State Heroes

First Lieutenant Lowell Eugene Harms

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Army

Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: Company C

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

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

Date of Loss: December 03, 1966 / Age: 26

Killed in action in Quang Tri, South Vietnam in hostile action by multiple fragmentation wounds. 

Major Martin William Steen

Grand Forks, ND

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Air Force

Battalion / Task Group / Squadron or equivalent:469th Tactical Fighter Squadron

Division / Fleet / Air Force or Equivalent:7th Air Force

Date of Loss: May 31, 1966 / Age: 37

In , NORTH VIETNAM
Hostile, died while missing, FIXED WING - PILOT
AIR LOSS, CRASH ON LAND

From DPAA:

Lance Corporal Michael Henry Kessel

Dickinson, ND

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Marines

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

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

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

Date of Loss: September 03, 1966 / Age: 19

Lance Corporal Kessel was killed in action in Quang Nam, South Vietnam by hostile explosive device.

Private First Class Randolph Scott Hutchinson

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Marines

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

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

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

Date of Loss: December 30, 1966 / Age: 21

Upon arriving in Vietnam, Randolph was assigned to H & S Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division.

Specialist 4 Richard Denzil Gill Jr

Williston, ND

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Army

Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: Company B

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

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

Date of Loss: July 21, 1966 / Age: 19

On July 21, 1966, Companies A and B and the Recon Platoon of 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry, departed Cu Chi Base Camp for a search and destroy operation in the western end of the Filhol Rubber Plantation in Binh Duong Province, RVN.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Thomas Edmund Spitzer

Baldwin, ND

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Navy

Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: USS Oriskany

Date of Loss: October 26, 1966 / Age: 25

At 0728 26 October fire broke out in a forward magazine and raged through 5 decks, claiming the lives of 44 sailors. Many of those killed were veteran combat pilots who, a few hours earlier, had flown on raids over Vietnam.

Specialist 4 Duane Alan Waklee

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Army

Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: Headquarters Company

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

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

Date of Loss: May 22, 1966 / Age: 25

Killed in action in Tay Ninh, South Vietnam in hostile action by multiple fragmentation wounds. 

Specialist 5 John Vilnis Raaum

La Moure, ND

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Army

Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: Company C

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

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

Date of Loss: July 09, 1966 / Age: 27

Died in service in Quang Tri, South Vietnam through non-hostile action that was reported as accidental self-inflicted injury.

Captain Richard Thomas Perrin

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Army

Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: Troop C

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

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

Date of Loss: June 27, 1966 / Age: 24

On June 27, 1966, a U.S. Army helicopter UH-1B (tail number 64-14047) from the 161st Aviation Company and a U.S.

Captain Lawrence Alan Britton

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 Cavalry Division

Date of Loss: March 30, 1966 / Age: 25

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

Specialist 4 Irvin Dale Knippelberg

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Army

Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: Company C

Battalion / Task Group / Squadron or equivalent:4th Battalion

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

Date of Loss: May 19, 1966 / Age: 27

Irvin Knippelberg was Killed in Action through hostile small arms fire in South Vietnam.

Private Thomas Allyn Weller

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Army

Date of Loss: July 09, 1966 / Age: 21

Died while in service.

Private First Class Leonard Joseph Kroshus

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Marines

Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: Company G

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

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

Date of Loss: May 31, 1966 / Age: 19

Killed in action in Quang Nam, South Vietnam in hostile action by an explosive device. 

Specialist 4 Merlyn Arnold Fraedrick

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Army

Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: Headquarters Company

Date of Loss: August 28, 1966 / Age: 21

Died in service in Frankfurt, Germany

Lance Corporal Allan James Korom

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Marines

Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: Headquarters Battery

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

Date of Loss: May 22, 1966 / Age: 19

West of Da Nang, in the Hoa Van District of Quang Nam Province a vehicle overturned resulting in the death of two Marines, one of the casualties was Lance Corporal Korom from the injuries he sustained.

Staff Sergeant Herbert Lapp

Vietnam Conflict

Branch of Service: Army

Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: Company B

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

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

Date of Loss: July 03, 1966 / Age: 43

Staff Sergeant Lapp was killed in action in Pleiku, South Vietnam from hostile small arms fire.