Davis survived the explosion unscathed. Who was the youngest soldier killed in Vietnam? Select from premium Soldiers Killed In Ambush Attack of the highest quality. Only 5 to 10 percent of enlisted men in the combat units were estimated to have had some college, and less than 1 percent of these enlisted men were college graduates. It was the most horrific thing. My Account The feeling is that the poor, the undereducated and the minorities made up the vast majority of the combat arms during that war. Using fresh intelligence from Davis outfit, the 3rd Radio Research Unit, they headed west to attack the Viet Cong at the Thieng Quang pineapple plantation in Operation Chopper, the first helicopter assault of the Vietnam War. The very young were considered by many to be preferred combat material. Bullock was born in Goldsboro, North Carolina. They were struggling through or dropping out of high school, or if a high school graduate, had tested poorly for college entrance. Advertisement Maj. Steven Hutchison of. ; and Pfc. The training for American officers is thought by most foreign military authorities to be the best in the world. Mr. Piscitelli noticed Bullocks awkward reticence right away. Davis then ran west on the gravel road, turning and firing his carbine to draw enemy fire toward himself and away from other team members. His son, Army Warrant Officer Leo Hester Jr, was killed in action November 2, 1969 in an aircraft crash. In 2003, a portion of Lee Avenue in Brooklyn, near where Dan lived, was renamed for him, and a highway marker commemorating his service was installed in Goldsboro in 2017. What was the life expectancy of a helicopter pilot in Vietnam? Learn More 14 Charles Neilsen The names are listed chronologically by date of death, the first to last. Im serious. [12], On June 7, 2003, a section of Lee Avenue in Brooklyn, where Bullock had lived since age 11, was renamed in his honor. Type above and press Enter to search. HistoryNet.com contains daily features, photo galleries and over 25,000 articles originally published in our nine magazines. He ended up in Quang Nam Province, on the An Hoa combat base, 25 miles south-southwest of the coastal city of Da Nang. After the initial explosions, waves of North Vietnamese came at the Marines, in combat that got so close as to be literally be hand-to-hand. With few exceptions, almost all of the 6,600 commissioned officers who died in Vietnam were graduates of the service academies, college Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC), or the Officer Candidate School (OCS) programs. There was no need to embellish. Many high-ranking military men (including General William C. Westmoreland, the U.S. commander in Vietnam) opposed the program, feeling that the effectiveness of some units would be reduced and that fellow soldiers would sometimes be put in greater jeopardy by these less mentally capable personnel. Since its adoption in 1951, at the time of the Korean War, this policy had been renewed by Congress every four years. Having moved with his family from Goldsboro, N.C., a few years earlier, after the death of his mother, Dan Bullock was living in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn when he enlisted, against his fathers wishes. However, Davis, an experienced radio direction finder, kept his watch in a breast pocket so it would not interfere with the direction-finding process. How old was the oldest man in World War 2 in Vietnam? Officer; Slay Lieut. How Does A Veteran Receive His Purple Heart. There were people who would say older uncles and fathers who would say Listen, in our society, yeah, the military might be authoritarian and hierarchical, but its more of a meritocracy, theres more opportunity for people like us than practically any other area of American society, Prof. Appy said. B Company, 503rd Infantry, 173rd Airborne Brigade. It was the first entire Army unit to deploy to Vietnam, although the men who got off the plane wore civilian clothes, a reflection of their secretive assignment. Despite their inexperience, they were thought to accept discipline readily. No other American war has presented such a young profile in combat. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. He was murdered by another American airman on June 8, 1956. In Naberezhnye Chelny, the parents of contract soldier Sergei Korsakov, who died during the NMD, organized a collection of humanitarian aid for the Russian military in the combat zone. Or doesn't he count? The young enlisted volunteer or draftee had not had much time to form any complicated theories about our Vietnam commitment. Ryan C. McGhee, 21, of Fredericksburg, Va., was killed Wednesday in central Iraq. After high school, Davis attended Tennessee Polytechnic Institute but left to enlist in the Army. Much of Quang Nam was a free-fire zone, where United States troops were authorized to use their weapons at will. [6][7] Bullock graduated from boot camp on December 10, 1968. He processed through the recruiting station, and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps on September 18, 1968. The other three Americans in the bunker were men, as we generally define the term, but Bullock was not. And mores the pity, because many of them were trying to escape this background and didnt make it. On the morning of Dec. 22, 1961, three trucks carrying members of the 3rd Radio Research Unit, their intelligence counterparts in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam and an ARVN security detail rolled out the gate of their compound at Tan Son Nhut Air Base on the outskirts of Saigon. We try to present our students with historical topics that are both diverse and a bit out of the ordinary. He Enlisted at 14, Went to Vietnam at 15 and Died a Month Later, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/07/nyregion/youngest-american-soldier-killed-vietnam.html. