VIETNAM VETERAN PURDUE UNIVERSITY ALUMNI ON THE WALL

Transcription

1 VIETNAM VETERAN PURDUE UNIVERSITY ALUMNI ON THE WALL 1

2 Foreword Through the State Street entrance to the Purdue Memorial Union at the top of the steps and on the left is a small, inconspicuous plaque that reads: In dedication to those sons and daughters of Purdue University who served in the Armed Forces and who gave their lives in the service of their country during the Vietnam conflict. Neatly configured, the plaque identifies the 40 alumni who died during the Vietnam War and whose names are etched on Vietnam Veterans Memorial (The Wall) in Washington D.C. While they are just names on a wall or plaque, their stories of courage and sacrifice will only be known by family and friends. This document attempts to place a face behind each service member and provide some insight into who they were and how they made the ultimate sacrifice. Their stories are varied and moving. However, they all have one common connection and that is Purdue University. Darrell Katovsich Krannert School of Management (1975, 1977) 3 rd Sq, 4 th Cav, 25 th Inf Div - Chu Chi, Republic of Vietnam ( ) 2

3 Directory Bancroft, William Warner Jr. Bardach, Alan Jensen Bartley, John Peter Binkley, Stuart Marshall Blake, Timothy Morgan Bonnell, Larry Gene Brown, John Stephen Butterfield, Douglas Holman Carey, Thomas Joseph Chapman, John Roy Clawson, William K. Copack, Joseph Bernard Jr. De Ford, Dale Darrel Engle, Charles Edwin Frederick, David Addison Grant, James Michael Greiling, David Scott Hitchcock, Lee Charles Hockridge, James Alan Hosea, William Hadley Howard, Samuel Henry Hurt, Ronald Wayne Jordan, Daniel Walter Joselane, Howard Leo Keneipp, Warren Owings Jr. Knabb, Kenneth Keith Jr. Knochel, Charles Allen Logsdon, Herbert Jr. Merkel, Michal Alvin Mills, Richard Thomas Nickerson, Michael Kent Orn, Dean Russell Pearson, Thomas Rickard Jr. St. Peter, Robert Eugene Robinson, Kenneth Dale Scully, Patrick R. Jr. Smith, George Craig Steffus, Gary Paul Valentine, Donald Lynn Wade, Barton Scott 3

4 1 st LT William Warner Bancroft, Jr. US Air Force Home of Record: Indianapolis, IN Date of birth: 06/12/1945 Purdue Degree: Management 1968 Service Branch: United States Air Force Rank at loss: First Lieutenant Unit: 14TH TAC RECON SQDN, 432ND TAC RECON WING, 7TH AF Start Tour: 08/19/1970 Incident Date: 11/13/1970 Casualty Date: 11/13/1970 Age at Loss: 25 Location: Ha Tinh Province, North Vietnam Remains: Body not recovered Casualty Type: Hostile, died while missing Casualty Reason: Fixed Wing Crew Buried: Memorialized - Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu, HI ON THE WALL: Panel W6 Line 56 On Nov. 13, 1970, MAJ David I. Wright, pilot, and 1LT William W. Bancroft Jr., navigator, departed their base at Udorn, Thailand on an aerial reconnaissance mission over North Vietnam. During the mission, while just east of Tan Ap in Ha Tinh Province, their RF-4C Phantom jet was seen to explode and crash while making a low level pass over the objective target. It was not known at that time whether Wright and Bancroft survived. On 18 November 1970, the U.S. intelligence community received information which indicated that Wright and Bancroft were dead, and they were listed as Killed in Action/Body Not Recovered. [Taken from the pownetwork.org.] 2

5 1LT Alan Jensen Bardach US Army Home of Record: Noblesville, IN Date of birth: 07/26/1943 Purdue Degree: Management 1966 Service Branch: United States Army Rank at loss: First Lieutenant Unit: HQ CO, 507TH TRANS GROUP, ARMY SPT CMD SAIGON, 1ST LOG CMD, USARV Start Tour: 11/24/1967 Incident Date: 01/08/1968 Casualty Date: 01/08/1968 Age at Loss: 24 Location: Thua Thien Province, South Vietnam Casualty Type: Non-hostile, died while missing Casualty Reason: Helicopter Non-crew Casualty Detail: Air loss or crash over land Buried: Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Lemay, MO ON THE WALL: Panel 33E Line 78 As I recall, they had had a mission flying out of Dong Ha for the day with resupplies to the Demilitarized Zone and/or Khe Sanh. In the afternoon, at the end of their mission, they were returning to Danang from Dong Ha and were requested to take a load of passengers from Dong Ha to Phu Bai. The aircraft crashed into mountain during IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) flight. There were no survivors. The five crewmen included aircraft commander CAPT Frederick L. Schram, pilot CAPT John T. Chapman, crew chief CPL Philip S. Strand Jr., and gunners SSGT Bennett W. Olson and CPL Vernon B. Venegas. There were also 41 passengers aboard the aircraft [including 1LT Bardach]. The cause of the accident, in my mind, would be attributable to 'multiple factors', including poor ground communications, poor aircraft antenna design, combat environment, weather and, most regrettably, pilot error. [Comments of Peter Starn, February 13, 1998, and taken from vvmf.org/wall-of-faces.] 3

6 Capt. John Peter Bartley US Air Force PERSONAL DATA Home of Record: Findlay, OH Date of birth: Monday, 08/03/1931 Purdue Degree: Civil Engineering 1959 MILITARY DATA Service: United States Air Force (Reserve) Rank at loss: Captain Unit: DET 2A, 1ST AIR COMMANDO GRP, 2ND AIR DIV, 13TH AF CASUALTY DATA Start Tour: Not recorded Casualty Date: 02/03/1963 Age at Loss: 31 Location: Military Region 4, South Vietnam Remains: Body Recovered Casualty Type: Hostile, Died While Missing Casualty Reason: Air Loss, Crash - Land - Fixed Wing Pilot Buried: Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, San Antonio, TX ON THE WALL: Panel 01E Line 018 John Peter Barley was born, in Findlay, Ohio. He enlisted in the Air Force, during the Korean War. He was a part, of the concerted, effort, to develop pilots, for the U.S., Air Force. He completed flight training, in 1954, at Goodfellow AFB. and was commissioned, a 2nd, LT.. He completed the requirements, for his BS., degree, in electrical engineering, at Purdue University, in He further trained, as a pilot, with the A/B-26, which was a light bomber. He completed special, training, at Luke, Air Force Base, before beginning his tour, in Vietnam, in He was assigned, to Detachment 2A, First, Air Command, 2nd, Air Division, 13th, Air Force. The detachment was initially assigned, to Clark, Air Force Base, Philippines, then was assigned, to Bien Hoa, Air Force Base. The group flew different types, of aircraft, B-26's, T-28's and C-47's, in support, of the South Vietnamese. On February 3, 1963, B-26, he was shot down, while conducting a strafing run, against a Viet Cong unit, in the Mekong, Delta. All three, crew members, were killed in the crash. The crash site was located, the next day and the bodies, were located and removed. Captain, John Peter Bartley was buried, with full military honors, at Fort Sam Houston, National Cemetery, in San Antonio, Texas. [Comments from Roy Spencer on Feb 3, 2010 and taken from thewallusa.com.] 4

