lest we forget

BARTRAM, FORREST LA WAYNE

Rank / Branch:

PRIVATE FIRST CLASS, U. S. MARINE CORP

Date Of Birth:

1949-02-26

Country Of Loss:

SOUTH VIETNAM

Status:

NON HOSTILE, ACCIDENTAL SELF DESTRUCTION

Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground:

GROUND

Other:

NOT MARRIED

Unit:

FIRST MARINE DIVISION

Date Of Loss:

1968-05-16

Loss Coordinates:

THUA THIEN

Catagory:

BODY RETURNED

Awards & Decorations:

SEE BIO

VETERAN HAGI0GRAPHY

BARTRAM, FORREST LA WAYNE, PRIVATE FIRST CLASS, U.S. MARINE CORP, MIDLAND, MIDLAND COUNTY, TEXAS

AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

PURPLE HEART, NATIONAL DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL, VIETNAM SERVICE MEDAL, VIETNAM MILITARY MERIT MEDAL, VIETNAM CROSS OF GALLANTRY WITH PALM, VIETNAM CAMPAIGN MEDAL, MARINE CORP COMBAT ACTION RIBBON

BIOGRAPHY

Forrest La Wayne Bartram was born in San Antonio to the union of Norma Jane Merks and Hugo Carl Bartram. He had an older sister Janet from his parent's marriage and a younger, brother Hugo C. Bartram, Jr from his father's second marriage. His mother died in 1957 when Forrest was 8. He attended Oliver Wendall Holmes High School in San Antonio and then was adopted by Rita Houghling of Midland, Texas. His father died March 31, 1966. In Midland, he attended Midland High School. As soon as he graduated at midterm and turned 18 in February 1967, he returned to San Antonio to enlist in the Marine Corp.
He completed his boot camp at the United States Marine Corp Recruit Station at San Diego, California. He then completed ITR at Camp Pendleton, California and received special weapons training. He began his tour in Vietnam on December 29, 1967, staging at Okinawa until his 19th birthday. He was assigned to the Special Weapons Platoon of Mike Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, First Marine Division. He arrived in Vietnam in February 1968 after his 19th birthday during the 1968 TET offensive.
He was assigned to the rocket squad, which was a slang term for a "3.5" rocket launcher. This was really a Korean War vintage bazooka. This weapon was primarily for use against tanks, but during this phase of the war, the enemy were not using tanks. As such the weapons was being used to fire at snipers in trees and blow-up hoochs and bunkers where fire was coming from. Two Marines formed a team with one loading and the other aiming and firing the weapon. PFC Bartram was assigned initially as an assistant gunner and finally as a gunner.
In early May 1968, Mike Company was involved in a mission during Operation Houston II. The company stumbled onto a huge North Vietnamese Regimental Base Camp in Thua Thien Province at Hai Van Pass, Hill 1192. This battle became known as the Battle of Hai Van Pass. For six days, Mike company slugged it out with the NVA, they were outnumbered and outgunned. Mike Company was decimated suffering 70% casualties. Due to the vast and dense vegetation, it was difficult to get choppers in to medevac the wounded. PFC Bartram helped to blow a LZ on the last day. He survived this ordeal.
On May 16, the remnants of Mike Company were in the base camp, resupplying, cleaning weapons and receiving replacements. PFC Bartram was cleaning a 3.5 rocket launcher and he apparently failed to remove the live round from the tube. The launcher discharged the rocket in the barracks and PFC Bartram was killed by the backblast.
PFC Forrest La Wayne Bartram, a 19-year-old marine was laid to rest with full military honors at the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas.