anecdote
The Ambush After I Left the Field
Account
Within a month of the time Jim Garvin left the field, his platoon was ambushed. Several members of the squad were wounded badly enough to be medevaced. One of the men killed would have gone home the next log day, having already qualified for a hardship discharge.
Garvin's photograph from afterward shows Bill Holtzclaw, arm bandaged, holding the radio he had been carrying at the time of the ambush.
A question would haunt Garvin long after his own discharge — whether he could have prevented the ambush if he had stayed in the field with his platoon.
Archivist Notes
From Jim Garvin's "v05_fontaine" photo deck (slide 16, VNS213), held in the cavair research folder. Bill Holtzclaw is not yet a profiled soldier in the archive.
Do You Have Information About This Incident?
If you served with D Co. 2/8 CAV and remember this or have additional context, we would be grateful to hear from you.