7 1LT Stuart Marshall Binkley US Army Home of Record: Flint, MI Date of birth: 10/02/1947 Purdue Degree: Unknown Service Branch: United States Army Rank: First Lieutenant Unit: C BTRY, 8TH BN, 4TH ARTILLERY, I FIELD FORCE, USARV Start Tour: 09/20/1970 Incident Date: 06/28/1971 Casualty Date: 06/28/1971 Age at Loss: 23 Location: Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam Casualty Type: Hostile, died outright Casualty Reason: Ground casualty Buried: Indian Creek Cemetery, Winamac, IN ON THE WALL: Panel W3 Line 91 I was Stu s radio man on Con Tien Alpha-4, the northern most firebase in Vietnam, 5 miles from DMZ. We had been receiving rocket and mortar fire for several weeks and the NVA had committed to take firebase Fuller, the mountain top listening post to our left. We had incurred, several wounded, during this time, including Captain Khooney, from the 5 th Mech Infantry. I was also with him when he was hit by the same mortar sites and called the MEDVAC chopper for him. Although severely wounded, he survived. On several occasions, the incoming rounds had hit the landline communications that provided the FDC target coordinates during fire missions. This required Stu and I to have to move under incoming fire and use a PRC35 radio backup to pass the fire mission FDC information to the gun crews while sitting in the gun pits. I received the fire mission early that morning around 6-7. Stu and I were in the rocket observation tower when we got the call from FDC for a fire mission on an active mortar site. Stu told me he would go this time. Within minutes I heard the incoming mortar hit. I knew Stu was gone. The NVA forward observer also knew he had hit his target. Unlike other times, that was the only round that morning. I remember the silence. I called the chopper to come and get Stu. Captain Smith, our CO, and all of us took Stu s death very hard. Stu was an excellent officer and he loved the men he served with on this the godforsaken hill nicknamed The Animal Farm. [A portion of comments by Larry Wright in 2007 and taken from the virtualwall.org.] 5

8 2LT Timothy Morgan Blake US Army PERSONAL DATA Home of Record: Charleston, WV Date of birth: 08/20/1941 Purdue Degree: Management 1964 MILITARY DATA Service: United States Army (Reserve) Rank at loss: Second Lieutenant Unit: C BTY, 1ST BN, 21ST ARTY RGT, 1 CAV DIV CASUALTY DATA Start Tour: 08/18/1965 Casualty Date: 11/15/1965 Age at Loss: 24 Remains: Body Recovered Location: Ia Drang Valley, South Vietnam Casualty Type: Hostile, Died Casualty Reason: Multiple Fragmentation Wounds - Ground Casualty Buried: Sunset Memorial Park, South Charleston, WV ON THE WALL: Panel 03E Line 052 I was the Company Commander of A Company, 7th Cavalry at the battle of LZ Xray in November 1965 when Tim died. Tim was the artillery FO attached to my rifle company. While I was leading the assault to attempt to rescue a cut-off platoon, I was standing in the middle of a knee high grassy area when a machine gun opened fire on my command group. I was standing next to Tim asking him to fire the artillery when I saw a compass he was carrying on a strap on his chest explode. He died instantaneously. His RTO to his right also died as well as my commo Sergeant to my left. I and another of my RTOs standing behind me were unscathed. [Comments from Colonel (ret.) Ramon Tony Nadal, Sept. 5, 2017.] 6

9 1LT Larry Gene Bonnell US Army Home of Record: Winamac, IN Date of birth: 06/27/1943 Purdue Degree: Agriculture 1965 Service Branch: United States Army Rank at loss: Second Lieutenant (Posthumous Promotion as indicated) Unit: HHB, 9TH DIV ARTY, 9TH INF DIV, USARV Start Tour:12/12/1966 Incident Date: 04/25/1967 Casualty Date: 04/25/1967 Age at Loss: 23 Location: Tay Ninh Province, South Vietnam Casualty Type: Hostile, died outright Casualty Reason: Ground casualty Casualty Detail: Other explosive device Buried: Winamac Cemetery, Winamac, IN ON THE WALL: Panel 18E Line 83 In early 1967, Larry Bonnell and I were aerial observers with the 9th Division Artillery. There were about eight of us AOs. We went up in twoseater bird-dog spotter planes or two-seater Plexiglas bubble helicopters almost every day, for between 4 and 8 hours a day. We worked out of Bearcat, the 9th Division s base camp, about 30 miles east of Saigon. We accumulated air medals, and occasionally took a few rounds in the fuselage. This was much safer than being a forward observer on the ground - life was good, for a combat zone, except for the daily mandatory attendance at formal evening mess, and constant oversight by superior officers. When Larry got a Dear John letter from his girlfriend, he decided he needed a break from the headquarters routine. He volunteered for temporary duty at Black Horse, the 11th Armored Cav s base camp, which was about 50 miles away, south of Xuan Loc. (The 11th ACR was getting ready to take the lead in the Cambodian incursion). Larry was in route to connect up with the night convoy that ran between Saigon and Black Horse, when the vehicle he was riding in hit a large land mine. I flew as AO for the same night convoys several times near the end of my tour and it always made me think of Larry. I knew Larry well enough to know that he was a good, person, and a good, brave, soldier. It is a shame he died so young. I am sure he is still missed by his family. May he rest in peace. Larry will not be forgotten. [Comments made on Nov 19, 2010 from James Chase, fellow soldier and friend, and taken from thewall-usa.com.] 7

10 PFC John Stephen Brown US Army Home of Record: Orleans, IN Date of birth: 09/05/1944 Purdue Degree: Industrial Technology 1967 Service Branch: United States Army Rank at loss: Private First Class Unit: C CO, 1ST BN, 27TH INFANTRY, 25TH INF DIV, USARV Start Tour: 03/18/1968 Incident Date: 06/19/1968 Casualty Date: 06/19/1968 Age at Loss: 23 Location: Binh Duong Province, South Vietnam Casualty Type: Hostile, died outright Casualty Reason: Ground casualty Casualty Detail: Gun or small arms fire Buried: Cavetown Cemetery, Campbellsburg, IN ON THE WALL: Panel W56 Line 32 8

11 Capt. Douglas Holman Butterfield US Air Force Home of Record: Vista, CA Date of birth: 10/30/1940 Purdue Degree: Astronautics (MS) Service Branch: United States Air Force Rank at loss: Captain Unit: 21ST TAC AIR SPT SQDN, 504TH TAC AIR SPT GROUP, 7TH AF Start Tour: 08/07/1966 Incident Date: 06/05/1967 Casualty Date: 06/05/1967 Age at Loss: 26 Location: Binh Dinh Province, South Vietnam Casualty Type: Hostile, died outright Casualty Reason: Fixed Wing - Pilot Casualty Detail: Air loss or crash over land Buried: U. S. Air Force Academy Cemetery, Colorado Springs, CO ON THE WALL: Panel 21E Line 57 [Captain Douglas Holman Butterfield] was a Rash Forward Air Controller assigned to the 21st Tactical Air Support Squadron at Da Nang supporting the 1st Air Cavalry Division at An Khe. Captain Butterfield was flying a visual reconnaissance mission when his O-1G [Cessna Bird Dog] S/N was hit by ground fire about 5 miles from An Khe and crashed. He had four years of service and served 304 days in combat. Captain Butterfield had been an F-100 pilot. [A portion taken from fac-assoc.org/tributes.] 9

12 Sgt. Thomas Joseph Carey US Marine Corps PERSONAL DATA Home of Record: Muncie, IN Date of birth: Monday, 12/27/1943 Purdue Degree: Pre-1980 Programs (MS) 1964 MILITARY DATA Service: United States Marine Corps (Regular) Rank at loss: Sergeant Unit: H&S CO, 2ND BN, 5TH MARINES, 1ST MARDIV CASUALTY DATA Start Tour: Not recorded Casualty Date: 01/26/1967 Age at Loss: 23 Location: Quang Nam, South Vietnam Casualty Type: Hostile, died outright Casualty Reason: Gun or small arms fire - Ground casualty Buried: Elm Ridge Memorial Park, Muncie, IN ON THE WALL: Panel 14E Line 079 In 1967, Operation Tuscaloosa sent 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines into the hostile Thu Bon valley. Their mission: to exterminate the Viet Cong. But a sandbar island in the river quickly became an island of death for the Marines who lay trapped there, pinned under merciless enemy fire. Sgt. Carey and 16 others were killed in action with 56 wounded. In the final moments of the enemy's extremely heavy grazing fire that raked the sandbar from stem to stern, the young commander of Third Platoon had drawn his.45 pistol and rushed forward to rally his pinned down Marines. As he passed by my fighting hole, he was stopped in mid-stride as a burst from an enemy automatic weapon hit him dead center in the chest. Lt. Smith was knocked on his back, dead before he hit the ground. A Navy corpsman rushed forward to assist the fallen officer, only to be struck down himself by another burst of enemy fire. He fell dead across the body of the slain officer. A platoon sergeant [Sgt. Carey] ran up to the two bodies, not realizing they were already dead. VC gunners had him in their sights before he could reach them. A dozen thumb-sized holes appeared in his torso as if by magic, spinning him through the air like an acrobat. The dying NCO splattered the dead corpsman and platoon leader with a fresh blanket of American blood. [A portion of an article written by John Culbertson, October 16, 2006 and taken from VietnamGear.com.] 10

