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Frank Noe and others
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MedCap - 1967
The following people were at
this expanded Civic Action/Medical Action Patrol in the Dien
Four area (1967). Behind SSG Noe is an Army Captain wearing a
baseball hat. He was one of two Americans MACV District
Advisors at Cam Lam/Soui Doi. At that time (1967) there were
no SF there, but 40 Regional/Popular Forces RF/PF were at Soui
Doi but they only protect the Advisors/VN District HQ Compound
there. Also wearing a baseball hat and with camera around his
neck was an Intel Sergeant from II Field Force in Nha Trang.
In the center of the photo wearing a T shirt is “John,” real
name Xuan, the outstanding english speaking CIDG Medic who ran
the Camp Trung Dung Dispensary. Also in the photo wearing
berets are a USSF and VNSF sergeants, but I don’t remember
their names. It was indeed a big day with over1,200 people
treated. We established a lot of good will and I learned more
about who was who in our area.
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FRANK NOE'S FINAL MISSION I have
never forgot the professionalism and dedication of SFC Frank Noe,
and I was honored to write his story for the
Memorial
for Vietnam Veterans. During the months of September,
October, and November of 1967, local Viet Cong and North
Vietnamese Army units began a campaign of infiltration,
extensive reconnaissance, and attacks on Special Forces Camp
A-502. In response, A-502 sent out extended long range company
sized operations into the jungle mountains, and conducted
numerous nightly local security and ambush patrols in the rice
paddies around the local villages. These ambushes were making
enemy contact almost every night. On the night of November 1,
1967 SFC Noe was leading a local ambush patrol. A radio message
from the patrol reported that SFC Noe had been shot. A
helicopter MEDIVAC was requested and landed in our camp. Because
I was familiar with the area of the ambush where SFC Noe was
located, I got in the helicopter and directed the pilot where to
go. After several fly overs in the dark, I spotted the patrol
and had the pilot land and wait a short distance away. Running
through the rice paddies I found the patrol. Several Vietnamese
patrol members helped me carry the badly wounded and unconscious
SFC Noe to the helicopter. On board, the Medivac Medic and I
treated his wound as we flew to the hospital in Nha Trang. The
emergency room doctors did all they could but SFC Noe had died
as I held him in my arms in the helicopter. After formal
identification of his body in the hospital morgue, I spent the
rest of the night mourning what a good man we had lost. |
