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Through Rich, we met Steve "Doc" Hanmore. Doc shared a story that touched us
all very much, included here with his permission.
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Remembrance that Doc Hanmore sent on December 1, 2001:
"The Marine with the pickaxe - I have the same picture. I remember Davis from that picture for something he did for
me.
We were on a company size operation across the river from Hill 52. We were at the rear of the patrol. The lead platoon
came under fire from a bunker. I believe an ARVIN soldier was killed or wounded and a Marine was wounded also. I remember
we had a med-evac because Sgt. Bolton gave me a chance to go and I turned him down.
When we came under fire we stopped
our advance up the hill. After a few minutes the Captain called for 2nd Platoon to take the lead and take out the bunker.
Sgt. Bolton sometime referred to us as the 'red-headed step-child' because we lived on Hill 25 by ourselves. I will never
forget Sgt. Bolton's speech to us. It went something like this: 'The Captain had the shit scared out of him. He doesn't want
to risk (his men). We are taking the lead. You are Marines - when you move up through this column do not look like you are
afraid. Hold your heads high - we will show them.'
We moved in on the bunker but the VC had long been gone. The bunker
was a hole between two huge boulders. We were ordered to destroy it with C4. A direct hit with a bomb would not have hurt
it. But we put some C4 in it and blew it. When they lit the fuse I turned to run and sprained my ankle.
Sgt. Bolton said
there was a helicopter coming in and for me to get on it. I asked him if they were going to stay on Hill 52 that night and
he said no, they were going to go back to Hill 25. There were only a few Marines on the Hill with most of us out in the field.
I had a Corpsman friend killed in an ambush in the village outside of Hill 52 (Fiberto Aquirre HM3) just a few days before.
I was the only Corpsman with our patrol and we had to go back through that village to get back to Hill 25.
(continued
right)
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Davis is providing moral support to Lee Dart of Clearwater, Florida,
who is swinging the pickaxe. Doc's story has added new meaning to this photo from Davis' album.
If Doc Dyer had been with us I would have taken the ride but I was the
only Corpsman with the patrol. As you can see it was a dangerous road back. I told Sgt. Bolton I would go along with them.
He said 'Doc, if that ankle swells up you're not going to be able to walk on it.' He said 'If you fall back you're on your
own.' He never wanted to be away from the Hill with so few Marines defending it. He was expecting us to get hit and a few
weeks later we were.
Hill 25 is probably a little over two miles away from Hill 52. We were across the river a mile or better away from Hill
52. This is then about a four mile walk back to Hill 25. If I had taken my boot off I would have never made it back. I left
my boot on for a week to support my ankle.
It was dark when we went through the village. After we got through the village
I did start to fall behind and Sgt. Bolton was true to his word - he never slowed down. A couple of Marines fell back with
me. They were on the Hill half an hour before we ever got there. The last mile I leaned on Davis' shoulder.
You never forget what a friend does for you.
I am very sorry for your loss. I had been in the field seven months when
I went on R&R to Hawaii. While I was gone the Hill was over run.
Doc Hanmore"
Doc's Photos
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