We Were Soldiers Once . . . and Young
Page 1
We Were Soldiers
Once … and Young
Ia Drang—the Battle That
Changed the War in Vietnam
Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore (Ret.) and Joseph L. Galloway
Dedicated to the memory of these brave soldiers who gave their lives for their country and for the men who fought beside them in the Pleiku campaign in October and November 1965:
1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry
Headquarters Company
THOMAS C. METSKER
Indianapolis, Indiana
WILLIAM B. MITCHELL
Chester, Pennsylvania
CALVIN BOUKNIGHT
Washington, D.C.
Alpha Company
JACK E. GELL
Montmorenci, South Carolina
ROBERT E.TAFT
Highland Park, Illinois
BILLY R. ELLIOTT
Heavener, Oklahoma
RAMON BERNARD
Mayaguez, Puerto Rico
TRAVIS O. POSS
Brook Park, Ohio
ALEXANDER WILLIAMS
Jacksonville, Florida
RAFAEL A. BERLANGA
New York, New York
ALBERT WITCHER
Pittsylvania, Virginia
JOHN F. BRENNAN
Braddock, Pennsylvania
GAIL L. DAVIS
Nottinghill, Missouri
ROBERT L. MOORE
Montgomery, Alabama
Bravo Company
HENRY T. HERRICK
Laguna Beach, California
CARL L. PALMER
Pelham, Georgia
WILBUR CURRY, JR.
Buffalo, New York
ROBERT L. STOKES
Salt Lake City, Utah
BERNARD BIRENBAUM
New York, New York
JOHNNIE L. BOSWELL
Eatonton, Georgia
DOMINIC A. DE ANGELIS
Cambria Heights, New York
ROBERT M. HILL
Starkville, Mississippi
DONALD B. RODDY
Ann Arbor, Michigan
PAUL E. HURDLE
Washington, D.C.
JAMES R. HINES
Chicago, Illinois
RICHARD C. CLARK
Kankakee, Illinois
Charlie Company
JOHN L. GEOGHEGAN
Redding, Connecticut
NEIL A. KROGER
Oak Park, Illinois
THOMAS J. BARRETT, JR.
Many, Louisiana
ANTONIO BERNARD-ROBLES
New York, New York
SIDNEY COHEN
Carnden, New Jersey
ABRAHAM L. FIELDS
Spring Lake, North Carolina
JEREMIAH JIVENS
Savannah, Georgia
ROY LOCKHART
Vallejo, California
PARIS D. DUSCH
Carrollton, Kentucky
CARL E. HARRIS
Rock Hill, South Carolina
CHARLES E. HERRINGTON
Texas City, Texas
HERMON R. HOSTUTTLER
Terra Alta, West Virginia
JAMES D. SMITH
Altoona, Alabama
REGINALD A. WATKINS
Charlotte, North Carolina
NATHANIEL BYRD
Jacksonville, Florida
LEOC. CHASE, JR.
St. Augustine, Florida
ROBERTA. DAVIS
Oxford, Pennsylvania
RONALD D. FERGUSON
San Francisco, California
GEORGE FOXE
Rocky Mount, North Carolina
EARL C. GRAHAM
Charleston, South Carolina
BOBBY JOE HAMES
Blacksburg, South Carolina
DONALD L. HARRISON
Rockport, Indiana
DOUGLAS H. LEACH
Atlanta, Georgia
ROBERT L. LEWIS
Hopewell, Virginia
DONNELL PHILLIPS
Smithville, Texas
EDDIE L. POUGH
Columbus, Georgia
ALBERT W. SONNIER
Baytown, Texas
THOMAS E. TUCKER
Richton, Mississippi
WILLIAM T. VICTORY
Weirwood, Virginia
IVORY WARD, JR.
St. Louis, Missouri
DAVID J. CARNEVALE
Woodside, California
RALPH W. CARTWRIGHT
Virginia Beach, Virginia
CHARLEY H. COLLIER
Mount Pleasant, Texas
WILLIE F. GODBOLDT
Jacksonville, Florida
JOHN E. HIGMAN
Bellingham, Washington
SAMUEL L. MCDONALD
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
LEONARD W. SRAL
Hastings, Pennsylvania
RICHARD TESTA
New York, New York
LUTHER V. GILREATH
Surgoinsville, Tennessee
RICHARD B. BRADLEY
Wampsville, New York
FRED D. WITCHET
Houston, Texas
THOMAS C. PIZZINO
Hopedale, Ohio
Delta Company
GILBERT NICKLAS
Niagara Falls, New York
ROBERT GOMEZ
Los Angeles, California
HILARIO DE LA PAZ, JR.
