This page will be my attempt to HONOR the men of the             "PROTECTOR". This guntruck was lost to us on Feb. 8, 1971. Running escort for a convoy of POL tankers they were caught in an ambush on QL9 at 0130 hours. These men will ALWAYS have a special place in the HEARTS and MINDS of many men for their actions that night.

These men went above and beyond the call of DUTY. Thanks guys. So here we have Lt. Sam Hoskins, he led by example not by orders. He was severerly wounded in this ambush. Sorry for the quality of the picture but it looks like he asking directions. The BOOM BOOM HOUSE maybe. Naw probably asking if the pizza came in with the cold beer. Next we have Sam Bass, 50 gunner on the guntruck. He sure did like to wear his hat backwards before it became cool. Ahead of the times. On this truck we also had Sgt. Healy (spelling), Kurtz (driver) , Charles H. Soule (KIA in this ambush). Unfortuantely I can't identify this man on the M-60. I think this picture is up near the DMZ at one of the firebases there. Here he may have been test fireing the 50 cal. Here we have a couple of guys standing on the back of the Protector. The names elude me but maybe someone out there will recognize them.

This is another member of the Protector crew as they are going down the road. One of these days these guys will show up and identify themselves. These men were hit on the first convoy ambush of Operation Dewey Canyon II/ Lam Son 719 at Khe Sanh and Vandergrift. I would love to meet these men today. I have met with Lt. Sam Hoskins and it was a pleasure to see. For 28 years I thought that he was dead. Imagine my shock and pleasure when I found him to be alive.