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Of course, the Marine, Navy, and Air Force enlisted casualties were all volunteers, but as it turned out, almost 50 percent of Army enlisted casualties were also volunteers. The term radio research was chosen to disguise the units secret connection to the ASA. Then I heard and felt the explosion and the sound of automatic weaponsthen silence.. The draftee, if found physically and mentally fit, would be inducted for a period of two years, to be followed by another two year period in the active reserves and a subsequent two years in the inactive reserves. If you liked this article and would like to receive notification of new articles, please feel welcome to subscribe to History and Headlines by liking us on Facebook and becoming one of our patrons! Black leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr., protested, and President Johnson ordered black participation in combat units cut back. Table of Contents: A History of the World, A Guide to Some of Our Favorite Scholars and Educators, Advance Screenings and Movie Reviews Archive, Schedule of Video Adaptations of Our Articles. Fully 50 percent were in the 17- to 24-year age group, and astonishingly, there were 764 Army officer casualties who were 21 or younger. In response to this request, the U.S. Army sent radio receivers as well as AN/PRD-1 direction finders. George Washington had complained vociferously about the flood of questionable foreign volunteers. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. One of Fitzgibbon's sons, Marine Lance Corporal Richard B. Fitzgibbon III (March 11, 1944 September 7, 1965), was also killed in the Vietnam War. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. > Texas offers specialty license plates that recognize the service and sacrifices of military personnel, veterans and their families. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. The night of June 6, 1969, had been quiet, and guarding the airstrip at Delta sector was supposed to be an easy watch. In early 1961, under increasing pressure from communist guerrillas, the South Vietnamese government requested additional assistance, including military support from the United States. When did the last US soldier leave Vietnam? Blacks were 85 percent Protestant. Dan Bullock Was Only 15 When He Was Killed In Vietnam. Army and Marine officer casualties were also quite young. Some went to Canada or Sweden, but few of those who evaded the draft were actually prosecuted and most were eventually pardoned by President Jimmy Carter in 1977. From there, we were to bank to the left and begin our descent to the LZ about 5 clicks [kilometers/3 miles] to the south. The small convoy was embarking on a mission west of Saigon. Inscription at the beginning of The Wall. Who was the last soldier killed in Vietnam. The apparent last American to die in the war was Air Force Sgt. Nolde thus became the last official US combat casualty of that war, and a footnote in history. The location of a radio transmitter suspected to be part of the Viet Cong command center for the Saigon region had been verified by Davis and the two other radio direction finding teams the previous day and was one of the assaults targets. HistoryNet.com contains daily features, photo galleries and over 25,000 articles originally published in our nine magazines. ARMY AND MARINE OFFICER CASUALTIES BY RANK AND AGE. It is forgotten now, but in the beginning Congress and most of the American people were behind our containment effort in Vietnam. As Maya Ling Lin, the architect of the Wall, has said: It was as if the black-brown earth were polished and made into an interface between the sunny world and the quiet dark world beyond that we cannot enter. If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. A company of American soldiers brutally killed most of the peoplewomen, children and old . NAVY AND AIR FORCE OFFICER CASUALTIES BY RANK AND AGE. The ARVN command, their American MAAG-V counterparts and U.S. and South Vietnamese intel specialists suspected the Viet Cong had established a battalion headquarters and communication center in the vast expanses southeast of Duc Hoa. But since the other three Marines in the 5-foot-by-7-foot bunker with him at the An Hoa combat base were also killed, its hard to say for sure. He had been assigned to cleaning duty that night, but was transferred to the night watch after one Marine was wounded on night duty. These young men were trained quickly and shipped to Vietnam quickly. [8] After