Houston, Texas
2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry
Headquarters Company
THOMAS E. BURLILE
London, Ohio
HAROLD D. MCCARN
Lexington, North Carolina
CHARLES W. BASS
Winterset, Iowa
MELVIN W. GUNTER
Vincent, Alabama
CHARLES W. STOREY
Birmingham, Alabama
FRED H. JENKINS
Frogmore, South Carolina
CHARLES T. MOORE, JR.
Columbus, Ohio
DONALD C. PETERSON
Chicago, Illinois
CHARLIE ANDERS
Leckie, West Virginia
CHARLES A. COLLINS
Holly Springs, North Carolina
GERALD A. KOSAKOWSKI
Lincoln Park, Michigan
DAVID L. MENDOZA
Cleveland, Ohio
WILLIAM A. PLEASANT
Jersey City, New Jersey
ELWOOD W. DAVIS, JR.
Salineville, Ohio
JAMES E. HOLDEN
Millsboro, Delaware
ALPHA R. JACKSON
Houston, Texas
KENNETH C. BOLICH
Auburn, Pennsylvania
Alpha Company
WILLIAM A. FERRELL
Stanton, Tennessee
JAMES L. FISHER
Dallas, Texas
LEROYIRELAND
Athens, Georgia
MEGDELIO CARABALLO-GARCIA
Youco, Puerto Rico
RONALD R. MARTIN
Erie, Pennsylvania
GLENN E. MCCAMMON
Woodsfield, Ohio
PAUL E. TOLBERT
Williams, Indiana
LAVINE J. BANKS
New Orleans, Louisiana
GERALD B. EVANS
Junction City, Kansas
THOMAS JAMES
Jamaica, New York
WILBERT H. JOHNSON
Morgantown, West Virginia
ROGER A. STONE
Parish, Alabama
NEOPOLIS WIGFALL
Fruitland, Maryland
OSCAR BARKER, JR.
Metter; Georgia
ROLLIE L. BOLDEN
Albany, Oregon
BARRY T. BURNITE
Springfield, Pennsylvania
CHARLES E. COX
Lexington, Alabama
JERRY A. HIEMER
Memphis, Tennessee
RAMON KUILAN-OLIVERAS
Bayamon, Puerto Rico
MICHAEL MILLER
Peru, Indiana
ROBERT S. SHRIVER, JR.
Eugene, Oregon
MIGUEL D. VERA-DURAN
San Sebastian, Puerto Rico
GORDON P. YOUNG
Drakes Branch, Virginia
JIMMIE W. BARTON
Onaka, South Dakota
DENNIS W. BLACK
Laotto, Indiana
THOMAS G. BRANDES
Silver Lake, Wisconsin
WILLIAM R. BURTON, JR.
Orange, New Jersey
DANNY E. CARLTON
Greenfield, Tennessee
TOMMY A. DOAK
Cincinnati, Ohio
OTIS J. HAMPTON
New York, New York
HENRY T. LUNA
Fresno, California
JULIO MORALES-GONZALES
Aguada, Puerto Rico
GUY L. SCHAEFFER
Deptford, New Jersey
JOHN A. SHAW
Rising Fawn, Georgia
Bravo Company
CHARLES V. MCMANUS
Woodland, Alabama
ELIAS ALVAREZ-BUZO
Ponce, Puerto Rico
EDDIE BROWN, JR.
Macon, Georgia
RICHARD T. YOUNG
Hildebran, North Carolina
Charlie Company
EARL D. AULL
New Orleans, Louisiana
RONALD A. MILLER
Wichita Falls, Texas
HARRY F. JEDRZEJEWSKI
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
CLARENCE V. BEVERHOUDT
St. Thomas, Virgin Islands
DONALD C. CORNETT
Lake Charles, Louisiana
ROGER T. NELSON
Barrett, Minnesota
RICHARD D. OTT
Baltimore, Maryland
CECIL W. KITTLE, JR.
