On July 2, 1967, twenty-six Marines walked out of a U-shaped ambush north of
the DMZ that nearly ended them all. This is Derl Horn's true account of that
day — and the war that led him to it.
On July 2, 1967, Bravo Company walked into a U-shaped ambush just north of
the DMZ. This company of Marines showed tremendous courage against
unbelievable odds as they spent hours fighting for their own lives and the
lives of their fellow Marines. They were trapped and penned down in what
looked to be a hopeless and helpless situation, but they refused to give up.
Later in the day when the tanks finally rolled in, only twenty-six men had
survived. That day changed their lives forever.
Derl Horn shares an exciting, powerful, and true story of his memories of
being drafted into the Marine Corps during the height of the Vietnam War.
From the moment the drill instructor slammed the bus door shut at the San
Diego airport as a recruit to fighting on the war torn battlefields of
Vietnam, he shares his struggles, the horrors of war, the support of family
and friends, and the stabilizing power of his faith in God.
"Corporal Derl Horn's description of the action is accurate and leads the
reader to feel he was actually there with Bravo Company. His use of
comments by others who fought side by side presents other dimensions and
unique perspectives of others who participated in the Operation. I found
his letter to his wife, Marilyn, which described the battle to be
particularly poignant."
"I saw Derl on July 2nd 1967 when his company had been overrun and nearly
annihilated. We were helelifted in and I popped out of a break in a
hedgerow onto a trail and there were the remnants of Bravo with Derl among
them. His eyes were as big as tea cup saucers and the story goes on from
there."
"Like the vast majority of the members of 1st Battalion, 9th Marines Derl
had no idea concerning what was about to happen when he left Con Thien on
patrol north of the McNamara's Strip. Little could he know that he was
about to enter a life and death struggle in which far too many Marines and
Hospital Corpsmen would lose their lives. It was a personal “win”
to survive July 2, 1967."