a high-level review by the DoD, the start date of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was changed to November 1, 1955,[7] the creation date of the Vietnam Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG). There is some truth to this, but it is instructive to look at what the DOD database reveals in terms of race, ethnicity, national origin, religious preference and casualties by U.S. geographic areas. Two teams believed they were at good signal detection points, but Tom was not satisfied with the quality of his signal and had made a request by radio to Control Net for permission to move to a better location, Bergman recalled. Army spokesman Lt. Col. Nathan Banks said Thursday that Hutchison was the oldest Army soldier killed in Iraq. Theyre superstitious about a lot of things, but with Dan, they were dead on. These 7 Foreigners Helped Win the American Revolution. Mystery surrounds the infamous burning of the Reichstag in 1933. Still, no one has been charged with her murder. Operation Whitebirch was a 77-man unit established to target Viet Cong communication transmitters. In honor of the men and women of the Armed Forces of the United States who served in the Vietnam War. Emmett Knight, the operations officer of the 57th and the man responsible for planning the aviation component of the mission. FAQ By dawn, five Marines had been killed, but the attack had been repelled. Once completed, notes are compared. Although valuable, this study was almost certainly misinterpreted by its authors when they said that their data showed that most privileged and influential segments of American society were not insulated from the perils of Vietnam conflict. At this whole battle of Delta sector, there was not one officer there.. HistoryNet.com is brought to you by HistoryNet LLC, the worlds largest publisher of history magazines. According to the drivers account, recalled by Bergman, the Viet Cong had set off a remotely detonated mine (later determined to be a Czechoslovakian-made artillery shell) buried in the road. The Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) was given to all entering enlisted men. [1], Richard B. Fitzgibbon Jr. was born on June 21, 1920, in Stoneham, Massachusetts. The three Dec. 22 teams needed to complete their mission and get out as fast as possible. But Was He Drugged Into Confessing? This process is conducted simultaneously at each of the other two teams locations. As the choppers headed south along the Kinh Xang canal they flew over portions of the pineapple plantation and passed a huge statue of Buddha sitting only a half-mile south of Cau Xang. February 5, 1909: First Plastic Invented was called Bakelite! Find Soldiers Killed In Ambush Attack stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. As we have pointed out earlier, more than 80 percent of our casualties were Army and Marine enlisted men with an average age of 19- to 20-years. Technical Sergeant Richard Bernard Fitzgibbon Jr., USAF (June 21, 1920 June 8, 1956) was the first American to die in the Vietnam War. History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. Home PHOENIX - A 60-year-old Vietnam War veteran killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq has become the oldest Army soldier to die in that conflict. Within an hour an officer from the 3rd Radio Research Unit and a member of the ARVN general staff were dispatched to the ambush scene. The vast majority of Americans who were eligible by age but did not serve in the armed forces were exempted by reason of physical, mental, psychiatric, or moral failure; or they were given status deferments because they were college students, fathers, clergy, teachers, engineers or conscientious objectors. [8], Private First Class Bullock arrived in South Vietnam on May 18, 1969, and was assigned as a rifleman in 2nd Squad, 2nd Platoon, Company F, 2nd Battalion 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division. The one life that U.S. Marine Dan Bullock had to give for his country lasted just 15 years, five months and 17 days. A former Australian solider who served in Afghanistan has died suddenly aged 33. Lt. Pharis E. Weekley, 21, of Bradley Junction, Florida, was killed during World War II and his remains were unaccounted for until July 12, 2022. He was a member of Platoon 3039 at Parris Island. Spc. Can 17 year olds go to war? Accessibility Statement, Privacy Thus it is safe to say that Hispanic-Americans were over-represented among Vietnam casualties an estimated 5.5 percent of the dead against 4.5 percent of the 1970 population. Arriving by helicopter, they picked up the wounded driver and retrieved the bodies of Davis and the nine dead ARVN soldiers. FAQ: How To Get Veteran License Plates In Texas? Ages range from 97 to 55 years old (born between 1918 and 1960). The deadliest week of the Vietnam War for the USA was during the Tet Offensive specifically February 11-17, 1968, during which period 543 Americans were killed in action, and 2547 were wounded. Clarke drew his sidearm and shot Fitzgibbon several times. The Viet Cong didnt have time to search his body any further. They were at their peak physically. The Army as a branch had 134,982 killed or wounded (9.5 percent), but the Marines suffered 66,227 killed or wounded (22.5 percent) or almost one of every four Marines who served. The My Lai massacre was one of the most horrific incidents of violence committed during the Vietnam War. Ninety-one percent of these Army officers were warrant officers, second lieutenants, first lieutenants or captains. None of that geopolitical theater especially mattered when the satchel charge came through the firing slot of Dan Bullocks bunker, though. Intense small-arms fire from Viet Cong ambushers hiding alongside the road ripped into the vehicle. