My name, First Lieutenant Robert (Bob) Byrnes. Everyone has a tale to tell. Some great and some not so great. My tale began and ended like this:
Growing up in the small town of Carmichael CA, I had the best Mother and Father a son could ask for, Augustus M. Byrnes (Mac) and Marion E. I had such a blast in high school. Before high school; my elementary years were completed at, Our Lady of the Assu
mption School and the new Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish, then off to La Sierra High School. This is where I enjoyed being on the Swim team, Water Polo, Archery, Cross Country, as well as, Track and Field. Coach Stan LeProtti and his physical fitness program were the best. At La Sierra High School, we were lucky to have great teachers. After High school, I went to American River College, where I was on the water Polo as well as, track teams and also at this time, worked at Carmichael Recreation and Park District as a lifeguard. I soon found a job with Ma Bell (Pacific Bell) as well as attending American River College I was ready to finish and receive my A/S in June 1965. It was then, I came home from work, my Mother said "You have a letter in that brown envelope". I slowly opened the envelope not knowing what to expect. I read the letter "Greetings from Uncle Sam" life changing for sure. I enlisted in January 1965, college was finished and I went into United States Army in June 1965. I did the Physical Exam gig and passed and received my Orders for reporting in Oakland, California. I now find myself at Fort Ord Ca, and soon after I was off to Fort Sill Ok. (OCS) school, where I proudly received my LT. bars. It was an incredibly proud moment when My father A.M. Byrnes and Mother pinned his LT. BARS on me! What a great honor. It was in July 1967 I was sent to Vietnam as a first Lieutenant. Before Vietnam, I had met my soon to be wife, at the Western Drive Inn in Downtown Carmichael in June of 1967. It was in January 1968 we married on my R & R in Hawaii. I was very happy to include my - RTO CPL Darrel A. Bondrowski, from Boothwyn, PA as my best man for this wedding. CPL Bondrowski and I were KIA together on Feb. 9th, 1968. To honor the life, heroism and bravery of 1LT.Byrnes. May we never forget! First Lieutenant Robert (Bob) Byrnes was assigned to Battery A, 3rd Battalion, 82nd Artillery, 196th Light Infantry Brigade. He was killed in action during a firefight while serving as a Forward Observer with Company D, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry. The Tet Offensive began in late January 1968 and heavy fighting continued through February. In Quang Nam Province, the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry, lost fourteen men near Lo Giang on 9 Feb 1968. Task Force Miracle, actions of February 9, 1968. 198's 1/6 Mopped up from their heavy fighting near Lo Giang on the 8th, and 196's 2/1 engaged other elements of the 2nd NVA division a couple of kilometers west near Quang Chau. We lost these brothers there:
MARTIN CHARLES ROBERT
ALVIS DONALD DEAN
BLEIGH ALFRED HARLEN
BONDROWSKI DARREL ANTHONY
BROWN RONALD LEE
CONKLIN JOSEPH PETER
FLINT WILLIAM NEIL
HAILE DONALD JACK
HEYDINGER LAUREN JOSEPH
HOLZAPFEL NORBERT PAUL
PALMIERI JOHN JOSEPH
RHEAULT WILLIS CLIFFORD
WILLIAMS GERALD PATRICK
BYRNES ROBERT SCOTT
May they and their families be at peace. Roger Mulock
"Thank you for stopping by 1Lt. Robert (Bob) Byrnes was an amazing son, brother, newlywed, and friend. He is deeply missed every day. "What is essential does not die but clarifies. The greatest tribute to the dead is not grief, but gratitude." --Thornton Wilde
To my family and friends make sure you let your loved ones know how much they mean to you, and cherish the time you have with them because in a blink of an eye, everything can change. Never Forgotten..........................................................................
