State Heroes
Vietnam
1970
Sergeant William Davis Kristjanson
Vietnam
Branch of Service: Army
Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: C Company
Battalion / Task Group / Squadron or equivalent: 1st Battalion
Regiment / Group / Brigade: 2nd Infantry
Division / Fleet / Air Force or Equivalent: 1st Infantry Division
Date of Loss: February 26, 1970 / Age: 26
Military Region 3 in Binh Doung, South Vietnam
Non-Hostile, died of illness/injury, Ground casualty
Vehicle crash
1966
Private First Class Leonard Joseph Kroshus
Vietnam
Branch of Service: Marines
Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: Company G
Battalion / Task Group / Squadron or equivalent: 2nd Battalion
Regiment / Group / Brigade: 9th Marines Regiment
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.
1970
Sergeant Gregory Keith Krueger
Vietnam
Branch of Service: Army
Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: E Company
Regiment / Group / Brigade: 17th Cavalry, 173rd Airborne Brigade
Date of Loss: July 17, 1970 / Age: 21
In Binh Dinh, South Vietnam
Non-hostile, Ground Casualty
Other accident
1969
Corporal David James Kuhn
Vietnam
Branch of Service: Army
Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: Company C
Battalion / Task Group / Squadron or equivalent: 3rd Battalion
Regiment / Group / Brigade: 196th Light Infantry Brigade
Division / Fleet / Air Force or Equivalent: 21st Infantry Division
Date of Loss: May 23, 1969 / Age: 19
Corporal Kuhn was killed in action through hostile actions in Quang Tin, South Vietnam.
1969
1st Lieutenant Roger Douglas Knudtson
Vietnam
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.
1971
Communications Technician Collection Petty Officer 2nd Class John A. Kuntz
Vietnam
Branch of Service: Navy
Date of Loss: June 04, 1971 / Age: 25
Died in service in Ryukyu Islands.
1968
Private First Class Florian Henry Kuss
Vietnam
Branch of Service: Army
Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: Company C
Battalion / Task Group / Squadron or equivalent: 2nd Battalion
Regiment / Group / Brigade: 196th Light Infantry Brigade
Division / Fleet / Air Force or Equivalent: 1st Infantry Division
Date of Loss: January 05, 1968 / Age: 21
Florian was killed in action with 8 other soldiers in Vietnam when their night position came under attack.
1969
Specialist 4 Merlin James Laber
Vietnam
Branch of Service: Army
Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: Company C
Battalion / Task Group / Squadron or equivalent: 1st Battalion
Regiment / Group / Brigade: 198th Light Infantry Brigade
Division / Fleet / Air Force or Equivalent: 46th Infantry Division
Date of Loss: May 14, 1969 / Age: 21
Killed in action through hostile small arms fire in Quang Tin, South Vietnam.
1966
Staff Sergeant Herbert Lapp
Vietnam
Branch of Service: Army
Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: Company B
Battalion / Task Group / Squadron or equivalent: 1st Battalion
Regiment / Group / Brigade: 35th Infantry Regiment
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.
1970
Seaman Vance Lee Larrabee
Vietnam
Branch of Service: Navy
Date of Loss: August 29, 1970 / Age: 20
Killed in action in Vietnam
1967
Specialist 5 Gerald Lee Larson
Vietnam
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.
1970
Corporal David Allen Larson
Vietnam
Branch of Service: Army
Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: B Company
Battalion / Task Group / Squadron or equivalent: 1st Battalion
Regiment / Group / Brigade: 8th Infantry Regiment
Division / Fleet / Air Force or Equivalent: 4th Infantry Division
Date of Loss: February 27, 1970 / Age: 21
Military Region 2 in Binh Dinh, South Vietnam
Hostile, Ground casualty
Gun, small arms fire
1968
Specialist 4 David John Latraille
Vietnam
Branch of Service: Army
Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: Company E
Battalion / Task Group / Squadron or equivalent: 1st Battalion
Regiment / Group / Brigade: 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment
Division / Fleet / Air Force or Equivalent: 101st Airborne Division
Date of Loss: March 06, 1968 / Age: 20
Killed in action in Thua Thien, South Vietnam from hostile small arms fire.
1967
Private Eugene Louis Lavoy Jr
Vietnam
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.
1971
Specialist 4 Loren Dallas Lebeau
Vietnam
Branch of Service: Army
Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent: Troop A
Battalion / Task Group / Squadron or equivalent: 1st Squadron
Regiment / Group / Brigade: 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment
Date of Loss: February 01, 1971 / Age: 20
On May 16, 1971, a New York Times article described heroin use by American troops in Vietnam had reached epidemic proportions.