William Edward Dean

The database page for William Edward Dean

06 Aug 2006 Billy, You are one person I think about. I remember childhood days when we would play. You were a very good childhood friend. I remember playing on the farm with the animals. I just wanted to say thank you for the memories. I miss you. From a childhood friend. E-Mail will be forwarded by the Webmaster@VirtualWall.org

08 Sep 2006 I served in the 509th Panel Bridge Company and was in the convoy on that was ambushed that day. I was supposed to be driving Lieutenant Hondel but at the last minute he changed his mind and put me at the back with Steve Hicks as my gunner. I had a radio so I usually was at the front or back. I remember Dave Hampton saying "it was my day to eat dust". We had been hit on the same road about a week earlier, I wasn't in that convoy but Steve Hicks was and he was still a little jumpy. We were always discussing what the best strategy in case we were hit, some thought make a run through it and others said stop and fight. When the convoy got hit, I didn't have much choice because disabled vehicles were blocking the road ahead. We hit the ditch and got Hick's machine gun set up and he let it rip. I radioed for help, luckily for us we had just passed an ARVN tank about 1/4 mile back so he came up to help us. The front part of the convoy is where the casualties were. These are some of my recollections of that day. From a fellow soldier, Martin Short Spec. 4 1st Platoon, 509th Eng Co, 937th Eng Grp martin.short@stanley-engineering.com

A Note from The Virtual Wall On 13 March 1968 an engineer convoy between Pleiku and Kontum City was ambushed about 14 kilometers north of Pleiku City. Fourteen US soldiers died in the ambush: 572nd Eng Company: SP4 William P. Worley, Altoona, PA 88th Trans Company: PFC Alvin J. Munson, Albuquerque, NM 509th Eng Company: 2LT William J. Hondel, West Allis, WI SP4 Raymond P. Dobrzynski, Wilmington, DE SP4 Larry D. Sherman, Marion, IN SP4 Joseph R. Wenzler, Lebanon, PA PFC William E. Dean, London, OH PFC David L. Hampton, Wood River, IL 585th Eng Company: PFC Walter E. Handy, Casper, WY 70th Eng Company: 1LT Kosmas P. Kapetanopoulos, Marlborough, MA SP4 Drek A. Landes, Denver, CO SP4 Glen H. Mosley, Independence, MO PVT Russell E. Hupe, Los Angeles, CA

The point-of-contact for this memorial is a childhood friend. E-Mail may be forwarded via the Webmaster@VirtualWall.org

Top of Page www.VirtualWall.org Back to To alpha index D OH State Index . Panel 44E 937TH ENG GRP Index Webmaster@VirtualWall.org

With all respect
Jim Schueckler, former CW2, US Army
Ken Davis, Commander, United States Navy (Ret)
Memorial first published on 06 Aug 2006
Last updated 09/27/2006