SSG Donald Trampski

This photo was taken from Weigt-Davis Fire Base on 9/16/69, and was the day of my first hump with Tailgunner Platoon.  It was raining hard... the river (seen in the photograph) was swollen, muddy colored and fast moving . . . and we were crossing this river on a log Montagnard bridge with nothing but a waist high rope to hold on to.  The logs were very slippery.  Donald Trampski, who I was told was carrying the M60  machine gun, slipped off of the bridge, and fell into this raging river below.  When we were across the river, a search party was immediately formed.  Myself and three others were assigned to try to locate him, but we were not able to find him.  In the days following the accident other parties searched down the river, but no trace of him was found.  He was listed as Missing In Action.                                                                                                                 Randy Bauman