Philip arrived at MMAF on the evening of August 27, 1967. Early morning, 1:30
AM on August 28, 1967 the VC (viet cong) launched a rocket attack on MMAF,
with 140 mm rockets. One rocked exploded just outside the hooch that Philip and a few other Marines were sleeping in, everyone scrambled for cover in the
bunkers. A few seconds later Cpl. Leslie Martz noticed that Philip wasn't in the
bunker. He ran to the hooch were Philip was sleeping, looking around inside
the hooch he saw Philip laying on his cot,went to shake him and that's when he realized that Philip was dead. A fragment of the rocket had hit Philip in the
chest while he sleep, he never knew what hit him. I believe Forrest Holt was
with Leslie helping to find Philip. Forrest Holt was awarded the Bronze Star
for his actions during the rocket attack later that early morning.
It was a few day's later when I received word that Philip had been killed in the
attack. At first your mind say it's not true,maybe some type of mistake or they
got the name wrong. Once you sort it all out in your mind,a lot of changes take
place, you feel hurt, you feel anger, you want to do something for a pay back,
but there isn't nothing you can do, you stay pissed,you cuss every gook and want to kill at least one or two just to get even, but there is not a damn thing
that would bring Philip back. For weeks you still don't really believe it really
happened. But as time moves on you accept the fact it did happen, you think
about what his family and what they must going through.
Many times I have thought about,what if I had pulled rank on him and made
him wait,and went to MMAF myself and would have been in the same hooch
sleeping on the same cot,because there was only one available,the one that
Philip was sleeping in that night, it could have been me there dead. If that
was the case, I hope that he would have made a memorial page like this one
for me.....I have thought about him many times over the years and thought
about the events that led up to his death, I believe we all have an appointment
with death, only GOD knows the place,time and how it will take place. Until
that time you may come close to dieing,but if it is not your time to go you will
live.
I think about what type of wife he would have had,how many kids he would
have had,and how many grand children he would have. What type of job he
would have, etc. Philip was a very good artist, he might have been some type
of draftsman,or professional artist, or maybe doing graphics for some company.
We will never know what great things Philp and other young men who were
killed in Vietnam could have accomplished if they had lived, no one will ever
know, but we must never forget that they gave all........
PHILIP ROBERT CURRAN
L/CPL. UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
Sepetember 15, 1946 - AUGUST 28, 1967
Last name: CURRAN
First name: PHILIP ROBERT
Home of Record: Columbus, Ohio
Date of Birth: Sunday, September 15, 1946
Serial Number: 2218289 mos 7051
Date of casualty: Monday. August 28, 1967
Age at time of loss: 20
Casualty type: (A2) Hostile,Died of wounds
Country: South VietNam
Province: Quang Nam
Name on wall: Panel 25E - Row 056
Philip Curran was killed in Vietnam 18 days before his 21St
birthday. The first time I saw Philip was when he reported for
duty at Khe Sanh Combat Base, South Vietnam in May 1967.
The first thought that came to my mind when we met,was how
in the world did this little dude ever get in the Marine Corps!
He was only 4 foot, 11 inches tall and about 130 pounds . He
got a waiver from his Congressman so he could enlist in the
Marine Corps. During this time of the Vietnam war,the Military
was taking anyone they could get and if they couldn't get them
there was always the dreaded draft. It's not the physical size
of a man,that makes him a man,but how much heart and guts
you have. Philip was always being ribbed about his size,but
he always laughed it off,he got used to it,even kind of liked it.
We were on the perimeter together one night in a foxhole, I told
him if charlie (viet cong) was over running us that he could find
a "C" ration can to hide in, he got a laugh out of that. I said the
V.C. would miss you,but the rats would have you for a snack.
