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- www.findagrave.com:
www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=25687594
18 Nov 1966: Marine Lance Corporal Jay Karl Books, 19-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Theodore B. Books, 104 Center St., Cleona, was killed Wednesday in action near the demilitarized zone in Viet Nam, authorities reported Thursday. Cpl. Books was assigned to the Force Logistics Support Group A, Headquarters and Supply Co., Combined Action Co. He worked as a carpenter, rebuilding native villages that had been destroyed by allied action. His assignment also included patrol duty. He was the seventh Lebanon County serviceman to die in Viet Nam. Notification of his death came in a Defense Department telegram to his parents, it was reported. Cpl. Books, a 1964 graduate of Annville-Cleona High School, enlisted in the Marines May 24, 1965. Prior to his enlistment, he had worked with his father at the Theodore B. Books Planing Mill in Cleona. He underwent basic training at Parris Island, S. C., and was stationed at Camp Lejeune, N. C., and Camp Pendleton, Calif., before leaving for Viet Nam June 6, 1966. He was a member of Fairland Brethren in Christ Church the Berean Sunday School Class of the church and the Cleona Fire Company. In addition to his parents, Theodore B. and Miriam Stauffer Books, he is survived by a brother, Theodore B. Jr., Harrisburg; his paternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Theron Books, Cleona, and his maternal grandmother, Mrs. Harry Stauffer, Palmyra. [Lebanon Daily News]
Jay's MOS was 3051 Warehouse Clerk, however, he felt that serving with a logistics unit wasn't his style. He thought he could contribute some of his carpentry skills to assist the Vietnamese people if he could transfer to a Marine pacification team. He volunteered for the Marine civil action program, and was accepted. After training, he was assigned to Combined Action Platoon (CAP) Hotel-1 at Red Beach becoming one of the eight original members of that unit. Jay's CAP platoon worked long hours helping build schools and hospitals in Quang Nam province. In a letter home, Jay wrote, "We go on sweeps and patrols just like the infantry. We work with the Vietnamese people, administer medical aid, and build dwellings." In another letter to a family friend, he wrote, "I know God has a plan for each of our lives. I have a lot to live for, and there's a lot I miss and would like to do. But I try not to think of home. My mind is always on thoughts of getting wounded or killed." Between patrols and working in the local villages, Jay was assigned to build an observation tower that dominated the skyline of the Force Logistics Command base camp at Red Beach. At approximately 0200 hours on the morning of 16 Nov 1966, the Viet Cong launched a surprise attack at Red Beach. Jay was killed in action during that attack. He was blown out of an observation tower by an exploding rocket, and was thought to have died by concussion, or by the impact of the fall. The tragic irony of his death was that his body was found at the bottom of the tower he had built. Red Beach was later renamed Camp Books in his honor. [Information provided by Find-A-Grave contirbutor SUBIC]
The following comments were provided by Ken Davis, Commander, US Navy (Ret), Member of The Coffelt Group: www.CoffeltDatabase.org
I read with some interest the comments provided to you by "Find-A-Grave contributor SUBIC". I had no problem until reaching the portion which reads, "At approximately 0200 hours on the morning of 16 Nov 1966, the Viet Cong launched a surprise attack at Red Beach. Jay was killed in action during that attack. He was blown out of an observation tower by an exploding rocket, and was thought to have died by concussion, or by the impact of the fall. The tragic irony of his death was that his body was found at the bottom of the tower he had built." While that's a nice story, it isn't correct ... it probably is taken in part from Michael P. Kelley's "Where We Were in Vietnam", page 5-64, which says the Red Beach complex "was renamed to honor Cpl Jay K. Books, USMC, a data processor who...was KIA 16 Nov 66, when 122mm rocket hit guard tower he was manning at Red Beach." However, Mike got it wrong; had he not died (2011) before publishing a second edition the text quoted above wouldn't read quite as it does. LCpl BOOKS was assigned to H&S Company, 3rd Service Battalion (aka Force Logistics Support Group ALPHA). H&S Company was tasked to support a Combined Action Platoon known as HOTEL-2 (not HOTEL-1) ... but HOTEL-2 was not at Red Beach, it was located a bit further north at the Nam-O hamlet. HOTEL-2 was attacked on the night of 16 Nov 1966, and LCpl BOOKS was killed in the engagement - according to his DD 1300 Report of Casualty death was caused by "multiple shrapnel wounds to the chest sustained from hostile explosive device while in a defensive position."
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1946 - 1966 (19 Jahre)
[1] 
: Adresse
: Ortsteil
: Ort
: Region
: (Bundes-)Staat/-Land
: Land
: Nicht festgelegt