FIRST LIEUTENANT ROBERT SCOTT BYRNES , ONE OF THE 117 COURAGEOUS MEN THAT ANSWERED OUR NATION'S CALL TO DUTY IN SOUTHEAST ASIA AND GAVE ALL IN THE LINE OF DUTY ON 9 FEBRUARY 1968 FOR HIS COUNTRY ,
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ROBERT BYRNES WAS BORN IN LAKE COUNTY , CALIFORNIA ON 16 DECEMBER 1944 AND GREW UP IN CARMICHAEL , CALIFORNIA , HE GRADUATED FROM THE LA SIERRA HIGH SCHOOL IN THE CLASS OF 1963 AND THEN ATTENDED AND GRADUATED FROM THE AMERICAN RIVER COLLEGE IN NORTHERN
SACRAMENTO COUNTY WITH A BS DEGREE FROM THE WAR COLLEGE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, ROBERT RECEIVED A DRAFT NOTICE AND ENLISTED INTO THE ARMY AND WENT TO FORT ORD CA BASIC THE TO FORT SILL , OKLAHOMA FOR OFFICER CANDIATE SCHOOL ( OCS ) AND WAS COMMISSIONED A 2ND LIEUTENANT ,
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1LT ROBERT S BYRNES BEGAN HIS TOUR OF DUTY IN SOUTH VIETNAM ON 9 JULY 1967 AS A SINGLE , 23 YEAR OLD FIELD ARTILLERY UNIT COMMANDER ASSIGNED TO A BATTERY , 3RD BATTALION , 82ND AIRILLERY REGIMANT , 196TH INFANTRY BRIGADE , AMERICAL DIVISION .
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ON 7 FEBRUARY 1968 , INTELLIGENCE REPORTED THAT ELEMENTS OF THE NVA 2ND DIVISION HAD EVADED ARVN AND KOREAN MARINES POSITIONS SOUTH OF DA NANG AND THREATENED THE 2ND BATTALION , 3RD MARINES AND THE 3RD BATTALION , 5TH MARINES POSITIONS IMMEDIATELY SOUTH OF THE DA NANG AIR BASE . AFTER SHARING THE INFORMATION WITH COMUSMACV , GENERAL WESTMORELAND ORDERED THE AMERICAL DIVISION TO MAKE SOME BATTALIONS AVAILABLE TO THE MARINES TO SUPPORT THE MARINES DEFENSE . THE TWO ARMY BATTALIONS WOULD DEPLOY TO SUPPORT THE 3 /5 MARINES NEAR CAU DO ON HIGHWAY 1 . ON 8 FEGRUARY , THE NVA BEGAN MORTARING THE COMBINED ACTION PROGRAM ( CAP ) E-4 COMPOUND AT LO GIANG AND BY DAYBREAK HAD SURROUNDED THE MARINES , THE ARMY 1/6 INFANTRY WAS MOVED ONE KILOMETER NORTHEAST OF LO GIANG AND WERE QUICKLY ENGAGED BY ANOTHER NVA FORCE AND THE BATTLE OF LO GIANG HAD NOW BEGAN , THE 2/3 AND 3/5 MARINES WERE DEPLOYED TO SUPPORT THE ARMY 1/6 INFANTRY AND WERE ENGAGED IN BATTLE UNTIL LATE AFTERNOON ,
ON THE EVENING ON 8 FEBRUARY , THE ARMY 2ND BATTALION / 1ST INFANTRY REGIMENT WAS DEPLOYED NEAR DUONG SON AND SET UP BLOCKING POSITIONS SOUTH OF LO GIANG . ON THE MORNNG OF 9 FEBRUARY , THE 2ND / 1ST INFANTRY ATTACKED NORTH TO LO GIANG AND ENGAGED A HOSTILE NVA FORCE SOUTH OF THE DA NANG AIR BASE . THE ENEMY EMPLOYED INTENSE SMALL ARMS, AUTOMATIC WEAPONS, RPG , AND 60MM AND 82MM MORTAR FIRE ON THE 2 /1 INFANTRY .