13 Lt. John Roy Chapman US Navy Home of Record: Washington, IN Date of birth: 08/29/1940 Purdue Degree: Electrical Engineering 1962 Service Branch: United States Navy Rank at loss: Lieutenant Unit: TEAM 143, NAVAL ADV GROUP, USNAVFORV Start Tour: Not Recorded Incident Date: 04/03/1967 Casualty Date: 04/03/1967 Age at Loss: 26 Location: Quang Ngai Province, South Vietnam Casualty Type: Hostile, died of wounds Casualty Reason: Ground casualty (or inland waterway) Casualty Detail: Misadventure (Friendly Fire) Buried: East Union Cemetery, Daviess County, IN ON THE WALL: Panel 17E Line 95 From 1 to 6 April, Coastal Group 16 and units of the SECOND ARVN Infantry Division conducted Operation LIEN KET, two miles north of Quang Ngai. On the afternoon of the 3rd, the explosion of a bomb released accidentally by a US Air Force aircraft mortally wounded LT J.R CHAPMAN, USN, Senior Advisor to Coastal Group 16 and injured five Vietnamese sailors and 30 refugees. [Taken from navy.togetherweserved.com.] 11

14 WO William K. Clawson US Army Home of Record: Linden, IN Date of birth: 09/30/1943 Purdue Degree: Associate Applied Science 1964 Service Branch: United States Army Rank at loss: Warrant Officer Unit: 240TH AHC, 214TH AVN BN, 12TH AVN GROUP, 1ST AVIATION BDE, USARV Start Tour: 12/02/1967 Incident Date: 12/14/1967 Casualty Date: 12/14/1967 Age at Loss: 24 Location: Binh Thuan Province, South Vietnam Casualty Type: Non-hostile, died of other causes Casualty Reason: Helicopter - Crew Casualty Detail: Air loss or crash over land Buried: Linden Cemetery, Linden, IN ON THE WALL: Panel 31E Line 90 On Dec. 14, 1967, a UH-1H flying with the 240th Assault Helicopter Company (Greyhounds) experienced a transmission failure while supporting operation Claymoth Falls in Boa Loc Pass. The aircraft crashed and burned. The crew included aircraft commander 1LT Haron L. Brown II, pilot WO1 William K. Clawson, crew chief Matthew P. Amaral III, and gunner SP4 Ronny K. Kindred. All suffered fatal injuries in the crash. [Taken from vhpa.org] 12

15 Capt. Joseph Bernard Copack, Jr. US Air Force Home of Record: Chicago, IL Date of birth: 06/04/1947 Purdue Degree: Management 1970 Service Branch: United States Air Force Rank at loss: First Lieutenant (Promoted while in MIA status) Unit: 22ND BOMB WING (TDY), 307TH STRAT WING, SAC Start Tour: Not Recorded Incident Date: 12/22/1972 Casualty Date: 08/16/1978 Age at Loss: 31 (based on date declared dead) Location: Province not reported, North Vietnam Remains: 1978 status: Body Not Recovered. Found later. Repatriated Casualty Type: Hostile, died while missing Casualty Reason: Fixed Wing - Crew Casualty Detail: Air loss or crash over land Buried: Our Lady of Sorrows Cemetery, Hillside, IL ON THE WALL: Panel W1 Line 103 On December 22, 1972, a B-52D crew consisting of co-pilot CAPT Thomas W. Bennett, LTC Gerald W. Alley, bombardier CAPT Peter P. Camerota, navigator 1LT Joseph B. Copack Jr., pilot CAPT Peter J. Giroux, and tail gunner MSGT Louis E. LeBlanc departed Utapao on a bombing mission over Hanoi. When the B-52D was about 50 miles northwest of Hanoi, it was hit by Surface to Air Missiles (SAM). Bennett called the mayday and manually ejected the pilot, who had blacked out. Bennett then bailed out himself. The tail gunner later reported that he observed in the bright moonlight that the entire crew of six had deployed parachutes. Three of them, Camerota, Giroux and LeBlanc, were released from prisoner of war camps in Hanoi a few months later in the general prisoner release of The U.S. was not expecting them. They had not known that the three were being held prisoner. Alley, Copack and Bennett were not released and remained Missing in Action. On June 23, 1989, the U.S. announced that the Vietnamese had "discovered" the remains of Gerald W. Alley and Joseph B. Copack and had sent them home. [Taken from the pownetwork.org.] 13

16 MAJ Dale Darrel De Ford US Army Home of Record: Elwood, NE Date of birth: 10/20/1937 Purdue Degree: Civil Engineering 1964 Service Branch: United States Army Rank at loss: Captain (Posthumous Promotion as indicated) Unit: SD-5891, HQ, MACV ADVISORS, MACV Start Tour: 12/29/1965 Incident Date: 04/25/1966 Casualty Date: 04/25/1966 Age at Loss: 28 Location: Province not reported, South Vietnam Casualty Type: Non-hostile, died of other causes Casualty Reason: Fixed Wing Non-crew Casualty Detail: Air loss or crash over land Buried: Grand Lawn Cemetery, Detroit, MI ON THE WALL: Panel 6E Line

17 Capt. Charles Edwin Engle US Air Force Home of Record: Carlos, IN Date of birth: 02/08/1945 Purdue Degree: Management 1968 (AFROTC) Service Branch: United States Air Force Rank at loss: Captain Unit: DET 1 UDORN, 56TH SPECIAL OPS WING, 7TH AF Start Tour: 08/29/1969 Incident Date: 02/22/1971 Casualty Date: 02/22/1971 Age at Loss: 26 Location: Laos Casualty Type: Hostile, died outright Casualty Reason: Fixed Wing Pilot Buried: Fountain Park Cemetery, Winchester, IN ON THE WALL: Panel W5 Line 130 Captain Engle was a Raven 26 Forward Air Controller assigned to the Ambassador to Laos as a civilian. He flew in support of General Vang Pao in the Barrel Roll area of northern Laos. Most of the fighting took place in an area known as the Plain of Jars. On the day, he crashed (Feb 22, 1971), I had driven out to the Wattay Airport at Vientiane to meet Chuck and to go over some awards and decorations write ups with him. I sat on the ramp in the open jeep and waited what seemed an unusually long time. Finally, someone came out from the operations building and told me that Chuck s O-1 had crashed. I asked if Chuck had made it OK and was told he burned in the wreckage. I was in total shock. I walked in a daze across the flight line and stumbled against a revetment. Then in the privacy of my thoughts and the obscurity of the flight line, I fell over and cried, and cried and cried until I had no more tears to shed. As I pulled myself up, I knew that I would never feel a loss as great as that again and, so, I promised myself on the spot, that I would never cry again like that for the rest of my life and I never have. [Portion of an article written by Craig W. Doering in the Air Commando Journal Fall aircommando.org.] 15

