Cpl Arnoldo Lionel Carrillo, U.S.

ARMY May 25, 1941 Killed in Action January 7, 1968 Tam Ky, Quang Nam Province, South Vietnam

Arnoldo was born in Benavides, Texas. His parents were Daniel and Felicitas (Lerma) Carrillo. His siblings: Maria Estella, Ernesto, Emede, Elvia (Arnoldos twin sister) and Idolina. Arnoldo attended schools in Benavides. We were neighbors and occasionally wed walk to school alongside each other. Arnoldo was a quiet and reserved individual. After high school, Arnoldo worked on a ranch and was offered to continue working at the ranch by the family with good pay. It appears that Arnoldo decided to do other things. The Carrillo familys home was located at the corner of Depot and School streets. Every time Arnoldo would walk out the front door of his home, he could look across the street, past the park, and see the entrance of the Santa Rosa de Lima Church directly in front of him. Arnoldo was drafted twice, the first time apparently he did not pass the physical, for some reason he was drafted the second time and he was on his way to boot camp. While Arnoldo was on leave in Benavides, before going overseas, he mentioned to a few friends that he was not looking forward to the trip, as was the case for many of us. His mother was also very worried and I understand that it appeared that they (mother and son) had a feeling that things would not go well for her son! PFC (E-3) Arnoldo Carrillo arrived in South Vietnam on August 16, 1967. He was assigned to C Company, 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. (http://www.12thcav.us/)(5th
and 12th US Cavalry 1st Air Cavalry Division Vietnam)
.

PFC Carrillos personnel data shows that he was an Infantryman and was a hostile ground casualty and died outright of multiple fragmentation wounds. He was posthumously promoted to Corporal (E-4). A note on the Virtual wall states: On 07 Jan 1968 A and C Companies, 2nd Bn, 12th Cavalry, were ambushed in the Que Son Valley by the 3rd NVA Regiment. Twenty three US soldiers died in the ensuing fight. The 7th of January 1968 by David Dulin Dentinger Company A, 2/12 Cavalry (http://www.12thcav.us/stories_212_DD_010768.htm68Story) It was just another day in paradise when companies A and C (PFC Carrillos company) were on patrol in the Que Son Valley. I dont believe we were a great distance from LZ Ross, maybe 2 or 3 klicks. Company C was the lead element that day, so all we had to do is follow the leader. We were patrolling along the edge of a rice paddy just inside the wood line when someone spotted a bush moving along the tree line on the other side of the paddy. Now, one of the lessons we learned in basic training was that bushes dont walk, so someone had to check out this phenomenon. A couple of troopers took aim and shot at the bush and the bush fell over dead. At about the same time, we heard a thump, thump, thump, thump, thump the unmistakable sound of mortar rounds leaving the tubes. I know there werent as many as there seemed to be, but for certain there were more than three or four. There were several mortar rounds in the air before the first one hit the ground. With rifle fire, it is easier to pinpoint the location because one can look for the muzzle flash or smoke; but with mortar rounds, it is much harder to spot the location of a mortar tube. Specialist Dentinger goes on to tell the story of that day and how his friend Frank Sutton was killed by mortar fire. By clicking the link above you can read the situation that PFC Carrillo and his company were in on that day. It appears that the enemy dropped beaucoup mortars on their positions. At the end of the story, the Webmaster Note: On January 7th 1968 in the Que Son Valley we lost twenty-three Americans; Alpha Company had 5 KIA, Charlie

Company had 5 KIA, Headquarters Company had 3 KIA, including the Battalion Commander, other Support groups had 5 KIA. A Note from the Virtual Wall On 07 Jan 1968 A and C Companies, 2nd Bn, 12th Cavalry, were ambushed in the Que Son Valley by the 3rd NVA Regiment. Twenty three US soldiers died in the ensuing fight:

A Co, 2nd Bn, 12th Cavalry o SSG Delmer R. Jones, Ripley, WV o SSG Robert S. Trujillo, Santa Fe, NM o SGT Donald R. Bruckner, Garfield Heights, OH o SGT Edward J. Reeder, Boothwyn, PA o SGT Robert W. Vaden, Camp Springs, MD o SP4 Manuel Casilla-Vazquez, New York, NY o CPL Robert L. Heller, Long Beach, CA o SP4 Robert C. Kearney, Seattle, WA o SP4 Frank Sutton, Phoenix, AZ PFC Conrad N. Gonzalez, New York, NY C Co, 2nd Bn, 12th Cavalry o 1LT James M. Stone, Miami, FL (Dist Svc Cross) o SGT Wojciech Wysocki, New York, NY o CPL Arnoldo L. Carrillo, Benavides, TX o SP4 Hubert Royster, Oxford, NC o PFC Rufus Hood, Texas City, TX HHC, 2nd Bn, 12th Cavalry o LTC Bob L. Gregory, Oklahoma City, OK (Dist Svc Cross) o MAJ Lawrence M. Malone, Seattle, WA * o MSG Richard C. Keefe, Houston, TX (Silver Star) * B Trp, 1st Sqdn, 1st Cavalry, Americal Div o CPT John L. Barovetto, Davis, CA HHC, 2nd Bde, 1st Cav Div o WO Robert F. Bahl, Pittsburgh, PA * o WO Marshall H. Ford, Marlborough, NH * HC, 3rd Bde, 1st Cav Div o SP5 Arthur L. Lauderdale, Bennington, OK * o CPL Lloyd E. Knake, St James, MN *

