"PURPLE HEART HILL"
Site X-Ray Security
by U.S. Army Combat Artist Frank M. Thomas (LTC)
Original 11" x 15" Graphite Drawing
Found in the Collection of Major Fred Edens (US Army Retired) Johnson City, Tennessee
Background:
Operational requirements on occasion required the Rangers to be used in less than glamorous missions. And thus it was that they found themselves providing security for a communications relay site. Site X-Ray, located on a jungle covered mountain top in Vietnam's coastal range, was extremely vital to the success of a large operation being conducted further inland. It was also completely surrounded by the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and cut off from ground supply. The Ranger unit's mission was to hold the position at any costs, and they did.
This artist's friend, Retired Army Major Fred Edens, of Johnson City, Tennessee, was one of those young enlisted soldiers assigned to the platoon holding a tight perimeter around the site. He was wounded, his first time, at that location, but not before his friend, another Tennesseean also at that site, was seriously wounded. His buddy, not having received a letter from his girlfriend in some time, would rush the mail bag each time the re-supply chopper would arrive with a load of ammo, water and rations.
Mail was top priority for any GI. Finally the letter came. The young Ranger excitedly tore open the envelope and leaned back against a rock to read it. Down the mountainside, in the trees, an NVA sniper spotted the white letter, took careful aim and fired his weapon.
This artist's rendering of the scene shows the soldier being stabilized by medics as the "dust off" chopper arrives to evacuate him. The HU-1H helicopter had earlier attempted to land, but enemy ground fire prevented it. After a Cobra helicopter gun ship worked the area over, the aircraft was able to touch down. The last thing Fred did for his friend before the "dust off" left was to fold up the letter, place it in his gear, and get it on that chopper. That letter had a sniper's bullet hole through it. Because of the numbers of men who died or were wounded defending that position, Site X-Ray came to be known as Purple heart Hill.
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Laser Art Print Offering:
11" x 15" (signed by artist - ready to frame)......................$25.00
flat package shipped.............+$8.50
*Please note*: Artist Frank Thomas' studio lithographic art print and giclee' canvas art print sales have now been resumed as of November 1st, 2008. He and his wife, Patreecia, have completed an eighteen month mission in the Ohio-Cleveland Mission, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, at the Kirtland Historic Village Sites, Kirtland, Ohio. He was asked by LDS Church General Authorities to paint early Church history scenes of 1830's Kirtland.
He has now returned home to his art studio at 206 North 100 East, Holden, Utah 84636 and is producing LDS historical paintings and Old West paintings at that site. His art prints may be purchased online by credit card or by personal check.
Call Frank at his Studio" (435) 795-2206 or (435) 406-9526, or contact directly by email wildgoose@crystalpeaks.com.