Comments by SGT D. Ziegler B Co 6/31st:

"Hawaii" was with Bravo company.  He always told me, he was Philippine. In the field he was just as good as the best tiger scout.  'Hawaii' was walking point with the second squad on a night ambush patrol the evening he was killed. The action was north of Dong Tam. Apparently the explosive device was extensive enough to kill or wound all members of the squad. And, only because the sitrep was not radioed back in time was there any clue to the incident. 'Hawaii' stood only about five feet tall and was absolutely fearless in the field. We guessed the explosive device was command detonated. There are four other names I recognize from Bravo 6/31.  Would be good to list the wounded as Hawaii was KIA and the rest of his squad was all WIA in the same event.

Comments by Sp4 Thomas K Barry:

‘Hawaii’ was the most enthusiastic soldier.  Was he as good as a tiger scout?  He was a loyal American from the state of Hawaii USA, our island people.  The platoon leader for 2^nd platoon was also Hawaiian.  The Lt and Hawaii were especially close to the village people.  The village square was located a mile and a half northeast of Dong Tam.  A road ran from the front of the square, west about half a mile to a woodline.  Where the road and the woodline met, Hawaii was blown up.  His death ended our time in Dong Tam pulling security for the division base camp.  Our main mission was to protect Dong Tam from mortar attack.  We had started in late April 69 and ended in September 69.  That summer the second platoon went native, setting up temporary base in, and moving about a bombed out Buddhist temple.  We hung out with a black pajama-wearing group of regional force that kind of looked like VC.  Hawaii fit right in to the temple life style, and was good at thatching huts.  The Lt and Hawaii held ‘court’ in a rustic wood sided room with Boyle manning the radio.  Two squads would pull ambush patrol and one squad would guard the temple with our RF friends.  ‘Kirby’ their BAR gunner was our favorite.  I was with another squad the day he died.  The night Hawaii was killed; Sgt Furr had led us way north of that road to a position among the dikes out in the paddies.  Bellinger who was on point, ran to Hawaii’s location to assist.  The rest of us tried to keep up with him.  I was carrying a Thompson sub recently acquired through a trade, and due to the weight of the gun and clips, I could not keep up.  By the time we got there, Hawaii was choppered out.  We heard or saw something in the woods, and our squad of approximately ten men sprayed the woodline to the south of the road.  The slow fire of my Thompson spooked the entire north berm of Dong Tam into returning fire.  Hawaii met his death giving for the cause.  Sp4 Thomas K Barry