LTC Bob L. Gregory, Commanding Officer, 2nd Bn, 12th Cavalry, and six others (with an asterisk) were killed when Gregory's command helo was shot down. Gregory was subsequently awarded a posthumous DSC for his actions during an engagement in the same area several days prior to his death. CPT John L. Barovetto was killed while leading a relief column to assist the 2/12 Cav troopers. Cpl Arnoldo L. Carrillo was awarded personal awards: the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart and the Air Medal. Cpl Arnold L. Carrillo was authorized to wear the following service ribbons: National Defense Ribbon, Vietnamese Service Ribbon and the Vietnamese Campaign Ribbon. Cpl Arnoldo L. Carrillo was authorized to wear the following award authorized for the 2d Battalion: the Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for Extraordinary Heroism for the period 2 January to 12 February 1968. Cpl Arnoldo L. Carrillo was authorized to wear the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Palm awarded to the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) including the 2d Battalion, 12th Cavalry for Outstanding Service during the Period 9 August 1965 through 19 May 1969. Cpl Arnoldo L. Carrillo, USA is buried: Benavides, TX Cemetery. I end with: Folks, there was another hero amongst us! We must remember our Veterans! Rest in Peace, Cpl Carrillo, huwah!! Additional pages have pictures of medals, locations in Vietnam, etc. follows

Area where Cpl Arnoldo Carrillo was killed 7 Jan 1968

El Cenizo Yearbooks L- 1958, 1959, 1960

You learn fast, the serious face of a Warrior Cpl Arnoldo L. Carrillo, somewhere within the Que Son Valley, Vietnam, anytime between Aug 1967 and Jan 1968.
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THE PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION (ARMY) FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM IS AWARDED TO THE 1ST CAVALRY DIVISION (AIRMOBILE) AND ATTACHED UNITS INCLUDING 2D BATTALION, 12TH CAVALRY The 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) and attached units, distinguished themselves by outstanding performance of duty and extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy in the Republic of Vietnam during the period 23 October 1965 to 26 November 1965. Following the attack on a Special Forces camp at Plei Me, in Pleiku Province, on 19 October 1965 by regular units of the Army of North Vietnam, the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) was committed to action. The division was initially assigned the mission of protecting the key communications center of Pleiku, in addition to providing fire support both for an Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) armored column dispatched to the relief of the besieged camp, and for the camp itself. The 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), having recently been organized under a completely new concept in tactical mobility, and having arrived in the Republic of Vietnam only a month earlier, responded quickly with an infantry brigade and supporting forces. Using air assault techniques, the division deployed artillery batteries into firing positions deep within enemy-held territory and provided the vital fire support needed by the ARVN forces to accomplish the relief of the Special Forces camp. By 27 October, the tactical and strategic impact of the presence of a North Vietnamese regular army division in Pleiku

Province necessitated a change in missions for the 1st Cavalry Division. The division was given an unlimited offensive role to seek out and destroy the enemy force. With bold thrusts, elements of the division pursued the North Vietnamese regiments across the dense and trackless jungles of the westcentral highlands, seeking the enemy out in his previously secure sanctuaries and giving him no quarter. In unfavorable terrain and under logistical and tactical conditions that would have stopped a unit with less capability, motivation and esprit, the cavalrymen repeatedly and decisively defeated numerically superior enemy forces. The superb training, unflinching devotion to duty, and unsurpassed gallantry and intrepidity of the cavalrymen, individually and collectively, resulted in numerous victories and succeeded in driving the invading North Vietnamese division back from its positions at Plei Me to the foot of the Chu Pong Massif. There, in the valley of the Ia Drang, the enemy was reinforced by a fresh regiment and undertook preparations for more incursions into Pleiku Province. The 1st Cavalry Division deployed by air its men and weapons to launch an attack on this enemy staging area, which was 35 kilometers from the nearest road and 50 kilometers from the nearest logistical base. Fully utilizing air mobility in applying their combat power in a series of offensive blows, the men of the division completely defeated the numerically superior enemy. When the enemy finally withdrew his broken forces from the battlefield, the offensive capability of the North Vietnamese Army in the II Corps tactical zone had been blunted. The outstanding performance and extraordinary heroism of the members of the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) and attached units, under the most hazardous and adverse conditions, reflect great credit upon themselves, the United States Army, and the Armed Forces of the United States. General Orders No. 40 Headquarters, Department of the Army 21 January 1967 *** ____________________________________________________________________________