18 Capt. David Addison Frederick US Marine Corps Home of Record: Columbus, OH Date of birth: 06/22/1942 Purdue Degree: Electrical Engineering 1964 Service Branch: United States Marine Corps Rank at loss: Captain Unit: HMM-164, MAG-16, 1ST MAW, III MAF Start Tour: Not Recorded Incident Date: 07/30/1967 Casualty Date: 07/30/1967 Age at Loss: 25 Location: Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam Remains: 1967 status: Body Not Recovered. Found later. Repatriated Casualty Type: Hostile, died outright Casualty Reason: Helicopter - Crew Casualty Detail: Air loss or crash over land Buried: Barrancas National Cemetery, Pensacola, FL ON THE WALL: Panel 24E Line 51 From a Press Report: June 9, According to the Pentagon, Byars' remains were found last July during a joint field search by US and Vietnamese search teams. The other Marines have been identified as Captain David Frederick, 23, of Columbus, Ohio; First Lieutenant Craig Waterman, 24, of Reheboth, Massachusetts, and Lance Corporal Robert Biscailuz, 21, of Midway City, California. The Marines were flying over the Quang Tri province when the helicopter apparently was hit by ground fire and crashed. A villager had taken the remains of the Marines and buried them in a Russian feed sack about 50 kilometers from the crash site, said the Marine's brother, Donald Byars, who obtained previously classified military documents about the crash. [Comments taken from yellowfootprints.com.] 16

19 SSGT James Michael Grant US Army Home of Record: Noblesville, IN Date of birth: 11/04/1946 Purdue Degree: Electrical Engineering 1969 Service Branch: United States Army Rank at loss: Staff Sergeant Unit: B CO, 1ST BN, 16TH INFANTRY, 1ST INF DIV, USARV Start Tour: 02/17/1969 Incident Date: 12/15/1969 Casualty Date: 12/15/1969 Age at Loss: 23 Location: Binh Long Province, South Vietnam Casualty Type: Non-hostile, died of other causes Casualty Reason: Ground casualty Casualty Detail: Other accident Buried: Oaklawn Memorial Gardens, Fishers, IN ON THE WALL: Panel W15 Line 58 17

20 CDR David Scott Greiling US Navy PERSONAL DATA Home of Record: Hillsdale, MI Date of birth: 03/25/1935 Purdue Degree: Engineering Sciences 1957 (NROTC) MILITARY DATA Service: United States Navy Rank at loss: Lieutenant Commander (Promoted while in POW status) Unit: VA-82, CVW-6, USS AMERICA CASUALTY DATA Start Tour: Not recorded Incident Date: 07/24/1968 Change Status: Friday, 09/14/1973 (Died while captured) Age at Loss: 38 Remains: Body not recovered Location: Yankee Station, North Vietnam Casualty Type: Hostile, died while captured Casualty Reason: Air loss or crash at sea - Fixed Wing Pilot Buried: Memorialized - Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu, HI ON THE WALL: Panel 51W Line 049 On 24 July, LCDR Greiling led a section (2 aircraft) on a night armed reconnaissance mission -- a truck-busting mission. The section undertook an attack on a truck convoy in the vicinity of Cape Mui Ron, NVN. LCDR Grelling, as lead, was first in. His wingman observed a large explosion and fires in the target area and initially considered them to be the result of Greiling's attack. However, when he realized that he had lost radio contact with Greiling he also realized that the explosion and residual fire probably represented a crash site. Other air wing aircraft in the area immediately undertook combat SAR. The crash site was on the side of a karst ridgeline, about 500 feet below the crest. No beeper was heard, nor was there any radio contact with Greiling. Followingday SAR efforts failed to locate Greiling, who was placed in MIA status. In 1969, a Polish seaman reported evidence that Greiling was a captive in North Vietnam. Although his status was changed from MIA to POW, the North Vietnamese never acknowledged capturing LCDR Greiling and he did not return with the POWs released in early The returning POWs knew nothing of LCDR Greiling's fate. On 14 Sep 1973 the Secretary of the Navy approved a Presumptive Finding of Death for him, changing his status from POW to "Died while Captured". Within the air wing, the concensus was that LCDR David Scott Greiling died that night -- it was overcast with multiple cloud layers and mountains rising above the pull-out altitude, not a good night for low-level visual bombing. [Comments from his shipmate, Ken Davis, Attack Squadron 85, USS AMERICA and taken from the virtualwall.org.] 18

21 Capt. Lee Charles Hitchcock US Air Force PERSONAL DATA Home of Record: South Bend, IN Date of birth: 07/27/1940 Purdue Degree: Industrial Economics 1963 MILITARY DATA Service: United States Air Force (Regular) Rank: Captain Unit: 5008TH OSI DETACHMENT, 7TH AF CASUALTY DATA Start Tour: 11/17/1966 Casualty Date: 09/10/1967 Age at Loss: 27 Remains: Body Recovered Location: Pleiku, South Vietnam Type: Hostile, Died Reason: Artillery, Rocket, Mortar - Ground Casualty Buried: Saint Joseph Valley Memorial Park, Granger, IN ON THE WALL: Panel 26E Line 045 Special Agent Lee Hitchcock was killed as a result of a mortar attack on the city of Pleiku, Republic of Vietnam. Agent Hitchcock had been assigned to Vietnam. His job was to conduct criminal investigations as a result of the large presence of United States Air Force personnel who were stationed there during the Vietnam War. Special Agent Hitchcock was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star with "V" device. (Taken from Finda-grave.com.] 19

22 Home of Record: Rochester, NY Date of birth: 03/12/1944 Purdue Degree: Management 1966 Service Branch: United States Air Force Rank at loss: Captain Unit: 429TH TAC FTR SQDN, 474TH TAC FTR WING, 7TH AF Start Tour: Not Recorded Incident Date: 10/17/1972 Casualty Date: 10/17/1972 Age at Loss: 28 Location: Province not reported, North Vietnam Remains: 1972 status: Body Not Recovered. Found later. Repatriated Buried: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA ON THE WALL: Panel 01W Line 82 On Oct. 17, 1972, Capt. James A. Hockridge and 1Lt. Allen U. Graham were flying an F111A near the city of Cho Moi in Bac Thai Province, North Vietnam, when their aircraft was shot down. Later, Hanoi released a photo showing the ID cards of both men, and other military papers from the crash. Both Hockridge and Graham were mentioned in the story, which featured photos of the totally burned wreckage of the aircraft, even though the military papers and ID cards showed no fire damage. Radio Hanoi claimed both pilots died in the crash and that this was the 4,000th aircraft downed over North Vietnam. A later broadcast reported some remains were recovered and buried along the Ca Lo River. Both men were listed as Missing in Action, until their remains were returned by the Vietnamese September 30, [Taken from the pownetwork.org.] 20

23 Capt. William Hadley Hosea US Air Force Home of Record: Acton, IN Date of birth: 08/18/1936 Purdue Degree: Forestry Service 1957 Service Branch: United States Air Force Rank at loss: Captain Unit: 4TH AIR COMMANDO SQDN, 14TH AIR COMMANDO WING, 7TH AF Start Tour: 11/19/1966 Incident Date: 03/29/1967 Casualty Date: 03/29/1967 Age at Loss: 30 Location: Quang Nam Province, South Vietnam Casualty Type: Hostile, died while missing Casualty Reason: Fixed Wing Pilot Buried: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA ON THE WALL: Panel 17E Line 67 In early 1967, night attacks on isolated hamlets and outposts were a continuing problem. The AC-47 gunships were very effective in providing cover - they could stay on station a long time and had immense firepower -but their very effectiveness made them a high-priority target for the NVA and Viet Cong forces. On the night of 28/29 March 1967, a "Puff" gunship (AC-47D tail number ) of the 4th Air Commando Squadron detachment at Danang was dispatched to help defend an outpost near Hoi An, about 10 miles south of Danang. The aircraft's crew consisted of: Capt William H Hosea; Capt Herbert C Rice; Capt John B Cabana; SSgt John L Brim; SSgt James L Fields; TSgt Guy J Brungard; and A1C Robert E Ruonavaara. The aircraft arrived over target and established its orbit, but was hit by intense automatic weapons fire and crashed a few miles from Hoi An. All seven crewmen died in the crash. [Comments from Roy Spencer on Mar 29, 2007 taken from thewall-usa.com.] 21

