Topper Hart of Fountain Inn and other members of Alpha Troop, 11th Armored Cavalry, were recognized in Washington, D.C., in October for bravery and service in Vietnam’s “Anonymous Battle” 39 years after it took place. But for Hart, his spiritual battle was 40 years in the making.
Topper Hart was an 18-year-old gunner on a tank in the jungles of Vietnam in 1970.On March 26, 1970, deep in the Vietnamese jungle, Hart’s captain volunteered his men to assist another unit in distress. Charlie Company, from the 1st Cavalry Division, had been outmanned and outgunned when they came across a bunker complex of some 400 North Vietnamese troops.
Members of Alpha Troop risked their lives to rescue a hundred of their fellow soldiers. They evacuated the trapped unit and fought fiercely against the enemy. Hart played a vital role by lobbing grenade after grenade at the enemy during a firefight. Some of his buddies were killed or suffered injuries; Hart still has shrapnel in his hand.
As unforgettable as Alpha Troop’s rescue mission was, Hart said his own rescue didn’t come until much later. After returning home from the war, he said a spiritual battle began for his life. His wife Becky, a Christian, attended church, but Hart turned to alcohol.
Originally from Galesburg, Ill., Hart and his family moved to South Carolina in 1981. He got a job in construction and worked for the same company, along with Becky, for 20 years. But even with a great family and job, Hart said he had no joy or peace.
One evening, he noticed some activity across the street at his neighbor’s house. His neighbor, Gilbert Rivers, who had previously invited Hart to church, had passed away. When the hearse came down the street and backed into Rivers’ driveway, the headlights shone in Hart’s eyes. He said he felt God speak to his heart that night, asking whether he would be ready if God came for him.
Hart stands near one of three outdoor crosses at Fountain Inn First Baptist Church. In one hand he holds a Bible; in the other, he holds a copy of “The Anonymous Battle,” a book about the firefight that earned Hart and fellow members of his unit a Presidential Unit Citation 39 years after it happened.Shortly after that experience, he went to church with his family at Fountain Inn First Baptist for the first time. As soon as the invitation was given, he went to the altar. He told the pastor that he didn’t want to gamble with eternal life anymore. Hart was 40 when he received Christ on Feb. 2, 1992. And even though he thought he might die an alcoholic, his desire for drink was taken away the night he was saved.
When his employer’s branch office closed in 1999, Hart went to work for Fountain Inn First Baptist as head of maintenance. As he goes about his daily duties at the church, he has the opportunity to work at the place where he received Christ. “I go through rooms where people used to pray for me,” he said.
Hart said he has met and witnessed to several people who have crossed the parking lot. There are three wooden crosses that stand in the back of the church. “God has given me the great honor and privilege to witness and pray with different individuals to receive Christ in their lives right there at the cross,” Hart said. A few people have even written their names on the crosses to testify to their salvation.
Since traveling to Washington to receive the Presidential Unit Citation, the highest award given for unit bravery, Hart has remained in contact with several of the other men from his unit and is looking forward to future reunions, when he can witness whenever God gives him the opportunity.