SPC 4 Thomas John Klemp

Specialist Four Thomas John Klemp arrived in Vietnam on July 24, 1966 and was killed in action on November 6, 1966 when the helicopter he was on crashed shortly after takeoff. He was 19 years old.

SPC 4 Klemp was a clerk-typist with the 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment. His unit was moving north via helicopter when the accident occurred. The official summary is as follows:

Accident Summary:

Aircraft hit trees and building on takeoff, crashed and burned. Supplemental information: aircraft lost RPM shortly after takeoff possibly from overloading. Maintenance deficiency - engine trim check were not maintained per USARV Reg 385 40. Aircraft overloaded, crew did not use go-no-go check. Improper recovery from low RPM condition.

The following are 2 eyewitness accounts to the accident.

The first report was filed by someone identifying themselves as “War Story”. The names “Larry” and “Duty” were aboard the helicopter at the time of the crash.

“Larry and I were in commo platoon, when we were in base camp. I considered him, to be my best, friend. He was a great, young, man; easy to like. Larry and I, spent the first 6, months, together, assigned, to DELTA PLATOON, when we were out on operations. On October 16, 1966, we went on R&R, together, to Taiwan. Sixteen days after our return, from R&R, Larry, Duty and I, were standing, on an airstrip waiting for helicopters, to come and take them, to an LZ. (Duty was a good friend of ours.) They were going to be RTOs, on the COMMAND and CONTROL, ship. The helicopter was late, because of having to refuel. This gave us time, for what would be our last conversation. When the helicopter arrived, they both got on and waved goodbye. The chopper cleared the end, of the airstrip. The transmission, locked up. That's what caused, the crash and fire. 

It wasn't until the following evening, that we knew for sure, they were dead. There were two survivors, but they were burned, so bad, they could not be I.D'ed right away. I got home in March, 1967. I saw Larry's, parents and visited his grave site. His parents, were very nice people, that had taken his death pretty hard. Larry, I wish we could have bummed, around together, after the war. You were a great friend. I guess if you, hadn't been such a nice guy, you wouldn't be missed, as much as you are.

Captain Wilders and pilot Lt. Colonel Coye were the burnt survivors, they died Nov. 16th & Dec. 7th 1966 respectively.”

The second account was filed by James Austin who was a Radio Telephone Operator for the captain in charge of the airlift.

"I just read the report concerning this accident. I believe additional information is needed in the “War Story” part of the report to explain the circumstances that may have been a factor as to why the accident occurred. I was there the day the helicopter crashed. I was an RTO for the Captain who was in charge of the air lift. The first lift of twenty five helicopters had taken off, but the helicopter assigned to be our Command and Control ship had not arrived. It was being refueled. While the refueling was taking place, the twenty five helicopters had reached the forward LZ and had unloaded the members of our battalion they had ferried to that location. This was done as they were all being fired on by the enemy. Our Battalion Commanded radioed to my Captain that they were receiving enemy fire. This radio call was also being monitored by the men who were going on the C&C ship when it arrived.

Shortly after this radio message, we could hear the returning twenty five helicopters far off in the distance. At the same time, the assigned C&C arrived at our location. The C&C ship took on its passengers, then flew towards the tree line at the end of the airstrip. I think the mind set of the helicopter pilots, our unit’s S-3 Officer and our Sergeant Major, was to get to the forward LZ as soon as they could despite the craft being over loaded. They took the risk and lost. Had the forward LZ not been under fire, I don’t think this accident would have occurred. There would have been no reason to take such a risk.

The improper trim setting and the issue of not following proper procedures, to me, is not the mark of a bad pilot in this case. I think it is more likely the pilot was doing everything he knew to do to keep the craft in the air. To me, these men were focused on trying to get to the forward area where they knew they were needed. Their collective concern and their bravery led to this unfortunate tragedy. As an added comment to you and your fellow pilots. Two days after this crash, my unit was in a fight for its life and running low on ammunition. Despite very heavy enemy fire, a chopper pilot landed with the much needed ammunition. One of the pilots and one of the door gunners were both either killed or wounded. It was almost suicidal to make that landing, yet is was made. I have the greatest respect for all the helicopter pilots that fought in Vietnam."

Sincerely, Jim Austin 1st Infantry Division

Micheal Eugene Prothero

PFC Michael Eugene Prothero

Private First Class Michael Eugene Prothero started his tour in Vietnam on June 4, 1968. Fifteen days later, he became a casualty of the war when he stepped on a land mine and was mortally wounded. He was 19 years old.

Pfc Prothero was an infantryman with Company B, 1st Battalion, 501 Infantry in the 101st Airborne division of the US Army. The 101 Airborne the “Screaming Eagles”, have a history going back to September 10, 1921 when the division headquarters was organized at Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The “Screaming Eagle” nickname became associated with the division as the successor to the traditions of the Wisconsin volunteer regiments of the Civil War.

