State Heroes

Private First Class Larry Sterl Poling

Fargo, ND

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Army

Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: Company D

Battalion / Task Group / Squadron or equivalent:2nd Battalion

Division / Fleet / Air Force or Equivalent:1st Cavalry Division (Air Mobile)

Date of Loss: October 20, 1969 / Age: 20

Killed in action in Tay Ninh, South Vietnam through hostile small arms fire. 

1st Lieutenant Roger Douglas Knudtson

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Marines

Date of Loss: February 04, 1969 / Age: 24

Roger was in a UH-34D helicopter that collided in mid-air with another UH-34D and he died as a result of multiple injuries when the UH-34D
crashed and burned. 

Private First Class Richard Allen Buringrud

Argusville, ND

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Army

Battalion / Task Group / Squadron or equivalent:2nd Battalion

Division / Fleet / Air Force or Equivalent:1st Cavalry Division (Air Mobile)

Date of Loss: June 09, 1969 / Age: 22

In Tay Ninh, South Vietnam
Hostile, Ground Casualty
Multiple fragmentation wounds

Staff Sergeant Ward Cecil Evans

Harwood, ND

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Army

Battalion / Task Group / Squadron or equivalent:1st Battalion

Division / Fleet / Air Force or Equivalent:5th Infantry Division (Mechanized)

Date of Loss: February 08, 1969 / Age: 28

Military Region 1, In Quang Tri, South Vietnam

Hostile, ground casualty
Gun, small arms fire

Specialist 4 Robert Leo Kraft

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Army

Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: Company B

Battalion / Task Group / Squadron or equivalent:2nd Battalion

Division / Fleet / Air Force or Equivalent:101st Airborne Division

Date of Loss: August 05, 1969 / Age: 19

Specialist 4 Kraft was killed in action by hostile small arms fire in Thua Thien, South Vietnam. 

Sergeant Robert Eugene Schmitz

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Army

Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: Company D

Battalion / Task Group / Squadron or equivalent:1st Battalion

Division / Fleet / Air Force or Equivalent:4th Infantry Division

Date of Loss: September 16, 1969 / Age: 25

Killed in action in Pleiku, South Vietnam in hostile action in small arms fire. 

Staff Sergeant Leon David Cox

Jamestown, ND

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Army

Battalion / Task Group / Squadron or equivalent:8th Battalion

Division / Fleet / Air Force or Equivalent:1st Infantry Division

Date of Loss: May 17, 1969 / Age: 35

Killed in action in Binh Duong, South Vietnam in hostile action by an explosive device. 

Staff Sergeant James Claire Kopseng

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Army

Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: Company D

Battalion / Task Group / Squadron or equivalent:1st Battalion

Division / Fleet / Air Force or Equivalent:4th Infantry Division

Date of Loss: May 14, 1969 / Age: 21

Sergeant Kopseng was Killed in Action by a hostile explosive device in Pleiku, South Vietnam.

Warrant Officer James Kenneth McAleer III

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Army

Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: 147th Aviation Company

Date of Loss: August 22, 1968 / Age: 22

Warrant Officer James Kenneth McAleer III, 22, son of James K. Jr. and Audrey McAleer of Steele, North Dakota, died recently when his helicopter crashed and burned in South Vietnam.

1st Lieutenant David Jon Nesset

Fargo, ND

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Army

Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: Company B

Battalion / Task Group / Squadron or equivalent:229th Assault Helicopter Battalion

Division / Fleet / Air Force or Equivalent:1st Calvary Division

Date of Loss: April 19, 1968 / Age: 26

On April 19, 1968, an aircraft from B Company, 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Air Cavalry Division, was the lead ship on a combat assault into A Shau Valley.

First Lieutenant Durwood Wayne Verrett

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Army

Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: Company D

Battalion / Task Group / Squadron or equivalent:1st Battalion

Division / Fleet / Air Force or Equivalent:20th Infantry Division

Date of Loss: May 09, 1968 / Age: 24

Killed in action in Quang Nam, South Vietnam through hostile action by small arms fire. 

Private First Class Ralph Charles McCowan

Trenton, ND

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Army

Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: Battery C

Battalion / Task Group / Squadron or equivalent:2nd Battalion

Division / Fleet / Air Force or Equivalent:1st Field Force

Date of Loss: April 03, 1968 / Age: 19

Killed in action in Binh Dinh, South Vietnam from hostile multiple fragmentation wounds. 

Sergeant Richard Frank Triske

Grand Forks, ND

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Marines

Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: Company I

Battalion / Task Group / Squadron or equivalent:3rd Battalion

Division / Fleet / Air Force or Equivalent:1st Marine Division

Date of Loss: June 02, 1968 / Age: 19

Walking towards their destination north of Da Hoa hamlet in Dien Ban District Sgt Triske, the squad leader stepped on a buried pressure switch that detonated a 20 lb. enemy box mine that was planted beside the road.

Private Gary John Hoffert

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Army

Division / Fleet / Air Force or Equivalent:82nd Airborne Division

Date of Loss: September 30, 1968 / Age: 20

Died in service in Fort Bragg, North Carolina

Seaman Mitchel Carey Hansey

Scranton, ND

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Navy

Date of Loss: December 14, 1968 / Age: 21

Died in service in Dinh Tuong, South Vietnam when he drowned while missing. 

Sergeant Bernard Goudreau

Vietnam Conflict, World War II (WWII)

Branch of Service: Army

Date of Loss: July 31, 1969 / Age: 46

Died in service in Washington, D.C.