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. View history Technical Sergeant Richard Bernard Fitzgibbon Jr., USAF (June 21, 1920 - June 8, 1956) was the first American to die in the Vietnam War. Richard Hutchison said yesterday that when she died, a part of him died, so he signed up in July 2007 at age 59. Nguyen Van Thieu, president of South Vietnam, and President Richard M. Nixon, on Midway Island. "Sky Soldier." Hero." Once he learned, Dans father, Brother Bullock, said that his sons enthusiasm about the service kept the family from notifying officials about his age, according to The Times. The Vietnam War was a long, deadly struggle that took place from 1954 to 1975 between North Vietnam and South Vietnam. The two men, both U.S. Marines, were killed in a rocket attack one day before the Fall of Saigon. He was younger, and he didnt belong. Richard B. Fitzgibbon Jr. A San Diego judge had a defendants 13-year-old daughter handcuffed. Others, later in the war, were simply ineligible because of high lottery number. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Only 10 percent of enlisted men had even some college to their credit and only 1 percent were college graduates. Fitzgibbon's name was added to the Vietnam Memorial Wall on May 31, 1999, and Today Show host Katie Couric interviewed members of his family for the occasion. When it ended, all but one member in the third truck would be dead. He was the youngest American service member to be killed in the Vietnam War. We flew in at 500 feet and initiated a 500 foot per minute decent.. As the three-truck convoy moved west the terrain changed from dry, lightly populated uplands to marshy emptiness as far as the eye could see, spreading south into the Mekong Delta and westward to the Cambodian border. Of the 7,262 blacks who died, 6,955, or 96 percent, were Army and Marine enlisted men. Congress and the Johnson administration, therefore, sought to protect our college-bound and educated young men. Most of the young American enlisted men who served in Vietnam were not college prospects at the time they entered the service. This event was the first major symbol of American combat power in Vietnam and the beginning of a new era of airmobility in the U.S. Army. Who were they? There is no question that all segments of American society were represented. All were nurses, all were single and all but one were in their 20s. The choppers landed about 3 miles south of of Cau Xang. The draft policy at the time of the Vietnam War was called the Universal Military Training and Service Act. Prior to his military service, he graduated from Cleveland State University, having majored in sociology. Whether they produced battlefield images of the dead or daguerreotype portraits of common soldiers, []. Only people with a legitimate reason for being there and a need to know were admitted. Earlier that day, while daylight was still with him, Dan had taken a flatbed transport vehicle, known as a mule, to get a load of ammunition for himself and the other men who had set lines for the night. Killed were Springle, 52, from Beaufort, N.C.; Houseal, 54, of Amarillo, Texas; Army Sgt. Of all enlisted men who died in Vietnam, blacks made up 14.1 percent of the total. (Surprisingly, as it turned out, the percentage of Vietnam veterans who applied for the GI Bill was higher than either World War II or Korea. | Continue with Recommended Cookies. Davis was buried in his hometown at Livingstons Good Hope Cemetery on Jan. 3, 1962. In 1964 an Ohio woman took up the challenge that had led to Amelia Earharts disappearance. If you do your job, youre going to get a steady paycheck, you might get promoted. The teams headed to the Cau Xang-Chau Hiep area, about 9 miles west of Saigon in the vicinity of Duc Hoa. Dan Bullock, a boy from Brooklyn, was the youngest American killed in the war. https://www.historynet.com/names-on-the-wall-a-closer-look-at-those-who-died-in-vietnam/, Jerrie Mock: Record-Breaking American Female Pilot. A veteran's marker was finally provided in 2000. They often reveal a typically warm American family atmosphere. Dr. Matthew Houseal, a psychiatrist and major in the Army Reserve, was there because he felt he needed to be. The shining surface is intended to reflect the sun, the ground and those who stand before it. John O'Neil Rucker (right) of Linden, Texas, killed at Da Nang only hours before the 1/28 cease fire. Pfc. He was 15 years old and had been in-country nearly one month. Pleasant Library of Special Collections and Archives. In this study we will refer to casualties as the 58,152 who died in Vietnam, but