24 SFC Samuel Henry Howard US Army Home of Record: Wingate, IN Date of birth: 11/25/1926 Purdue Degree: Attended for one year Service Branch: United States Army Rank: Sergeant First Class Unit: HHC, 86TH ENG BN, 34TH ENG GROUP, 20TH ENG BDE, USARV Start Tour: Not Recorded Incident Date: 11/22/1967 Casualty Date: 12/02/1967 Age at Loss: 41 (based on date declared dead) Location: Long Khanh Province, South Vietnam Casualty Type: Non-hostile, died of illness or injury Casualty Reason: Ground casualty Casualty Detail: Illness or disease Buried: Newtown Cemetery, Newtown, IN ON THE WALL: Panel 31E Line 24 Sgt. Samuel H. Howard 41, of Newtown, died Friday in the 249th General Hospital at Camp Drake, Japan, of a cerebral hemorrhage resulting from malaria contracted in Vietnam. Sgt. Howard had been in Vietnam since August of this year. He was hospitalized there several weeks and was transferred to Japan two weeks ago, according to word received here. Sgt. Howard entered the Army shortly after graduating from Newtown High School in He had previously served in Greenland, Korea, France, Colombia, Ecuador and Panama. It was while he was serving in Panama he volunteered for Vietnam duty. A native of Crawfordsville, he was born Nov. 25, 1926, to Dr. Chester and LaVera (Shultz) Howard. He was married Dec. 27, 1949, to Gloria Gray of Newtown. Sgt. Howard attended Purdue University one year. [ Taken from SFC Howard s Obituary in a scrapbook from a collection of Fauniel Hershberger's. Typed by Walt W. and dated 1967.] 22

25 CAPT Ronald Wayne Hurt US Army Home of Record: Owensville, IN Date of birth: 04/19/1943 Purdue Degree: Agriculture 1965 (AROTC) Service Branch: United States Army Rank at loss: Captain Unit: ADV TEAM 64, HQ, MACV ADVISORS, MACV Start Tour: 06/15/1969 Incident Date: 03/23/1970 Casualty Date: 03/23/1970 Age at Loss: 26 Location: Chau Doc Province, South Vietnam Casualty Type: Hostile, died outright Casualty Reason: Ground casualty Casualty Detail: Other explosive device Buried: Blythe Chapel Cemetery, Owensville, IN ON THE WALL: Panel W12 Line 37 Mike [Hurt], I did not know CPT Hurt [your father] well, for I had only been in country a short time before his death. I do know he was assigned to one of our District Teams I believe An Phu, north east of Chau Doc. I was told that he had just returned from R and R in Hawaii with his wife and was assigned to a foliage clearing operation in our area (Chau Doc). We all thought this was ironic because An Phu was much more of a hot spot. During this clearing operation his Jeep ran over a mine, this account was shared with me while I was preparing his personal effects for return to his family. [Comments to CAPT Hurt s son, Mike, from John Easters July taken from macvteams.org/team-64.] 23

26 1LT Daniel Walter Jordan US Army Home of Record: Griffith, IN Date of birth: 12/31/1942 Purdue Degree: Forestry Service 1966 Service Branch: United States Army Rank at loss: First Lieutenant Unit: A CO, 4TH BN, 503RD INFANTRY, 173RD ABN BDE, USARV Start Tour: 05/19/1967 Incident Date: 07/10/1967 Casualty Date: 07/10/1967 Age at Loss: 24 Location: Kontum Province, South Vietnam Casualty Type: Hostile, died outright Casualty Reason: Ground casualty Casualty Detail: Multiple fragmentation wounds ON THE WALL: Panel 23E Line 42 The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Daniel Walter Jordan, First Lieutenant (Infantry), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with Company A, 4th Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry, 173rd Airborne Brigade (Separate). First Lieutenant Jordan distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 10 July 1967 while serving as platoon leader of an airborne infantry platoon on a combat mission near Dak To. Late in the afternoon, the lead platoon of Lieutenant Jordan's company was attacked and pinned down by heavy automatic weapons fire from a well-entrenched Viet Cong force. He received an order to maneuver his men in a flank attack on the insurgents to relieve the attack pressure on the engaged element. Because of poor radio contact, he was forced to run through areas exposed to hostile fire to coordinate with his commander. He then returned to his men and braved constant hostile fire to organize his men and lead them forward. For a half hour, Lieutenant Jordan made repeated trips to the command post to report his element's progress and receive instructions. He moved among his men, calming and encouraging them, although this forced him to expose himself many times to the enemy's weapons. Under his leadership, the platoon was able to advance to a position from which to assault the Viet Cong machine gun positions. While courageously leading his men against the numerically superior insurgent force, he was mortally wounded. First Lieutenant Jordan's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty, at the cost of his life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army. [Distinguished Service Cross Citation, Sept. 21, 1967, and taken from the vitualwall.org] 24

27 Capt. Howard Leo Joselane US Marine Corp Home of Record: Chicago, IL Date of birth: 02/18/1938 Purdue Degree: Industrial Economics 1960 (NROTC) Service Branch: United States Marine Corps Rank at loss: Captain Unit: CACO ECHO, 2ND CAG, COMBINED ACTION, III MAF Start Tour: 07/26/1967 Incident Date: 02/08/1968 Casualty Date: 02/08/1968 Age at Loss: 29 Location: Quang Nam Province, South Vietnam Casualty Type: Hostile, died outright Casualty Reason: Ground casualty Casualty Detail: Gun or small arms fire Buried: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA ON THE WALL: Panel 38E Line 31 As the CAP [Combined Action Program] relief force, under Capt. Joselane, that had been attempting to reinforce CAP Echo 4 approached the tree line on the west end of Lo Giang, they suddenly came under intense fire at close range. They sought shelter in a drainage ditch just outside the tree line. Shortly after the attack began, they were overwhelmed by large numbers of VC and NVA. They radioed for help and then a short time later announced that they were being overrun. Capt. Joselane's last words over the radio were "they're all over us...no way out. Don't send anyone else in here...tell my wife I love her." Thirteen marines in the relief force were killed by the enemy. Some of the Marines were bayoneted as they lay wounded. [A portion of the account of The Battle for Lo Giang and CAP Echo 4 as prepared by Wayne R. Johnston, 2012.] 25

28 Capt. Warren Owings Keneipp, Jr. US Marine Corp Home of Record: Oak Lawn, IL Date of birth: 10/20/1941 Purdue Degree: Management 1964 Service Branch: United States Marine Corps Rank at loss: Captain Unit: H&S CO, 1ST BN, 9TH MARINES, 3RD MARDIV, III MAF Start Tour: 11/21/1966 Incident Date: 07/02/1967 Casualty Date: 07/02/1967 Age at Loss: 25 Location: Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam Casualty Type: Hostile, died outright Casualty Reason: Ground casualty Casualty Detail: Gun or small arms fire Buried: Chapel Hill Gardens South, Oak Lawn, IL ON THE WALL: Panel 22E Line 106 On the first day of Operation BUFFALO July 2, Company B formed up along Route 561 several kilometers northeast of Con Thien in Quang Tri Province and headed north towards the DMZ. The Marines were unaware that elements of the NVA 324B Division were waiting for them in freshly dug and camouflaged positions. As the Company moved forward the NVA opened up with devastating fire on the men in the open who found themselves caught in a well prepared trap in the vicinity of Route 561 and 605. Snipers were picking off individual Marines and heavy enemy machinegun fire prevented the Marines to move in any direction. Ordered to link up with the Marines under heavy enemy mortar and artillery fire, Company A was prevented to move forward by the enemy using their supporting arms fire. The engagement developed into a day long battle. By the time reinforcements were able to reach the men, little remained of Company B, among the dead and wounded were the Company Commander, two Platoon Commanders, the Forward Artillery Observer, and Forward Air Controller. The battle was costly for the Marines, eighty-eight men were killed in action, many more were wounded, one of the casualties was CAPT Warren Keneipp Jr. who was killed in the action by enemy rifle fire. [Taken from Find-A-Grave.com.] 26

