News Release: Breaker Patrol Returns
07 March 2005

On April 23rd, 2005, Lance Corporal Samuel A Sharp, Jr. will be interred at Oak Hill Memorial Park, located at 300 Curtner Avenue, San Jose, California. Sam and three other members of the reconnaissance team “Breaker” have been missing in action in Vietnam since May 10, 1967. After the service, food and refreshments have been arranged by Vietnam Veterans of San Jose @ VFW Post 3982, Santa Clara, CA.

For several months, Sam’s unit 1st Platoon, Alpha Company, 3rd Recon Battalion, 3rd Marine Division fought in the Khe Sahn area, near the DMZ in South Vietnam. On May 9th, 1967, Sam was serving as assistant patrol leader with the “Breaker” team on a reconnaissance patrol. The mission was to gather intelligence information on suspected enemy infiltration routes. Given the history of prior enemy sightings in the area, enemy contact was highly probable. The “Breaker” patrol was helicopter lifted into an area just south of the DMZ. Shortly after midnight, the patrol came under heave small arms fire. Sam was killed instantly, in the first few minutes of the fire fight.

Sam and three other members of the “Breaker” Patrol were not extracted, due to heavy combat activity in the area. Sam Sharp’s remains and that of the other three members of the “Breaker” patrol (Lt. Heinz Ahlmeyer, Sgt. James N. Tycz, and HM3 Malcolm T. Miller) were recovered in May, 2003 by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command and repatriated to Hawaii in the summer of 2004. All four were identified via DNA examination.

The internments of Lt. Ahlmeyer, Sgt. Tycz, and HM3 Miller are expected to occur this spring at Arlington National Cemetery, with planning of these ceremonies currently in process with the respective families. Details of these internments are not available at this time.

For further information, including San Jose hotel info, contact either:

Dale Sare or Robert Plame or Don Schwinn
(530) 541- 8335 (work) (503) 968- 6745 (858) 486- 4391
e-mail: dsare@etahoe.com e-mail: bobplame@verizon.net e-mail: D1Schwinn@aol.com

Alpha Recon Association
www.georgeneville.com/alpha.htm