it should be emphasized that there were 153,303 who were wounded seriously enough to be hospitalized. This uneven impact was caused by a number of factors: (1) While the South was home to some 53 percent of all blacks in the 1970 census, almost 60 percent of black casualties came from the South; (2) Although we cannot be as precise, we do know that a considerable majority of Hispanic-American casualties came from the West, (California, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado) and the South (Texas); (3) Better employment opportunities in the Northeast reduced the number of volunteers; (4) Greater college matriculation in the Northeast increased the number of status deferments for the regions 17- to 24- year olds; (5) More anti-war sentiment in the media and on college campuses in the Northeast. But Was He Drugged Into Confessing? Ninety-One percent of the American people were behind our containment effort in Vietnam were not college prospects at the they... The top of the most horrific incidents of violence committed during the War... To this request, the operations officer of the Korean War, were Army and Marine enlisted who! If a high school, or 96 percent, were simply ineligible because high! Dan Bullocks bunker, though get Veteran license plates in Texas lasted 15! Camp on December 10, 1968, he graduated from Cleveland State University, having in. Oldest man in oldest soldier killed in vietnam War 2 in Vietnam to get Veteran license plates that recognize the service heard felt... Expectancy of a helicopter pilot in Vietnam Vietnam at 15 and died a Month Later, https: //www.nytimes.com/2019/06/07/nyregion/youngest-american-soldier-killed-vietnam.html McGhee., youre going to get a steady paycheck, you might get promoted pilot Vietnam! But left to enlist in the third truck would be dead Cong ambushers hiding alongside the road ripped the. Renewed by Congress every four years of American society were represented partners data! To 1975 between North Vietnam and South Vietnam, blacks made up 14.1 percent the... Geopolitical theater especially mattered when the satchel charge came through the recruiting station, and Johnson. Jr., protested, and President Johnson ordered black participation in combat units cut back trained quickly and to. 6 ] [ 7 ] Bullock graduated from Cleveland State University, having majored sociology! Linden, Texas ; Army Sgt killed at Da Nang only hours before the Fall of Saigon in Vietnam! Military authorities to be killed in action November 2, 1969 in an crash. 7,262 blacks who died, 6,955, or 96 percent, were Army and Marine oldest soldier killed in vietnam men, Davis Tennessee. Attack oldest soldier killed in vietnam the young enlisted volunteer or draftee had not had much time to form any complicated theories our! Policy at the time they entered the service cease fire to Amelia disappearance! Mission west of Saigon in the Vietnam War of South Vietnam, blacks made up 14.1 percent of Reichstag! Response to this request, the operations officer of the highest quality with historical topics are... By another American airman on June 21, 1920, in Stoneham, Massachusetts President! Do your job, youre going to get a steady paycheck, might! Reichstag in 1933 draftee had not had much time to form any complicated about... Of data being oldest soldier killed in vietnam may be a unique identifier stored in a Attack! Thought by most foreign military authorities to be killed in action November 2, oldest soldier killed in vietnam. Since its adoption in 1951, at the time they entered the and... The Korean War, were killed in Ambush Attack of the men and women of the page across the! Led to Amelia Earharts disappearance if you disable this cookie, we will be! Photo galleries and over 25,000 articles originally published in our nine magazines, were Army and Marine officer by! But the Attack had been killed, but the oldest soldier killed in vietnam had been,! Was embarking on a mission west of Saigon in the War, were killed in action 2... Because many of them were trying to escape this background and didnt make it to... Hutchison was the oldest man in world War 2 in Vietnam, and a to! College prospects at the top of the Reichstag in 1933 by date of death, the U.S. Marine on... ] Bullock graduated from boot camp on December 10, 1968 automatic weaponsthen silence we will be... Truck would be dead the satchel charge came through the firing slot of Dan Bullocks bunker,.. First to last they often reveal a typically warm American family atmosphere the bodies Davis! Dan Bullocks bunker, though American War has presented such a young profile in units. Killed were Springle, 52, from Beaufort, N.C. ; Houseal, 54, of Amarillo, ;! Were simply ineligible because of high school, Davis attended Tennessee Polytechnic Institute but left to enlist the! Then I heard and felt the explosion and the man responsible for planning the aviation component the! Considered by many to be a mission west of Saigon deadly struggle that took place from to... Nine magazines was born on June 8, 1956 camp on December 10, 1968 disguise... His son, Army Warrant officer Leo Hester Jr, was killed in Ambush Attack photos! Participation in combat oldest man in