|
PFC Robert Alicea, age 20, was born 8 August
1948 in Bronx, New York. He was drafted into the Army in 1967.
While attending Military Police School at
Fort Gordon, Georgia in November of 1967, Robert earned a position
as an Assistant Squad Leader. After graduation he was assigned
to an Honor Guard Unit in Germany from where he volunteered for
Vietnam service. |
On 17 July 1968 Robert arrived at B Company and
he discovered that his former MP school squad leader and friend Jim Brunotte had also recently arrived. Both were assigned to duty in the Tactical Area Of Responsibility at Outpost #1 in the Village of An Xuan.
On the 76th day of his tour, Tuesday, 1 October
1968 during the late afternoon, PFC Alicea and PFC James Brunotte were
finishing the second of two routine supply runs between Outpost #1,
An Xuan Village and Outpost #2 near Long Hung Village. On the return
trip to Outpost #1 along a raised dirt roadway that cut through the
vast rice paddies separating the two villages, their jeep ran over a
trigger devise placed in the road by a local VC hidden in the brush
along a small stream near the roadway. The trigger detonated a powerful
land mine previously set in the roadway by the local VC force. It was
believed that the intended target for the mine was the 6 man bridge
security team truck that was expected on the roadway before the jeep
exited Outpost #2 to return to An Xuan Village.
PFC Alicea was killed instantly, PFC Brunotte was severely wounded and permanently disabled but survived. Two passengers, the wife and daughter of a local Popular Forces Sergeant who they were transporting to An Xuan Village were also seriously wounded but survived.
3 October at 8:30 AM A memorial services were held for PFC Alicea. All companies furnished guidons for the ceremony, service programs were distributed, and personnel throughout the 18th MP Brigade were invited to attend. The service was held in the 89th MP Group Chapel on Long Binh Post.
|
|
PFC Alicia was awarded (Posthumously) the Bronze Star Medal for meritorious service, and the Purple Heart Medal.
To honor PFC Alicea, B Company commissioned a painting (*photograph above) that was placed on the B Company day room Wall of Honor.
*The original memorial painting
was last seen in September 1970 just before B Company was redesignated
as the 188th MP Company. If anyone has any information that might assist
in locating it, please notify the History Project Manager.
|
|
Memorial Plaque designating the
720th MP Battalion, B Company, Day Room as the Alicea Lounge, in
1968. Courtesy of SP/4 Ranier “Hippie” Trappe, B Company, 720th MP Battalion, March 1968 to March 1969. |
--- General / Personal ---
Last name: ALICEA
First name: ROBERT
Home of Record (official): NEW YORK
State (official): NY
Date of Birth: Friday, August 6, 1948
Sex: Male
Race: Caucasian
Marital Status: Single
--- Military ---
Branch: Army
Rank: PFC
Serial Number: 52755832
Component: Selective Service
Pay grade: E3
MOS (Military Occupational Specialty code): 95B10
--- Action ---
Start of Tour: Wednesday, July 17, 1968
Date of Casualty: Tuesday, October 1, 1968
Age at time of loss: 20
Casualty type: (A1) Hostile, died
Reason: Other explosive device (Ground casualty)
Country: South VietNam
Province: Bien Hoa
The Wall: Panel 42W - Row 052
| "The Death of PFC Alicea" Journal of CPL Thomas T. Watson, B Company, 720th MP Battalion, March 1968 to March 1969. |
|
|
"Paying My Respects" SP/4
Allan M. Portnoy, B Company & 615th MP Company, 720th MP Battalion,
October 1966 to October 1967. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
