State Heroes

Captain David Allan Bujalski

Carrington, ND

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Army

Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: Headquarters Company

Battalion / Task Group / Squadron or equivalent:65th Engineer Battalion

Division / Fleet / Air Force or Equivalent:25th Infantry Division

Date of Loss: August 15, 1967 / Age: 26

On August 15, 1967, eight days after his arrival in Vietnam, while performing a helicopter-borne road reconnaissance mission he was the victim of a sniper's bullet.

Private Eugene Louis Lavoy Jr

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Marines

Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: H&S Company

Date of Loss: March 03, 1967 / Age: 20

Eugene died as a result of fragmentation wounds to the body when hostile 82MM mortar fire hit his living quarters at the Khe Sanh Combat Base.

Private First Class Kenyon Elroy Bean

Williston, ND

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Army

Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: Company A

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

Division / Fleet / Air Force or Equivalent:25th Infantry Division

Date of Loss: May 19, 1967 / Age: 20

As PFC Bean's platoon advanced, it was fired upon by a Viet Cong force estimated at battalion size. The fire came from a system of strongly fortified bunkers, and was so intense that the platoon could not maneuver.

Lance Corporal Stephen John Eichelberger

Fargo, ND

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Marines

Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: Company F

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

Division / Fleet / Air Force or Equivalent:3rd Marine Division

Date of Loss: May 16, 1967 / Age: 20

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

Specialist 4 Roy Carl Wagner

Bismarck, ND

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Army

Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: Company A

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

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

Date of Loss: October 02, 1967 / Age: 20

Killed in action in Bien Hoa, South Vietnam through hostile small arms fire. 

Constructionman Melvin Edward Johnson

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Navy

Date of Loss: October 08, 1967 / Age: 21

Died in service in Thua Thien, South Vietnam in non-hostile action in an air crash in a fixed wing. 

Private First Class David Bruce Kline

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Army

Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: Company A

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

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

Date of Loss: July 02, 1967 / Age: 18

David Kline died while missing in Binh Dinh, South Vietnam.

Private First Class James Christian Freidt

Grand Forks, ND

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Army

Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: Company C

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

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

Date of Loss: October 11, 1967 / Age: 20

Pfc. Freidt was walking "point" as his platoon moved along a trail at the base of their elevated night position when he tripped a booby-trapped grenade. He died instantly.

Staff Sergeant Ronald Leroy Kent

Page, ND

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Army

Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: Headquarters Company

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

Division / Fleet / Air Force or Equivalent:25th Infantry Division

Date of Loss: January 20, 1967 / Age: 23

Killed in Action in Binh Dinh, South Vietnam from hostile small arms fire.

Journalist 1st Class William Carl Eckes

Beach, ND

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Navy

Date of Loss: March 10, 1967 / Age: 26

JO1 Eckes had 6 years of service in the U.S. Navy, arriving in Vietnam assigned to Headquarters Naval Support Activity Saigon, U.S. Naval Forces Vietnam. A senior U.S.

Command Sergeant Major Laurence Cris Zietlow

New Salem, ND

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Army

Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: Headquarters Company

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

Date of Loss: October 03, 1967 / Age: 39

On September 17, 1967, SGM Zietlow of I Field Force and a SSG Wright from the 124th Transportation Command were mortally wounded in a terrorist attack in a Noncommissioned Officer's Club in Nha Trang, Vietnam. SGM Laurence C.

Corporal Lawrence Dean Brownotter

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Army

Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: Headquarters Company

Battalion / Task Group / Squadron or equivalent:5th Battalion

Division / Fleet / Air Force or Equivalent:9th Infantry Division

Date of Loss: November 18, 1967 / Age: 22

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

Private First Class Donald Jean Soby

Rugby, ND

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Army

Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: Company C

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

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

Date of Loss: July 07, 1967 / Age: 20

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

Specialist 5 Gerald Lee Larson

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Army

Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: 97th Transportation Company

Battalion / Task Group / Squadron or equivalent:10th Transportation Battalion

Division / Fleet / Air Force or Equivalent:124th Transportation Command

Date of Loss: February 05, 1967 / Age: 36

On February 5, 1967, Larson reportedly was sitting on a beach beside an anchor when the cable snapped, hitting him in the head. He sustained fatal injuries in the incident.

Private First Class Edward Michael Baumgartner

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Army

Date of Loss: April 27, 1967 / Age: 20

Died in service in Edgewood, Pennsylvania

Private Kenneth Leo Johner

Noonan, ND

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Marines

Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: Headquarters Company

Division / Fleet / Air Force or Equivalent:3rd Marine Division

Date of Loss: March 21, 1967 / Age: 20

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