tested by the North Vietnamese Army's 304th Division. The purpose of this page is to remember the men who died in the fighting on Mutter's Ridge in August and September 1969.

On 10/11 August 1969, Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines, lost at least 17 men killed in action on Hill 484 against elements of the 304th NVA Division. The following men are known to have died in the fighting:

E CO, 2ND BN, 3RD MARINES

LCpl Lawrence K Dowd LCpl Stephen Glowe PFC Joseph L Hesson

PFC Richard A Johnson PFC Peter F Kristof PFC Robert T Marmie

PFC Ronald R Ozimek PFC Charles A Poe SSgt Charles B Seminara

PFC Lindsay C Turner PFC Luther Walker LCpl Dale S Wilkinson

PFC Brian E Wolfe    

H&S CO, 2ND BN, 3RD MARINES (with Echo 2/3)

PFC William R Dickey PFC Donald L Elliott PFC James G Hilliard

PFC Michael F Sheridan    

In September, it was Lima 3/3's turn. Finding themselves in deep trouble on17 September, Lima 3/3 was reinforced by the 3rd Marine Division's quick reaction force, India 3/4 Marines. In heavy fighting on 17 and 18 September the two companies lost 25 men killed in action, with many more wounded.

Because Mutter's Ridge controlled a key infiltration route from North Vietnam into South Vietnam, it was contested ground from the first days of American involvement in the war. While ownership of the ridgeline, and especially of the peaks, changed hands several times, the 3rd Marine Division more or less retained control of the area. During the summer of 1969, that control was severely tested by the North Vietnamese Army's 304th Division. The purpose of this page is to remember the men who died in the fighting on Mutter's Ridge in August and September 1969.

The Associated Press reported it as follows:

SAIGON (AP) September 18, 1969

Two U.S. Marine regiments to be withdrawn from Vietnam before Christmas today reported 23 of their men killed and 58 wounded in close-range fighting along the demilitarized zone.

Marines from the 3rd and 4th regiments of the 3rd Division were attacked twice Wednesday by North Vietnamese troops near the craggy peak called the Rockpile, four miles south of the DMZ. Some of the fighting was hand-to-hand after the North Vietnamese troops smashed into the night camp of a company of about 150 Marines from the 3rd Regiment.

"During the fighting, an unknown number of soldiers penetrated the perimeter but were killed or repulsed," a communique from U.S. headquarters reported.

The battle began shortly before midnight Tuesday when North Vietnamese troops attacked from the north and east. An hour later mortars slammed in from the east and another assault wave poured in from that direction. American artillery and fighter-bombers helped drive the enemy back after two hours of fighting.

3RD ENG BN (with Lima 3/3)

LCpl Paul J Lafreniere PFC Michael B McGinnis  

L CO, 3RD BN, 3RD MARINES

HN Leslie M Aly LCpl Jerry E Barker PFC Dennis W Ferguson

LCpl Donald L Kennedy LCpl James E McGarrity 2ndLt James B McGarry

LCpl Ricky L Meeks HM3 Scott P Smith PFC Richard W Starkey

Pvt Erich L Tidwell HN Richard M Turner PFC William H Waidman

PFC John W Walker    

I CO, 3RD BN, 4TH MARINES

LCpl James Betancourt PFC John L Chesebrough LCpl Eddie N Corsino

PFC Danny C Cravens PFC Dennis A Denton LCpl William C Joy

PFC Jerry D Rice PFC James D Slattery PFC Harvey L Williams

PFC Thomas E Young    

The men who died on 17/18 Sep 1969 are remembered by others who survived:

Captain David Jordan, commanding India 3/4;

Corpsman Robert A. McInerney;

LCpl George Bennett;

LCpl Robert Christ; and

LCpl G. Preston Davison.