29 LCDR Kenneth Keith Knabb Jr. US Navy Home of Record: Wheaton, IL Date of birth: 03/26/1938 Purdue Degree: Science 1960 Service Branch: United States Navy Rank at loss: Lieutenant Unit: VA-106, CVW-10, USS INTREPID, TF 77, 7TH FLEET Start Tour: Not Recorded Incident Date: 10/21/1968 Casualty Date: 01/18/1978 Age at Loss: 39 (based on date declared dead) Location: Province not reported, North Vietnam Remains: Body not recovered Casualty Type: Hostile, died while missing Casualty Reason: Fixed Wing Pilot Buried: Body not recovered ON THE WALL: Panel W40 Line 13 Lt.Cdr. Kenneth K. Knabb Jr. was a pilot assigned to Attack Squadron 106 onboard the USS INTREPID (CVA 11). On October 21, 1968, he launched on a combat mission into North Vietnam. As he was entering a strafing run from approximately 6,500 feet, his aircraft was apparently hit by SAM or antiaircraft fire. The next sight of the aircraft was as it exploded into a fireball on the ground. Knabb's target was about 10 miles southeast of the city of Ha Tinh in the province of the same name. Other pilots in the flight saw no parachute in the air, but a partially deployed parachute was sighted on the ground in the vicinity of the crash. No emergency radio beeper signals were heard, and it was unclear whether Knabb survived. He was placed in Missing in Action status. [Taken from the pownetwork.org] 27

30 LT Charles Allen Knochel US Navy ON THE WALL: Panel 10E Line 132 Lt. Charles A. Knochel wa a pilot assigned to Attack Squadron 176 onboard the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid. On September 22, 1966, he launched in his A1H Skyraider attack aircraft on an armed reconnaissance mission in the southern part of North Vietnam. Home of Record: Lafayette, IN Date of birth: 02/12/1940 Purdue Degree: Attended for one year Service Branch: United States Navy Rank at loss: Lieutenant Unit: VA-176, CVW-10, USS INTREPID, TF 77, 7TH FLEET Start Tour: Not Recorded Incident Date: 09/22/1966 Casualty Date: 09/22/1966 Age at Loss: 26 Location: Gulf of Tonkin, North Vietnam Remains: Body not recovered Casualty Type: Hostile, died outright Casualty Reason: Fixed Wing Pilot Buried: Body lost at sea Lt. Knochel was leading a two plane section of aircraft against enemy supply lines. After completing their mission, both aircraft were on their way out of the area and within 3 miles of the coast, when they were hit by a barrage of anti-aircraft fire. Lt. Knochel radioed that his aircraft was hit in the right wing and began to gain altitude and head out to sea. Once over the water, the right wing started to burn as the ammunition from his wing guns started to explode. Lt. Knochel radioed his wingman that he was going to bail out. All indications were that Lt. Knochel was not injured as he descended in his parachute. Rescue helicopters and amphibian aircraft were immediately called in for assistance. Lt. Knochel's parachute was swinging a bit as he entered the water, and at a point when the parachute was at a maximum swing, he hit the water as if lying on his back. The wingman saw that Knochel made no effort to release himself from his chute harness or inflate his life preserver, and felt that the impact had knocked him unconscious. Within 12 minutes of the time that Knochel entered the water, the rescue amphibian was on the scene. Upon landing, the chute could no longer be seen and the rescue diver could not locate Lt. Knochel. It was believed he drowned, unconscious. [Taken from the pownetwork.org] 28

31 CPL Herbert Logsdon, Jr. US Army Home of Record: Clarksville, IN Date of birth: 09/05/1944 Purdue Degree: Bachelor (Co-Op 25) 1967 Service Branch: United States Army Rank at loss: Private First Class (Posthumous Promotion as indicated) Unit: A CO, 4TH BN, 31ST INFANTRY, 196TH INFANTRY BDE, AMERICAL DIV, USARV Start Tour: 03/26/1969 Incident Date: 06/28/1969 Casualty Date: 06/28/1969 Age at Loss: 24 Location: Quang Tin Province, South Vietnam Casualty Type: Hostile, died outright Casualty Reason: Ground casualty Casualty Detail: Gun or small arms fire Buried: Walnut Ridge Cemetery, Jeffersonville, IN ON THE WALL: Panel W21 Line 29 A 24 year old Clarksville soldier was killed in combat in South Vietnam, According to word received by his family from the Defense Department. Killed in action last Saturday was Army PFC. Herbert J. Logsdon, Jr., of S. State St. Clarksville. The department reported that he was killed by hostile enemy fire but details of his death were not immediately available. A native of Jeffersonville, Logsdon was a graduate of Clarksville High School and received a bachelor's degree from Purdue University in He was a member of the Ohio Falls Methodist Church and the Co-Op Club 25 at Purdue. A scholarship has been established in Herbie's name at Clarksville H.S. [Taken from Find-A-Grave, July 3, 1969] 29

32 1LT Michal Alvin Merkel US Army PERSONAL DATA Home of Record: Indianapolis, IN Date of birth: 11/09/1942 Purdue Degree: Electrical Engineering 1965 MILITARY DATA Service: United States Army (Reserve) Rank at loss: First Lieutenant Unit: 7TH PSYOP GRP (ATTACHED MACV ADV TEAM 21), USARPAC CASUALTY DATA Start Tour: Not recorded Casualty Date: 03/24/1968 Age at Loss: 25 Location: Pleiku, South Vietnam Type: Hostile, died of wounds Reason: Multiple fragmentation wounds - Ground casualty ON THE WALL Panel 46E Line 009 The radio station was in a very exposed position. It had a guard tower manned by the radio station soldiers, barbed wire, and fence posts around it. The radio station was modular in vans that were partially dug into the hilltop and sandbagged. Many a time I roared up the hill to the site, with Merkel driving the jeep, as we came out from the billet in Pleiku or from the airport from picking me up, that 250 foot tower looming overhead. The station was an outpost, not located within a defensive perimeter of any unit. The nearby RVN artillery base was quite a distance away (it was a surprise to us that the concussions would bother those radio tubes). The barbed wire fence with its several rows of concertina wire was all the separated the outpost from potential annihilation. The tower could be seen for miles and was probably used as an aiming post by both sides. We were always surprised that the enemy didn't blast away at it with mortars. But they had other plans. Mike and his crew were really proud of their ability to keep that station broadcasting. It was one of the most powerful radios stations broadcasting anywhere in the world. My last trip to the outpost was three days before the fatal night. The main request that Mike had on that trip was for the Group to obtain a.50 caliber machine gun. He felt the position was completely vulnerable and without adequate protection. They were armed with M14s and a few.45 caliber side arms. I presume there was a.30 caliber machine gun in the tower, but I honestly cannot remember at this time. I spent that day at the site and flew back to Saigon the evening of my visit. The night the enemy hit they probably sent about 20 guys against the place. They came in guns blazing and threw satchel charges into several of the sandbagged modules. I do not remember how many of our guys were wounded, but certainly remember Mike died of his wounds shortly after the attack. [Comments from William W. Forgey, M.D. formerly, CPT, Inf, USAR, Oct 6, 2005 and taken from The 7 th PsyOp Group at timyoho.net/bvapage/7thpsyop/merkle-kia- Accounts.html.] 30

33 Sp4 Richard Thomas Mills US Army Home of Record: Anderson, IN Date of birth: 02/18/1944 Purdue Degree: Unknown Service Branch: United States Army Rank at loss: Specialist 4 Unit: D CO, 1ST BN, 18TH INFANTRY, 1ST INF DIV, USARV Start Tour: 01/07/1968 Incident Date: 05/04/1968 Casualty Date: 05/04/1968 Age at Loss: 24 Location: Bien Hoa Province, South Vietnam Casualty Type: Hostile, died outright Casualty Reason: Ground casualty Buried: Anderson Memorial Park, Anderson, IN ON THE WALL: Panel 54E Line 37 31