1LT ROBERT S BYRNES WAS ASSIGNED AS THE ARTILLERY FORWARD OBSERVER TO DELTA COMPANY , 2ND BN / 1ST INFANTRY . D COMPANY CAME UNDER WITHERING ENEMY FIRE WITH THE MORTAR FIRE RAINING DOWN ON THEIR POSITIONS ACCOMPANIED BY A BARRAGE OF SMALL ARMS AND MACHINEGUN FIRE FROM THE 3RD BATTALION , 31ST NVA REGIMENT , 1LT BYRNES EXPOSED HIMSELF TO THE HORRIFIC ENEMY FIRE TO BETTER POSTIONS TO CALL IN THE 3RD / 82ND ARTILLERY SUPPORT , THE BATTLE OF LO GIANG , SOUTH OF DA NANG RAGED ON FOR NINE HOURS AND THE CASUALTIES WERE NUMEROUS . AS 1LT BYRNES CONTINUED TO MOVE AROUND THE BATTLEFIELD , EXPOSED TO THE INTENSE ENEMY TO PLACE EFFECTIVE ARTILLERY FIRE ON THE FIERCE ENEMY POSITIONS , HE WAS STRUCK BY HOSTILE ENEMY SMALL ARMS FIRE AND DIED OUTRIGHT IN THE BATTLE OF LO GIANG IN THE QUANG NAM PROVINCE
HIS BODY WAS RECOVERED ,
THE BATTLES AROUND LO GIANG WERE TACTICAL VICTORIES , SEVERAL LARGE COMMUNIST UNITS HAD BEEN DESTROYED AS EFFECTIVE FIGHTING FORCES , WITH KNOWN LOSSES IN EXCESS OF 500 MEN , AND DA NANG HAD BEEN SECURED , BUT AT A HIGH COST , THE AMERICAN FORCES , OVERALL LOST 53 BRAVE MEN IN THE BATTLE OF LO GIANG . THE TET OFFENSIVE 68 , BEGAN IN LATE JANUARY 1968 AND HEAVY FIGHTING CONTINUE THROUGH FEBRUARY , IN THE QUANG NAM PROVINCE , THE 2ND BATTALION , 1ST INFANTRY , LOST 13 MEN AND THE FORWARD OBSERVER FROM A BATTERY , 3RD/ 82ND ARTILLERY IN THE BATTLE OF LO GIANG ON 9 FEBRUARY 1968 . THE LOST INCLUDE :
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A BTRY , 3RD BN , 82ND ATRILLERY .
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1LT ROBERT S BYRNES - CARMICHAEL , CA
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A CO , 2ND BN , 1ST INFANTRY
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SSG DONALD J HAILE - CALDWELL , ID
SP4 CHARLES R MARTIN - HOGANSBURY , NY
PFC JOHN J PALMIERI - RIVERSIDE , CT
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C CO , 2ND BN , 1ST INFANTRY
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SSG DONALD D ALVIS - HOPE , IN
SSG NORBERT P HOLZAPFEL - PITTSBURGH , PA
SGT ALFRED H BLEIGH - SUTTON , WV
PFC JOSEPH P CONKLIN - HAVERSTRAW , NY
PFC GERALD P WILLIAMS - OAKLAND , CA
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D CO , 2ND BN , 1ST INFANTRY.
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SSG WILLIAM N FLINT , NAPLES , FL
SGT LAUREN J HEYDINGER - NORWALK ,OH
SGT WILLIS C RHEAULT - LAKE LINDEN , MI
CPL DARREL A BONDROWSKI - BOOTHWYN , PA
CPL RONALD L BROWN - PORTSMOUTH , VA .
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1LT ROBERT S BYRNES TRAVELED ON R & R TO HAWAII AND MARRIED ON 24 JANUARY 1968 WITH HIS ARMY RTO AS HIS BEST MAN , SEVENTEEN DAYS AFTER THEY WERE MARRIED , 1LT BYRNES AND HIS RTO CPL DARREL A BONDROWSKI THEY WERE KILLED IN SOUTH VIETNAM ,
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THE VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL WALL HONORS
1LT ROBERT SCOTT BYRNES WITH HIS NAME INSCRIBED ON WALL PANEL 38 EAST - LINE 46 .
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VIETNAM REFLECTIONS - FALLEN HEROES THANKS
1LT ROBERT SCOTT BYRNES FOR HIS BRAVE AND HEROIC SERVICE AND ACKNOWLEDGES AND APPRECIATES THE SUPREME SACRIFICE THAT
1LT BYRNES , HIS LOVED ONES , AND FRIENDS MADE FOR OUR COUNTRY .
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1LT ROBERT SCOTT BYRNES WAS INTERRED IN THE CAVALRY CATHOLIC CEMETERY IN SACRAMENTO , CA. The dedication, devotion to duty and ultimate sacrifice of your Fallen Hero, will never be forgotten..... {****PRIVACY NOTICE: Warning--any person and/or institution and/or Agent and/or Agency of any governmental structure including but not limited to the United States Federal Government also using or monitoring/using this website or any of its associated websites, you do NOT have my permission to utilize any of my profile information nor any of the content contained herein including, but not limited to my photos, and/ or the comments made about my photo's or any other "picture" art posted on my profile. You are hereby notified that you are strictly prohibited from disclosing,