Huttonsville, West Virginia
ARTHUR R. MOODY III
St. Petersburg, Florida
AUGUSTIN C. PAREDEZ
Big Spring, Texas
GEORGE A. WILSON
Cartersville, Georgia
CHARLES T. STEINER
Cardiff, Maryland
KENNETH E. R. BURCH
Samson, Alabama
JORDEN D. FORRESTER
Tulsa, Oklahoma
PHILIP HOWELL
Parrot, Virginia
CARL M. HUME
Fresno, California
DEAN A. JACKSON
Morning Sun, Iowa
JAMES C. JACKSON
Oil Springs, Kentucky
JOSEPH S. LA FASO
Garfield, New Jersey
GARRETT F. LEE
Chicago, Illinois
GEORGE S. MCHELLON
Atlanta, Georgia
DARRELL W. SANDERS
Wayne, West Virginia
ROBERT POSIUS
Detroit, Michigan
RICHARD P. SAWICKI
Grand Island, Nebraska
HAROLD SCOTT
New York, New York
FINIS R. STUDDARD
Steele, Alabama
DAVID M. VANCELLETTE
Oxford, Massachusetts
ROBERT E. WALDVOGEL
St. Paul, Minnesota
BRIAN F. CARLQUIST
Draper, Utah
RUBEN G. CHAVEZ
Robstown, Texas
BUREN R. DAVIS
Muskogee, Oklahoma
ROBERT L. DAVIS
Providence, Kentucky
JOSEPH R. HILLARD
Bay City, Texas
WAYNE T. LUNDELL
Silver Spring, Maryland
ROBERT MORENO
Los Angeles, California
SHERMAN E. OTIS
Mobile, Alabama
LOUIS D. RICHARDSON
Biloxi, Mississippi
ROY L. RYSE, JR.
Inglewood, California
ROGER A. SIMRAU
Gladwin, Michigan
MICHAEL T. SMITH
New York, New York
GEORGE J. STEPHENS
Camden, New Jersey
ERNEST E. TAYLOR
Kaycee, Wyoming
BOBBY C. VINSON
Jackson, Tennessee
MACK A. WARE
Bessemer, Alabama
RONALD H. CHITTUM
Vinton, Virginia
DAVID W. MICHAEL
Oelwein, Iowa
FRANK J. NOSTADT, JR.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Delta Company
MARTIN C. KNAPP
Wheeling, West Virginia
OSVALDO AMODIAS
Miami, Florida
BERNARD CREED
Medford, Massachusetts
JAMES W. ERVIN
Gilroy, California
PALMER B. MILES
Columbus, Georgia
LLOYD J. MONSEWICZ
Jacksonville, Florida
EARTHELL TYLER
Columbia, South Carolina
1SMAEL J. PAREDES
Jersey City, New Jersey
SNYDER P. BEMBRY
Unadilla, Georgia
RALPH W. BROWN
Benton, Pennsylvania
DONALD E.CRANE
Stillwater, Pennsylvania
JAMES R. DRAGOTI
New York, New York
CHARLES L. ELLER
Warrensville, North Carolina
FREDERICK C. HERIAUD
Oswego, Illinois
REYNALDO C. HERNANDEZ
Tulare, California
DUNCAN F. KRUEGER
WestAllis, Wisconsin
JACK D. LYNN
Hillard, Ohio
ROGER E. MERCK
Salem, South Carolina
HOWARD G. RILEY
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
JOHN SCHLECHT III
New York, New York
MATTHEWS SHELTON
Cincinnati, Ohio
EDWARD L. SIMMONS
LaFayette, Georgia
GARY D. SMITH
Knoxville, Tennessee
JOHN H. WOODY
Suches, Georgia
JOSEPH M. WORKMAN
Peoria, Illinois
LESTER R. BECKER
Harvard, Illinois
1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry
Alpha Company
LARRY L. HESS
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
CLAYTON G. ROGERS
Bridgeport, Alabama
NORMAN W. SOLTOW
Chicago, Illinois
JAMES O. VAUGHAN
Baltimore, Maryland
ROBERT G. WRIGHT
Youngstown, Ohio
RONNIE T. MATHIS
Atlanta, Georgia
HENRY F. SMITH
Albemarle, North Carolina
JOHN R. ACKERMAN
Gary, Indiana
FRANCISCO CONCEPCION, JR.
