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A Note from The Virtual Wall
At the beginning of March 1969 the 2/9 Marines were based at the Vandergriff Combat Base midway between Quang Tri City and Khe Sanh, responsible for both area and base defense. Their mission included aggressive patrolling of the entire area, which was subject to continuing incursions of NVA regulars from their DMZ sanctuaries.
Echo 2/9 initially was commanded by Captain J. D. Ward, who was relieved by 1stLt R. H. Morgan on 19 March; the following day command of Echo 2/9 went to 2ndLt James Upchurch. In the late afternoon of 23 March Echo 2/9 moved from Signal Hill to the Khe Gio Bridge, where Route 9 crossed the Cam Lo River west of Cam Lo. On the 24th, 2/9 was alerted to the presence of NVA troops moving into the area from the north and directed Echo and Fox Companies to prepare to move north on the morning of 25 March to intercept the NVA.
The two companies moved out before daybreak, using darkness and dense vegetation to conceal their movement from the NVA. At 1000 the Echo 2/9 point element encountered a group of NVA soldiers, taking them by surprise and killing four. At about 1330 the NVA opened fire on Echo's lead platoon with hand-held weapons, .50 caliber machine guns, and 81mm mortars. When 1stLt Upchurch was killed, and five Marines wounded, by a mortar burst, the Battalion's assistant operations officer, 2ndLt R. W. Ballard, was sent forward to take command of the company. Ballard arrived at about 1430, withdrew the lead platoon, and consolidated Echo 2/9 to form a blocking position. The NVA, apparently realizing that Fox 2/9 was moving around their right flank, chose not to continue the engagement but instead withdrew toward the DMZ.
1stLt Upchurch is the only Marine known to have died as a result of the Echo 2/9 engagement on 25 March 1969.
An article about Jim and Kathy Upchurch appeared in the January 1999 issue of Leatherneck Magazine.
| James Glenn Upchurch | |
| ON THE WALL: | Panel W28 Line 41 |
| This page Copyright © 1997-2018 www.VirtualWall.org Ltd. | |
| PERSONAL DATA: | |
| Home of Record: | Ada, OK |
| Date of birth: | 01/28/1944 |
| MILITARY DATA: | |
| Service Branch: | United States Marine Corps |
| Grade at loss: | O1 |
| Rank: | Second Lieutenant |
| Promotion Note: | None |
| ID No: | 0105686 |
| MOS: | 0302: Infantry Officer |
| Length Service: | 01 |
| Unit: | E CO, 2ND BN, 9TH MARINES, 3RD MARDIV, III MAF |
| CASUALTY DATA: | |
| Start Tour: | 10/19/1968 |
| Incident Date: | 03/25/1969 |
| Casualty Date: | 03/25/1969 |
| Status Date: | Not Applicable |
| Status Change: | Not Applicable |
| Age at Loss: | 25 |
| Location: | Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam |
| Remains: | Body recovered |
| Repatriated: | Not Applicable |
| Identified: | Not Applicable |
| Casualty Type: | Hostile, died outright |
| Casualty Reason: | Ground casualty |
| Casualty Detail: | Artillery, rocket, or mortar |
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