34 1 st Lt. Michael Kent Nickerson US Marine Corps PERSONAL DATA Home of Record: Indianapolis, IN Date of birth: 12/30/1943 Purdue Degree: Science 1966 MILITARY DATA Service: Marine Corps (Regular) Rank at loss: First Lieutenant Unit: HMM-364, MAG-16, 1ST MAW CASUALTY DATA Start Tour: 08/28/1968 Casualty Date: 04/14/1969 Age at Loss: 25 Location: Quang Nam, South Vietnam Type: Hostile, died outright Reason: Air loss or crash over land - Helicopter Pilot Buried: Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery - San Diego, CA ON THE WALL: Panel 27W Line 080 The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the Silver Star Medal (Posthumously) to Michael Kent Nickerson ( ), First Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as a pilot with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 364 (HMM-364), Marine Aircraft Group 16 (MAG-16), FIRST Marine Aircraft Wing, in the Republic of Vietnam on 14 April 1969, First Lieutenant Nickerson launched as the Aircraft Commander of a CH-46 transport helicopter assigned the emergency medical evacuation of a seriously wounded Marine located 3000 feet up a mountainside in a jungle area southwest of Da Nang. Arriving over the designated location, he observed that the rugged terrain dictated the utilization of a hoist and, although he realized the danger of being fired upon by hostile soldiers in the vicinity, he unhesitatingly directed his aircraft to a hover over the site. As the hoist was being lowered, the transport came under a heavy volume of automatic weapons fire from enemy soldiers occupying a ridge only 50 meters distant and sustained extensive battle damage. Although his helicopter was vibrating badly, First Lieutenant Nickerson struggled to maintain control and, when vital engine systems failed 150 feet above the trees, he displayed superb airmanship as he shouted encouragement to his crew and commenced guiding the crippled aircraft to an upright landing in the jungle canopy. Although he was mortally wounded during the emergency landing, his heroic and timely actions were instrumental in saving the lives of four crew members. By his courage, superior aeronautical ability and unwavering devotion to duty, First Lieutenant Nickerson upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country. [Taken from vvmf.org/wall-of-faces, October 17, 2007.] 32

35 1LT Dean Russell Orn US Army PERSONAL DATA Home of Record: Nappanee, IN Date of birth: 01/17/1946 Purdue Degree: Liberal Arts 1968 (FMMR) MILITARY DATA Service: United States Army (Reserve) Rank at loss: First Lieutenant Unit: H&S BTRY, 6TH BN, 11TH ARTILLERY, 11 INF BDE CASUALTY DATA Start Tour: 10/17/1968 Casualty Date: 03/11/1969 Age at Loss: 23 Location: Quang Ngai, South Vietnam Type: Hostile, died outright Reason: Artillery, rocket, or mortar - Ground casualty Buried: Milford Cemetery, Milford, Indiana, IN ON THE WALL: Panel 29W Line 013 Lt Orn replaced me as the Artillery Forward Observer with C Co 4/21st Infantry. He was an underclassman at Officer Candidate School when I was an upperclassman. Lt. Orn was killed in Quang Ngai Province, I Corps, along with 4 other soldiers of Charlie Co. It is difficult to describe the hostile environment of that awful place where these men died. 110-degree mountainous jungle with razor sharp grass, so thick that it was difficult to travel more than a few miles a day. The swamps were full of leeches, mosquitoes, ants and deadly snakes. Couple that with the ever-present booby traps set in every clearing and trail. No friendlies, only NVA/VC equipped with the latest Soviet weapons who were determined to kill American soldiers. Forward Observation was extremely hazardous duty requiring young artillery lieutenants to direct cannon fire on targets at very close range. I left Charlie Co. and returned to Ft Sill Artillery School to instruct Officer Candidates on how to survive. That's where I received a letter informing me of Orn, Moore, Horton, Richardson, and Graham. [Comments of a fellow officer, Ed Mihalacki, Mar 30, 2005 and taken from the virtualwall.org.] 33

36 2 nd Lt. Thomas Rickard Pearson Jr. US Marine Corps Home of Record: San Diego, CA Date of birth: 06/20/1945 Purdue Degree: Literature 1967 (NROTC) Service Branch: United States Marine Corps Rank at loss: Second Lieutenant Unit: 3RD PLT, H CO, 2ND BN, 9TH MARINES, 3RD MARDIV, III MAF Start Tour: 12/31/1967 Incident Date: 01/20/1968 Casualty Date: 01/23/1968 Age at Loss: 22 (based on date declared dead) Location: Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam Casualty Type: Hostile, died of wounds Casualty Reason: Ground casualty Buried: Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, San Diego, CA ON THE WALL: Panel 35E Line 17 Second Lieutenant Thomas Rickard Pearson Jr died on 23 January 1968 at the age of 22 due to a mortar, rocket, or artillery incident at Quang Tri Province in South Vietnam. [Biography taken from TBS Class 1-68 at tbs1-68usmc.com/category/biographies/page/17/.] 34

37 MAJ Robert Eugene St. Peter US Army PERSONAL DATA Home of Record: Gilman, IL Date of birth: Friday, 07/21/1933 Purdue Degree: Industrial Economics 1955 (AROTC) MILITARY DATA Service: United States Army Rank at loss: Captain (Posthumous Promotion as indicated) Unit: C CO, 227TH AHB, 1 CAV DIV CASUALTY DATA Start Tour: 08/16/1965 Casualty Date: 01/29/1966 Age at Loss: 32 Remains: Body Recovered Location: Province not reported, South Vietnam Type: Hostile, Died Reason: Air Loss, Crash - Land - Helicopter Pilot Buried: Gilman Cemetery, Gilman, IL ON THE WALL: Panel 04E Line 115 Four men died when UH-1D tail number was shot down on 29 Jan 1966: C Co, 227th Ahb, 1 Cav Div, USARV MAJ Robert E. St Peter, Gilman, IL, pilot CWO Clifford C. Johnson, Fairfax, OK, copilot A Co, 4th Avn Bn, 1 Cav Div, USARV SP5 Melvin J. Stockdale, Moorhead, MN, crew chief SP4 Bob C. Hunt, Tucson, AZ, gunner Passenger SP4 R. Harris was the only survivor of the crash. A Company, 4th Aviation Battalion, was organic to the 4th Infantry Division but deployed with the 1st Cavalry Division in order to fill gaps in the 1st Cav's aviation structure. A/4th Avn returned to 4th ID control in April (Taken from the virtualwall.org.) 35

38 Col. Kenneth Dale Robinson US Air Force PERSONAL DATA Home of Record: Indianapolis, IN Date of birth: 06/30/1935 Purdue Degree: Science 1957 (FRMR) MILITARY DATA Service: United States Air Force (Regular) Rank at loss: Captain (Promoted while in MIA status) Unit: 497TH TFS, 8TH TFW, 7TH AF CASUALTY DATA Start Tour: 06/16/1966 Incident Date: 08/30/1966 Change Status: 02/02/1979 (Missing to died while missing) Age at Loss: 31 Remains: Body not recovered Repatriated: 12/15/1988 Identified: 04/18/1989 Location: Province not reported, North Vietnam Type: Hostile, died while missing Reason: Air loss or crash over land - Fixed Wing Pilot Buried: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA ON THE WALL: Panel 10E Line 057 On Aug. 30, 1966, Captain Kenneth D. Robinson and 1st Lt Sammie D. Hoff launched in an F-4C Phantom fighter/bomber (serial F-4C ) on a mission over southern North Vietnam. While over Quang Binh Province, NVN, it was hit by enemy fire. As "backseater", Hoff ejected first. Other aircraft in the area had brief radio contact with him. It is assumed, but not known, that Robinson also safely ejected. The Vietnamese denied any knowledge of Hoff or Robinson, and they were not released in 1973 when 591 American prisoners of war returned. On 03 March 1978 the Secretary of the Air Force approved a Presumptive Finding of Death for Major Sammie D. Hoff, and his status was changed to Killed in Action/Body not Recovered. Similar action was approved for Kenneth Robinson on 02 Feb Ten years later, on 18 April 1989, the Defense Department announced that remains turned over by the Vietnamese on 15 December 1988 had been positively identified as those of Sammie Don Hoff and Kenneth D. Robinson. In 1989, 23 years after he was shot down, Ken's remains were returned from North Viet Nam, and buried in Arlington with full military honors. A restored F4C Phantom has been dedicated to Ken and his copilot, and is on permanent display at the Air Museum, March AFB, California. To all of you who wore his bracelet, thought of him, and prayed for him, I thank you. [Comments from Elizabeth Robinson, Col. Robinson s wife Jul 17, 2006 and taken from 36