Kilauea, Hawaii
RALPH H. ERNST
St. Louis, Missouri
JIMMY HARRIS
Beattyville, Kentucky
ROBERT L. HIRST
Allentown, Pennsylvania
MARVIN SCHALIPP, JR.
Leavenworth, Kansas
JERELL L. GRAYSON
Duke, Missouri
VINCENT LOCATELLI
Santa Cruz, California
JESSE N. RODRIGUEZ
Houston, Texas
EUGENE C. SCOTT
St. Louis, Missouri
Bravo Company
MACK C. COX
Tampa, Florida
DALE F. HUDSON
Poplar Bluff, Missouri
JIMMY F. BOREN
Cadiz, Kentucky
Charlie Company
OSCAR E. COOPER
Bel Air, Maryland
Delta Company
WIL
LIAM J. LINDSEY
Augusta, Georgia
2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry
Charlie Company
RICHARD D. BRODA
Portsmouth, Virginia
2nd Battalion, 19th Artillery
C Battery
EDWARD JOUJON-ROCHE
Bakersfield, California
1st Battalion, 21st Artillery
A Battery
FLOYD L. REED, JR.
Heth, Arkansas
HARLEY D. BECKWORTH
Baxley, Georgia
B Battery
SIDNEY C. M. SMITH
Manhasset, New York
MELVIN F. FORT
Memphis, Tennessee
JOSEPH P. MARA
Belwood, Illinois
C Battery
TIMOTHY M. BLAKE
Charleston, West Virginia
227th Assault Helicopter Battalion
Delta Company
HAROLD E. WILKINS
Vale, North Carolina
229th Assault Helicopter Battalion
Bravo Company
VIRGIL KIRKLAND, JR.
Chattanooga, Tennessee
JAMES W. MAYES
Mill Hall, Pennsylvania
RALPH A. COPELAND
Minot, North Dakota
Charlie Company
HERMAN L. JEFFERSON, JR.
New Orleans, Louisiana
8th Engineer Battalion
RUSSELL E. HAMMOND
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
ARLEN C. TUTTLE
Fort Campbell, Kentucky
HOOVER MORRIS
Lufkin, Texas
SCOTT O. HENRY
Commodore, Pennsylvania
JIMMY D. NAKAYAMA
Rigby, Idaho
United States Air Force
1st Air Commando Squadron
PAUL T. MCCLELLAN, JR.
West Stayton, Oregon
1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry
Headquarters Troop
CHARLES R. DAVIS, JR.
Cincinnati, Ohio
Alpha Troop
JAMES HOOVER
Kingston, Ohio
ALTON E. BAKER
Salinas, California
JESUS R. BERMUDEZ
Mendota, California
Bravo Troop
DANIEL D. HARDEN
Memphis, Tennessee
Charlie Troop
JAMES R. PARRETT
Columbia City, Indiana
FLORENDO B. PASCUAL
Honolulu, Hawaii
BENEDICTO P. BAYRON
Waianae, Hawaii
BILLY J. TALLEY
McCrory, Arkansas
JAMES L. RILEY
Vienna, West Virginia
BILLY M. KNIGHT
Ganado, Arizona
Delta Troop
THOMAS D. DUNCAN
Attalla, Alabama
1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry
Alpha Company
SAMUEL BESS
Sanford, North Carolina
TOMMIE KEETON
Huntsville, Tennessee
THEOPHILOS ORPHANOS
New York, New York
GARY W. PLATT
Boulder, Colorado
Delta Company
GUNDER P. GUNDERSON
Walhalla, North Dakota
RICHARD E. GEORGE
San Diego, California
2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry
Headquarters Company
JAMES L. ALLEN
Beaumont, Texas
RICHARD A. NOELKE
Fontana, California
Alpha Company
DENNIS L. LONG
Chicago, Illinois
JAMES H. JARZENSKI
Cochranton, Pennsylvania
ALAN L. BARNETT
Astoria, Oregon