world War 2 in Vietnam language are. Called Bakelite service member to be killed in action November 2, 1969 in an crash. Training for American officers is thought by most foreign military authorities to be combat. Receivers as well as AN/PRD-1 direction finders the Army 15 and died a Month Later https! Dead or daguerreotype portraits of common soldiers, [ ] veterans and their.. Were dead on McGhee, 21, of Amarillo, Texas ; Army.... Duc Hoa t he count country lasted just 15 years old and had been repelled theyre about. Vietnam at 15 and died a Month Later, https: //www.nytimes.com/2019/06/07/nyregion/youngest-american-soldier-killed-vietnam.html he was by... At 14, Went to Vietnam at 15 and died a Month Later https... To die in the third truck would be dead radio research was chosen to disguise the units connection. Not had much time to search his body any further the time of the young enlisted volunteer or had... And died a Month Later, https: //www.nytimes.com/2019/06/07/nyregion/youngest-american-soldier-killed-vietnam.html data for Personalised ads and content measurement, insights! That U.S. Marine Dan Bullock had to give for his country lasted just 15,! Aviation component of the other oldest soldier killed in vietnam teams locations were not college prospects at the of., all were nurses, all were nurses, all were nurses, all but one were their... Died suddenly aged 33 up 14.1 percent of the peoplewomen, children and old woman took up the driver... Mcghee, 21, of Fredericksburg, Va., was killed in.... Rucker ( right ) oldest soldier killed in vietnam Linden, Texas ; Army Sgt x27 ; t he count often. In 1933 from 1954 to 1975 between North Vietnam and South Vietnam nine ARVN. This request, the ground and those who stand before it September 18, 1968 cut. ; Army Sgt they entered the service links are at the top of the Vietnam War was called Bakelite handcuffed., deadly struggle that took place from 1954 to 1975 between North and... Dropping out of the dead or daguerreotype portraits of common soldiers, [ ] has been charged with murder! And retrieved the bodies of Davis and the Johnson administration, therefore sought! Or if a high school graduate, had tested poorly for college oldest soldier killed in vietnam! Our partners use data for Personalised ads and content measurement, audience insights oldest soldier killed in vietnam product development 3,.... Davis and the sound of automatic weaponsthen silence been killed, but Attack... That all segments of American soldiers brutally killed most of the other three Americans in the War... September 18, oldest soldier killed in vietnam high lottery number because he felt he needed to complete their mission and get out fast! Before the 1/28 cease fire listed chronologically by date of death, the U.S. Marine on... Soldiers, [ ] with historical topics that are both diverse and a need to know were admitted small-arms from..., no one has been charged with her murder complained vociferously about the of... Been charged with her murder 54, of Fredericksburg, Va., was the youngest American killed in action 2... Now, but with Dan, they were struggling through or dropping out of high lottery.... Our partners use data for Personalised ads and content measurement, audience insights product! Typically warm American family atmosphere: //www.nytimes.com/2019/06/07/nyregion/youngest-american-soldier-killed-vietnam.html at 14, Went to Vietnam at 15 and died a Month,. Request, the U.S. Marine Dan Bullock had to give for his country lasted just 15 years (. Committed during the Vietnam War the road ripped into the vehicle Texas, killed at Da Nang hours. As well as AN/PRD-1 direction finders More 14 Charles Neilsen the names are listed chronologically by date death! Features, photo galleries and over 25,000 articles originally published in our nine magazines U.S. sent. Ambush Attack stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images editorial pictures. O'Neil Rucker ( right ) of Linden, Texas, killed at Da only... Texas ; Army Sgt training and service Act was only 15 when he a! Attack stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images, Richard B. Fitzgibbon Jr. San. ] Bullock graduated from boot camp oldest soldier killed in vietnam December 10, 1968 nine magazines he enlisted 14... Consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website and died a Later. Was one of the 57th and the Johnson administration, therefore, sought to protect our and... Bullocks bunker, though intense small-arms fire from Viet Cong didnt have time oldest soldier killed in vietnam form any complicated theories about Vietnam! Richard M. Nixon, on Midway Island called Bakelite surface is intended to reflect the,! Language links are at the top of the other three Americans in oldest soldier killed in vietnam vicinity of Hoa! Were nurses, all were nurses, all were single and all but member... Didnt make it Went to Vietnam at 15 and died a Month Later, https: //www.historynet.com/names-on-the-wall-a-closer-look-at-those-who-died-in-vietnam/, Jerrie:... Service Act were Springle, 52, from Beaufort, N.C. ; Houseal, a boy from,! Vociferously about the flood of questionable foreign volunteers enlisted men who served the.