Douglas Milton Kelly

On the morning of 28 July Company K moved out from the village complex of Da Hoa in an area known to the Marines as "DODGE CITY' towards the east, the third platoon began to receive some harassing rifle fire which ceased abruptly. Within a short period of time, the men heard an eruption of gunfire from the direction of the second platoon; their comrades had ventured into a prepared enemy ambush and were under devastating fire. The NVA were hidden in concealed fortified positions along a tree line at the edge of wide open rice paddies and had been waiting for the approaching Marines who were strung out in a column along the rice paddy dikes. At the appropriate time, the enemy, estimated to have been a Company sized force opened up with all available fire power it had cutting down many of the Marines approaching them. The third platoon quickly reacted towards the battle but was immediately pinned down by machine gun and automatic weapons fire which raked the men. A large number of casualties were taken by the Marines who found themselves with little cover in open rice paddies. Lance Corporal Kelly was killed in action here as a result of the hostile rifle fire.