Daniel Lee Ault

Corporal
D CO, 2ND BN, 327TH INF RGT, 101 ABN DIV
Army of the United States
28 November 1949 - 10 August 1968
Mountville, Pennsylvania
Panel 49W Line 038

101 ABN DIV

327TH INF RGT
Combat Infantry

Purple Heart, National Defense, Vietnam Service, Vietnam Campaign

Airborne!

The database page for Daniel Lee Ault

29 May 2004

A loving and wonder brother who gave his life along with so many others at such a young age.
I will never forget the memories though so few and cherish them forever.
You will always be in my heart.

Your brother,
Ron

A Note from The Virtual Wall

On 10 August 1968 D Company, 2/327th Infantry, was working in the A Shau Valley. During the day they lost eight men:
  • SGT Antonio V. Garcia, Kingsville, TX
  • SGT Edward Stewart, Monroe, LA
  • CPL Daniel L. Ault, Mountville, PA
  • CPL Roger Hulsey, Powder Springs, GA
  • CPL Samuel R. James, Carrollton, GA
  • CPL John J. Matarazzi, Lebanon, PA
  • CPL Steven M. Schlosser, Lacon, IL
  • CPL Kurt P. Stephenson, Cedar Rapids, IA
The truly tragic aspect was that seven of the dead were victims of "friendly fire":
"In August 1968 a Navy A-7D fired two 5-inch aerial rockets into the HQ CP of Company D, 2d Battalion, 327th Infantry (101st Airborne Division), during an operation in the A Shau Valley. Fifty-five casualties [killed and wounded] resulted."

From "Amicicide: The Problem of Friendly Fire"
Army Command and General Staff College, Dec 1982

Corporal Kurt Stephenson is the only known hostile-fire casualty incurred on 10 August.

At this distance it makes little difference where the aircraft came from, but in August 1968 there were only four A-7 squadrons in Vietnam:

  • Attack Squadron 82 and Attack Squadron 86 in USS AMERICA (CVA-66) and
  • Attack Squadron 27 and Attack Squadron 97 in USS CONSTELLATION (CVA-64).
CONSTELLATION was operating on a dawn-to-dusk schedule, while AMERICA was on the dusk-to-dawn shift. If the aircraft type is correctly identified in the ACGSC study, it appears that A-7s from VA-27 or VA-97 were involved in the incident.

The author of this note was an aviator with VA-85 (A-6 INTRUDER)
embarked in USS AMERICA. The carrier's operating schedule in Aug 1968
was determined through reference to his flight log book and notes.



The point-of-contact for this memorial is
his brother,
Ronald Ault
blueduecehd@comcast.net 
29 May 2004



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With all respect
Jim Schueckler, former CW2, US Army
Ken Davis, Commander, United States Navy (Ret)
Channing Prothro, former CAP Marine
Last updated 05/29/2004