There was some big rats at Khe Sanh. I believe there was an
article written about Philip in Life magazine concerning his size
and enlisting in the Marine Corps. I never saw it but Philip told
me about it. As far as I can recall,his father was dead,his mother
was alive and I believe he only had one sister,no brothers. One
thing that really stands out in my mind about Philip was that he
had a strong faith in God and the heart and soul of a Marine.
Philip never complained about anything, but he didn't like being
at Khe Sanh, his best friend Leslie Martz had transferred to the
Marble Mountain Marine air facility from Khe Sanh and besides
that MMAF was a lot more secure area close to Da Nang. There
were a lot of us that didn't like being there. Our unit was MAG-16
Forward, and our Headquarters was at MMAF, so we had to get
in contact with them by radio or courier for almost everything.
When I was promoted to Sergeant, the comm. bunker received a
radio message that a LT. was flying by helicopter to bring me my
promotion papers and stripes and for me to meet the chopper as
soon as it landed.When the Huey landed I was waiting on it,the
LT. jumped out handed me promotion papers and stripes, shook
my hand,jumped back aboard the chopper and was gone, this
took all of about 30 seconds. I told the rest of the guys, if one of
the 105's or 155's cannons had a fire mission about the time the
LT. was handing my stripes he would have had pee running down
his leg,we all cracked up about that, but the chopper was on a
tight schedule.
I recall the last time I saw Philip like it was yesterday even though it has
been 33 years ago. He would be 53 years old now, but when I think of him
the picture in my mind still see's him as a 20 year old Marine in Vietnam.
He will forever remain young. I was waiting to hear from our unit at MMAF
to authorize my request for in country R&R at China beach, and Philip was
waiting on his request to transfer to MMAF. When ever we took in country
R&R we reported to our unit down south,and there was one hootch we were
to stay in until the date we were assigned to report to China beach R&R area
and transfers were assigned to the same hootch. So we had to wait on space
avaiable before we authorized to come on down.
As fate would have it, Philip and I got our movement approved at the same
time, so we talked about how we were going to drink the EM club at MMAF
dry. There wasn't any such thing as an EM (enlisted men's) club or any type
of anything close ito it at Khe Sanh. The onlything we had was an old hootch
where they handed everyone who wanted it, 2 hot beers every evening, un-
less you had been assigned perimeter duty that night. But at MMAF the EM
club had real cold beer and mixed drinks, so were were going to party down.
That's all we talked about that day was COLD BEER. We were to bum a ride
on the first chopper heading south the next day.
The next day the comm. bunker received a message from MMAF, only one bed avaiable, only one man can come down, you make the call of which
one comes down. I was Philip's Sgt. and knowing how bad he wanted to
leave Khe Sanh, and knowing if I went he would have to wait several days
or week's before he would be able to go, because they had a bad habit down
south of forgetting about us at Khe Sanh. I told Philip, got some good news
and some bad news. The good news is there is a helicopter doing a mail run
and was heading to MMAF after he stopped at our area, the bad news is that
only one of us could go...Philip looked like a whipped pup after I gave him
the news, because he thought that I was going to pull rank on him and be the
one to go, But to his suprise, I told him to get his ass on the chopper when it
was ready to leave. He got a stupid looking grin on his face,then a smile as
big as Texas on his face, I said wipe that smile off your mug Marine and get
back to fillin sandbags until it's time for you to leave, I thought he was going
to kiss me he was so happy.
Before Philip left he said to me "Sarge, I'm buying all beer you can drink when
when you get down south". I said, "hope you got a lot of MPC", for you who do
not know what is, its (military payment currancy), looks like play money, nichols
dimes,quarters,etc is also paper. When the chopper landed we walked together
where it sat down, Philp shook my hand and said remember when you get to
come down, I'm buying all the beer,he got on the chopper,flew off, and that
was the last time I saw Philip Curran................
Philip Curran was a Aircraft Crash Firefighting/Rescueman with MABS-16,MAG-16,
1st Marine Aircraft Wing,Vietnam.
There was no place in Vietnam that was safe,you could be killed any place any where
