- MICHAEL CHARLES NIELSON
(Beloit, Wisconsin)
-
- Michael Nielson joined the Marine Corps shortly after high
school in 1968. After basic training, he
- quickly rose to the rank of Lance Corporal (LCpl) and went
to Vietnam in January of 1969, only days before his 19th birthday.
He was assigned to H (Hotel) Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine
Division in the northern part of South Vietnam.
- On the morning of July 26, 1969, Hotel Company went out on
a search and destroy mission in the
- rugged terrain of Que Son Mountains near the Laotian border.
The day before another Marine Unit had encountered the enemy
that had resulted in 18 U.S. killed and 73 wounded. As they approched
a waterfall coming from the top of the mountain they were attacked
by a large enemy force. Five to ten Marines were wounded immediately
and the rest started to dig in to fight. The NVA troops were
shooting low to initially wound. This was a common ruse to pull
out other soldiers attempting to get to their fallen buddies.
Each time someone tried to get to a wounded soldier, the NVA
would wound or kill another one. Artillery and over ten Cobra
gunships were called in for support. This battle lasted for hours
well into the night. Two helicopters are shot down trying to
evacuate the wounded and dead, and another five birds are hit.
Golf Company is called in for reinforcement and they eventually
pushed back the enemy. The NVA started to lob mortars into the
Marine troops just before they retreated. One of these exploded
next to LCpl Nielson and killed him instantly. Marines that were
there that day remember ripping off their shirts to use as bandages
as they had run out of battle dressings.
- By the next morning, Hotel Company had lost 7 Marines with
another wounded. The casualties
- were extracted and another Company was inserted. The war
went on.
-
- LCpl Michael Nielsen's name is on the Vietnam Wall at Panel
20W, line 51.
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- Michael is standing on the far
left
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- Sources: Hotel, Golf Co. eyewitnesses, Army logs, helicopter
records.
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