Kelly Smith
Site Admin
Name: Kelly Smith
Class Year: 1977
Location: Vancouver, WA
Joined: 22 Jan 2005
Posts: 33
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 Posted: November 17, 2009, 2:27 pm Post subject: Remembering Fred Mangat |
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The following message came to me from Bob New... via an email. Please share your stories here... or email them directly to Donna Webb. 
Information is being sought about a VHS 1962 grad who was killed in combat in Vietnam. His platoon leader wants info on Fred Mangat for his own research. The following letter explains it all. I did not know the Mangat family but I know many of you would have. If you can provide any info that seems like it would be relevant to the letter, please write to Donna Webb of Vernonia at donnatwebb"at"gmail.com. She requests your information. The letter:
| Quote: | Dear Mayor Harrison and Councilors-
I am a Vietnam veteran, living in Vermont. I am currently working on a memoir of my wartime experience in 1965-66, as a young infantry lieutenant and platoon leader with the 1st Air Cavalry Division.
On May 16-17, 1966, my company - about 120 strong - was taken under fire and surrounded by an enemy force estimated to be of regimental strength (thus outnumbering us 2 or 3 to 1). The action was kicked off by the ambush of my platoon of 26 men, which on that day was at the head of the company column. The ensuing seige lasted about 20 hours, and 20 of the company's men were killed or mortally wounded before the enemy withdrew.
10 of those 20 came from the lead elements of my platoon, and one of the 10 was PFC Frederick C. Mangat, a young man listed as having entered service from your Oregon town. (Fred's name appears on the Viet Nam "Wall" at Washington, DC, in Panel 17E, line 72.)
I was evacuated with a mortar shrapnel wound I received toward the end of the engagement. A couple of weeks later I wrote a letter to Mangat's next-of-kin - he was 22 years old when he died, having been born on January 23, 1944, according to Army records. (I've long since lost the address, and do not recall whether I ever heard back.)
There is much more to the story but in this preliminary letter I am just trying to find out if any of you might be able to help me shed light on Fred's pre-war life in Vernonia; whether (and how) the town received news of his death at the time; whether he is memorialized in any way (such as in a local monument, etc.); and, especially, what has become of his family.
I would be greatly beholden to you for information on any of these questions. Talking by phone to one of your town's library staff (Jennifer), it was usggested that Rob Wilson might be the man to help me with this; perhaps one of you would be kind enough to pass this email along to Rob.
Thank you.
Mike Heaney
PS: Your town & library websites are lovely. Make me want to visit but it'd be quite a haul from here!
Michael K. Heaney, JD, PhD
PO Box 49
Hartland, VT 05048 |
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Class of 1977 |
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