39 1 st Lt. Patrick R. Scully, Jr. US Marine Corp Home of Record: Chicago, IL Date of birth: 07/27/1944 Purdue Degree: Management 1966 Service Branch: United States Marine Corps Rank at loss: First Lieutenant Unit: K CO, 3RD BN, 9TH MARINES, 3RD MARDIV, III MAF Start Tour: 01/07/1968 Incident Date: 07/17/1968 Casualty Date: 07/17/1968 Age at Loss: 23 Location: Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam Casualty Type: Hostile, died outright Casualty Reason: Ground casualty Buried: Queen of Heaven Catholic Cemetery, Hillside, IL ON THE WALL: Panel W52 Line 47 The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to First Lieutenant Patrick R. Scully, Jr. (MCSN: ), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as a Platoon Commander with Company K, Third Battalion, Ninth Marines, THIRD Marine Division (Rein.), FMF, in connection with combat operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. On 17 July 1968, First Lieutenant Scully was deploying his men to establish a portion of the company defensive perimeter when he was informed of enemy activity to his immediate front. With complete disregard for his own safety, he unhesitatingly moved to a forward vantage point to pinpoint the hostile movement. When his company subsequently came under attack by an estimated North Vietnamese Army company, he steadfastly remained in his exposed position and reported the precise location and size of the enemy unit to his company commander. Undaunted by a heavy volume of hostile fire, he resolutely continued his determined efforts until he was mortally wounded. His heroic and timely actions undoubtedly prevented numerous casualties and enabled his company to subsequently repulse the enemy attack. By his courage, bold initiative and unwavering devotion to duty, First Lieutenant Scully inspired all who served with him and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country. [Taken from the vvmf.org/wall-of-faces/.] 37

40 Maj. George Craig Smith US Air Force Home of Record: St Louis, MO Date of birth: 03/06/1940 Purdue Degree: Mechanical Engineering 1962 (AFROTC) Service Branch: United States Air Force Rank at loss: First Lieutenant (Promoted while in MIA status) Unit: 615TH TAC FTR SQDN, 401ST TAC FTR WING, 13TH AF Start Tour: Not Recorded Incident Date: 04/03/1965 Casualty Date: 09/28/1973 Age at Loss: 33 (based on date declared dead) Location: Province not reported, North Vietnam Remains: Body not recovered Casualty Type: Hostile, died while missing Casualty Reason: Fixed Wing - Pilot Casualty Detail: Air loss or crash over land Buried: Arlington National Cemetery (Memorial Headstone), Arlington, VA ON THE WALL: Panel 1E Line 100 In March 1965, a decision was made to interdict the North Vietnamese rail system at the Thanh Hoa Railroad and Highway Bridge spanning the Song Ma River, 70 miles from Hanoi. This led immediately to the April 3, 1965, strike against the bridge. LTC Robinson Risner was designated overall mission coordinator for the attack. He assembled a force consisting of 79 aircraft 46 F-105's, 21 F-100's, 2 RF- 101's and 10 KC-135 tankers. The F-100's came from bases in South Vietnam, while the rest of the aircraft were from temporary duty squadrons at various Thailand bases. 1LT George C. Smith was the pilot of a USAF F-100D ( ) from the 615th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 401st Tactical Fighter Wing, 13th Air Force. He was part of a flight of three aircraft tasked with suppressing anti-aircraft batteries in the area. On his second pass, his aircraft was hit by enemy fire. The jet was too low for Smith to eject and he was killed in the crash. His remains were not recovered. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org, pownetwork.org, and the book F-100 Super Sabre Units of the Vietnam War by Peter E. Davies and David Menard] 38

41 Pfc Gary Paul Steffus US Marine Corp Home of Record: Gary, IN Date of birth: 09/07/1946 Purdue Degree: Engineering Sciences 1968 (FRMR) Service Branch: United States Marine Corps Rank at loss: Private First Class Unit: F CO, 2ND BN, 9TH MARINES, 3RD MARDIV, III MAF Start Tour: Not Recorded Incident Date: 05/31/1967 Casualty Date: 05/31/1967 Age at Loss: 20 Location: Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam Casualty Type: Hostile, died outright Casualty Reason: Ground casualty Buried: Calumet Park Cemetery, Merrillville, IN ON THE WALL: Panel 21E Line 25 39

42 SGT Donald Lynn Valentine US Army Home of Record: Lafayette, IN Date of birth: 12/02/1946 Purdue Degree: Agriculture 1969 Service Branch: United States Army Rank at loss: Sergeant Unit: D CO, 2ND BN, 506TH INFANTRY, 101ST ABN DIV, USARV Start Tour: 08/15/1970 Incident Date: 11/13/1970 Casualty Date: 11/13/1970 Age at Loss: 23 Location: Thua Thien Province, South Vietnam Casualty Type: Hostile, died outright Casualty Reason: Ground casualty Casualty Detail: Gun or small arms fire Buried: Center Cemetery, Portland, IN ON THE WALL: Panel W6 Line 58 It was 35 years ago today since our company, Delta 2/506, was ambushed on an LZ while waiting for choppers to move us to another hill. Sgt. Valentine and Sgt. William Aiken where killed and about a dozen others, including myself, were wounded. I will always remember these two heroes. I hope their families know that their memories live on with the men that served with them. [Comments from Keith Bowman, November 13, 2005, taken from the thewall-usa.com.] 40

43 LCDR Barton Scott Wade US Navy PERSONAL DATA Home of Record: Jasper, IN Date of birth: 08/26/1939 Purdue Degree: Aeronautics & Astronautics Engineering 1961 (NROTC) MILITARY DATA Service: United States Navy Rank at loss: Lieutenant Commander Unit: VA-75, CVW-3, USS SARATOGA CASUALTY DATA Start Tour: Not recorded Incident Date: 12/21/1972 Change Status: 08/24/1976 Missing to Died while Missing Age at Loss: 33 Remains: Body Recovered Repatriated: 12/04/1985 Identified: 03/07/1986 Location: Province not reported, North Vietnam Type: Hostile, Died While Missing Reason: Air Loss, Crash - Land - Fixed Wing Crew Buried: Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu, HI ON THE WALL: Panel 01W Line 102 During the "Christmas Bombing" at the end of 1972 the A-6 Intruder squadrons operating off the carriers were heavily tasked with night lowlevel bombing missions. Attack Squadron 75 embarked in USS SARATOGA launched several such strikes on the night of 21/22 December. As noted above, LCDR Robert S. Graustein, pilot, and LCDR Barton S. Wade, bombardiernavigator, in A-6A BuNo were tasked against the Kien An Airfield with a target time shortly after dusk. The Haiphong and Kien An Airfield areas were well defended by a mix of conventional and missile antiaircraft sites. The crew reported a successful drop on the target but shortly thereafter other aircrews noted an airborne explosion followed by a fire on the ground. When Graustein and Wade failed to return it was assumed that they had been lost in the target area and the crew was placed in MIA status. None of the POWs repatriated in Feb/Mar 1973 had any knowledge of the two men, and they were continued in MIA status until the Secretary of the Navy approved Presumptive Findings of Death, Graustein on 3 March 1975 and Wade on 24 Aug On 7 March 1986, the Government announced that the remains of the two aircrewmen were among a group of remains turned over by the Vietnamese government on 04 Dec [Taken from the virtualwall.org] 41