THE VIETNAMESE CROSS OF GALLANTRY WITH PALM IS AWARDED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM FOR OUTSTANDING SERVICE DURING THE PERIOD 9 AUGUST 1965 THROUGH 19 MAY 1969 TO THE 1ST CAVALRY DIVISION (AIRMOBILE) AND ITS ASSIGNED AND ATTACHED UNITS INCLUDING 2D BATTALION, 12TH CAVALRY The 1ST CAVALRY DIVISION (AIRMOBILE) arrived in Vietnam on 7 August 1965 and participated in successive military operations in Pleiku, Phan Thiet, Binh Dinh, Quang Nam, A Shau, Khe Sanh and Thua Thien, frustrating the Communists many times. In particular, during the period it was stationed in the III Corps Tactical Zone from 26 October 1968 to the present time, the 1st United States Cavalry Division has been under the command of Major General GEORGE I. FORSYTHE and has been on constant alert and participated in clashes over the entire battlefield. Disregarding unfavorable terrain, as well as modern and intense antiaircraft fire from well-fortified enemy trenches, the men of this unit have gallantly engaged in bloody battles in Phuoc Long, Binh Long, Tay Ninh, Hau Nghia and Bien Hoa Provinces, blocking infiltration by the North Vietnamese regular forces through the CambodianVietnamese border in a timely and effective manner. Furthermore, this unit also intervened and repulsed enemy attacks against friendly forces, smashed many large-scale troop movements designed to shell and attack the capital city of Saigon during the Viet Cong Winter-Spring Campaign of 1968-1969, and neutralized the enemy military potential in secret zones, inflicting continuous personnel casualties and weapons losses upon the enemy. With the above-mentioned outstanding achievements, the 1st Cavalry Division has effectively assisted the Republic of Vietnam in the fight against the Communists to preserve peace and freedom. General Orders No. 59 Headquarters, Department of the Army 25 September 1967

THE VIETNAMESE CROSS OF GALLANTRY WITH PALM IS AWARDED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM FOR OUTSTANDING SERVICE DURING THE PERIOD 9 AUGUST 1965 THROUGH 19 MAY 1969 TO THE 1ST CAVALRY DIVISION (AIRMOBILE) AND ITS ASSIGNED AND ATTACHED UNITS INCLUDING 2D BATTALION, 12TH CAVALRY The 1ST CAVALRY DIVISION (AIRMOBILE) arrived in Vietnam on 7 August 1965 and participated in successive military operations in Pleiku, Phan Thiet, Binh Dinh, Quang Nam, A Shau, Khe Sanh and Thua Thien, frustrating the Communists many times. In particular, during the period it was stationed in the III Corps Tactical Zone from 26 October 1968 to the present time, the 1st United States Cavalry Division has been under the command of Major General GEORGE I. FORSYTHE and has been on constant alert and participated in clashes over the entire battlefield. Disregarding unfavorable terrain, as well as modern and intense antiaircraft fire from well-fortified enemy trenches, the men of this unit have gallantly engaged in bloody battles in Phuoc Long, Binh Long, Tay Ninh, Hau Nghia and Bien Hoa Provinces, blocking infiltration by the North Vietnamese regular forces through the CambodianVietnamese border in a timely and effective manner. Furthermore, this unit also intervened and repulsed enemy attacks against friendly forces, smashed many large-scale troop movements designed to shell and attack the capital city of Saigon during the Viet Cong Winter-Spring Campaign of 1968-1969, and neutralized the enemy military potential in secret zones, inflicting continuous personnel casualties and weapons losses upon the enemy. With the above-mentioned outstanding achievements, the 1st Cavalry Division has effectively assisted the Republic of Vietnam in the fight against the Communists to preserve peace and freedom. General Orders No. 59 Headquarters, Department of the Army 25 September 1969
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Arnoldo L. Carrillo enjoying a few brewskis

Picture of Arnoldos name as it appears on the Virtual Wall

A young lady was always kissing this picture because she thought the person on the picture was her grandfather. The grandfather later clarified that the person was Cpl Arnoldo L. Carrillo and that he took this picture while Cpl Carrillo wrote a letter to his mother.
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Combat Infantry Badge

Ribbon Rack worn on left breast pocket of uniform (Same medals)

Medal Rack

Presidential Unit Citation (Army) The Combat Infantry Badge and Ribbons or Medals are worn on the left side of the uniform according to Army regulations. The Presidential Unit Citation (Army) is worn on the right breast pocket of the uniform and no medal has been struck for this award. Note: Badge, Ribbons, Medals authorized to be worn by Cpl Carrillo.
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For folks long gone from Benavides: Coming from the cemetery on Depot Street, arriving at School Street. The house on the right was Daniel Carrillos home. You can see the Santa Rosa de Lima Church straight ahead.