Jay Books was born December 27, 1946 in Lebanon County, PA in the heart of what
is known as Pennsylvania Dutch country. He was the younger son of Theodore, Sr.
and Miriam Books. Growing up in Cleona he attended Annville-Cleona schools.
Although living in town, he loved farming and the outdoors, and never missed an
opportunity to go hunting and fishing. He studied vocational agriculture in
school and was a member of the Future Farmers of America for three years. He
helped at three local farms and was a member of the Cleona Fire Company.
Carpentry and woodworking filled out what spare time he had.
He graduated from Annville-Cleona High School in 1964 and began working in
carpentry and cabinet making with his father. In the following months Vietnam
became front page news as the war escalated and American forces were ordered
into the country to combat the spread of Communism in southeast Asia. Jay felt
he needed to do his part for his country. He enlisted in the Marine Corps May
24, 1965 and received boot camp training at Parris Island, SC. He served at Camp
Lejeune, NC, and Camp Pendleton, CA before receiving orders to Vietnam.
He got engaged to his girl friend Diane before leaving and boasted to his
friends that he would be the first to be married. He told his family that he
looked forward to working with his father, and going to college, after returning
from Vietnam and being discharged from the Marines.
Jay arrived in Vietnam June 6, 1966. He served in Supply Co, 3rd Service
Battalion, Force Logistic Command at Red Beach. His MOS was 3051 Supply
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, a program
which placed a select squad of Marines and a Navy Corpsman in units and villages
throughout I-Corps in South Vietnam.
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, provide 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, when completed, dominated the skyline of the Force
Logistics Command base camp at Red Beach. After the tower was built, Jay would
often spend the night in the tower, after all, somehow it was his---he built it.
At approximately 0200 hours on the morning of 16Nov 1966, a CAP recon patrol
reentered the concertina wire surrounding their base camp at Red Beach. The
Marines who had taken part in the patrol reported to the unit's command bunker
for de-briefing. Minutes later, the Viet Cong launched a surprise attack at Red
Beach. Jay was killed in action during that attack. He had not been a member of
the patrol, but had climbed the observation tower after the enemy opened fire.
He was thrown out of the 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
so proudly built. Red Beach, Headquarters Force Logistics Command, was later
renamed Camp Books in his memory.
Retired Marine Gunnery Sergeant Leroy Schmaus, of Santa Ana, California, who was
NCOIC of CAP Hotel-1, thought Jay was hardworking and gung ho. "He was the
'master contractor' in our camp. I still find myself wondering what could have
been done differently to keep Jay from getting killed. He was a good kid and a
super Marine." Another member of the unit was Steve Kopetz of Peoria, Illinois.
" I remember Jay, and Lee, and several of the guys in Hotel-1. All of us were
excited about joining a CAP unit. I had transferred to another CAP unit, and
wasn't with Hotel-1 when Jay got killed. I was sorry to hear about it later."
Bill Bryan, from Brownsville, Texas was also one of the eight original members
of their team. "Jay and I hit it off right away. Like me, he was an easy-going,
'big guy' and we hung around together. He was a great guy, and a good Marine, we
could've been friends forever if he had made it back."
Jay is buried in the Gravel Hill Cemetery in Palmyra, Pennsylvania. He was a
member of the Fairland Brethren in Christ Church in Cleona. In the church is a
stand where the guest book is placed. Over the stand is a special plaque
honoring Jay's memory. Jay was straightforward, dedicated, and mature beyond his
years for a nineteen-year-old. He took great pride in being a United States
Marine and serving his country. He had planned to live a life very much like his
father, and grandfather, had---before losing his life in Vietnam. In addition to
his parents, he was survived by a brother, Ted, Jr.
Today, 16November 2001, thirty-five years following his death, those of us who
served with Jay Books at FLC in Vietnam honor our fallen Marine brother. He is
not forgotten. May he rest in peace. Semper Fidelis, Fratres Aeterni.
Courtesy of LAWRENCE WELLS USMC 1964-68 FLSG-A/FLC '65-'66
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Marine Corps nor any other
component of the Dept. of Defense has approved,
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© Copyright 2002 by Billy Joe Churchwell.