In almost 7 years of combat in Vietnam, elements of the 101st participated in 15 campaigns. Operation “Nevada Eagle” was the largest single campaign they participated in. This campaign last 288 days, beginning May 17, 1968 and ending February 28, 1969.  This is the campaign Pfc Prothero was involved in when he was killed. The objective was to secure the coastal lowlands in the Thua Thien province. This province is where the capital city of Hue is located and where Marine Private Jerome Schuett, also from Reedsburg, had been killed earlier in the year.

Jerome Alan Schuett

Private Jerome Schuett
Private Jerome Alan Schuett from Reedsburg, was killed in action while serving with the U.S. Marines in Vietnam. Private Schuett was a rifleman with F Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines. He was killed as a result of small arms fire on February 13, 1968 at the age of 19 years, 11 months and 23 days. His unit was in the city of Hue at the time, participating in what became one of the bloodiest and longest battles of the Vietnam war.


The Battle of Hue was a part of the Tet Offensive, a major campaign staged by the People’s Army of Vietnam and the Viet Cong which began on the early morning hours of January 30, 1968. There was a prior agreement between North and South Vietnam that there would be a truce so both sides could celebrate the Tet festivities (Lunar New Year). However, the Viet Cong broke the truce by launching a coordinated military attack on more than 100 cities and towns throughout South Vietnam. This was the largest military operation of the war to date.



The initial attacks took the US and Vietnam armies by surprise but most were quick to recover and inflict massive casualties on the communist forces. The battle of Hue, however, was a different story.

Joshua Sanford

Captain Joshua Sanford


Joshua Sanford was a pilot with the 14th Air Force, 75th Fighter Squadron based in China during WWII. This Air Force was tasked with the job of helping defend China against the Japanese and to provide supplies to the Chinese Army. They were better known as "The Flying Tigers",  a name previously attached to the American Volunteer Group that was comprised of 100 pilots and 150 support personnel. 


The original Flying Tigers were under the command of Claire Chennault who took on the job of reorganizing the Chinese Air Force. President Roosevelt signed a secret executive order which allow Chennault to organize "unofficial" assistance with the Chinese. 


The AVG compiled one of the greatest records of the war before being discontinued in 1942. The name Flying Tigers came from the nose art painted on each plane which depicted the grinning mouth, flashing teeth and the evil eye of the tiger shark. Newspapers tagged them "Flying Tigers" and the name stuck. This group was credited with 294 enemy aircraft shot down while the Flying Tigers only lost 12 aircraft during their short tenure.

Bernard L Anderson

How a boy from LaValle became a Filipino Warlord.

In December, 1941, Bernard L. Anderson, who grew up grew up in LaValle, was frantically driving south in a brand new Oldsmobile. His cargo was yeast. Anderson was a First Lieutenant in the Air Corp serving as an administrative and supply officer in the city of Manila on the northern most island of Luzon of the Philippines. The Americans, under the command of General Douglas MacArthur, had been order to retreat to Bataan when the Japanese invaded Luzon from the north at then end of 1941.

The retreating army had taken truckloads of flour with them for making bread but they forgot the yeast. Anderson returned to the nearly abandoned city to retrieve the yeast and then catch up with the armed forces whose destination was Bataan. The Bataan Peninsula was the last stand destination for the US and Philippino forces. They hoped to hold out until reinforcements could arrive from the United States. However, the Japanese forces began their siege on January 7, 1942. The majority of the American and Filipino forces surrendered on April 9 and were forced to march the 62 miles from Bataan to Tarlac, which became known as the Bataan Death March.

Anderson and a companion escaped into the mountains when the order to surrender was given. They hid from the Japanese in the jungle and trenches. With nothing to eat and very little to drink, they wandered through the jungle until they stumbled across a hidden mountain camp of Filipinos. “Those people took care of us, and they shared everything they had with us, ” Anderson said.

Several other American officers and men escaped from Bataan and guerilla groups began to form throughout the 40,000 square mile island. Eventually, 1,400 groups developed consisting of 250,000 guerilla fighters.

Owen M. "Tony" Manville

PFC Owen "Tony" Manville


Pfc. Tony Manville from LaValle, was killed in action on March 22, 1944. Pfc. Manville was a member of the First Calvary Division,  one of the most famous and most decorated combat divisions of the United States Army.


He entered active duty in May, 1942 and trained stateside in Southern California until deployment to the South Pacific in June of 1943. The division arrived in Queensland, Austrailia for further training before shipping off to New Guinea where they staged for the Admiralty Islands Campaign which was scheduled to commence in February, 1944. 

Cpl Edmund J. Greenwood

Cpl. Edmund J. Greenwood from LaValle was killed in action on June 16, 1944 while taking part in the invasion of German occupied territory in France, 10 days following D-Day. Cpl. Greenwood was a member of the 82nd Airborne Division and entered service on March 24, 1942. He left his job at Kingery and Doering garage in LaValle and ended up in Camp Clairbourne, Louisina were the 82nd Infanrty Division was redesignated the 82nd Airborne Division, the Army's first airborne division. The Division was under the command of Major General Omar Bradley. In April 1943, the paratroopers to North Africa to participate in the invasion of Italy. The Division's first two combat operations were parachute assaults into Sicily on July 9 and Salerno on September 13. The 82nd then moved to the United Kingdom in November 1943 to prepare for