SP4 Mark Roland Horner, Watertown, SD on www.VirtualWall.org The Virtual Wall® Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall

Mark Roland Horner was born in Watertown, South Dakota, to Roland "Whiz" and Rosalie Horner. His siblings were Robin, Julie, Craig, Lynn, Therese, Jean, Mary Beth, and Scott. Mark Horner was raised and educated in Watertown. The schools he attended were Holy Name Catholic School, Watertown Junior High, and Watertown High School, from where he graduated in 1967. On August 2, 1969, in Watertown, Mark Horner married Connie M. Deutsch. Before Mark went in the army, he worked at Bichler Motor Co. in Watertown.

Mark entered active service on March 17, 1969. He completed basic training at South Fort Polk, Louisiana, and his advanced infantry training (AIT) at North Fort Polk (Tigerland). On August 20, 1969, Mark was sent overseas from Ft. Lewis, Washington, as part of Company B, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division (AMBL) and was stationed in Tay Ninh, Vietnam, where he was "on point a lot"; his Platoon (Blackfoot) "patrolled the LZ IKE, LZ Becky, and LZ Caroline" area and often "were on patrols and fire fights defending these areas," according to his widow, Connie.

Information respectfully submitted by Blake Klinkel, 8th grade student, Spearfish Middle School, Spearfish, South Dakota, September 28, 2005. Information for this entry was provided by Connie (Horner) Miller. Complete details on the project and all of Mark Horner's story can be found at South Dakota Vietnam War Memorial Dedication Website.

SP/4 Horner was returned to the United States and was buried with military honors at the St. Mary's Cemetery in Watertown, on March 9, 1970.

On the 14th of February 1970, 10 soldiers were killed in the same contact at Bau Tam Ung in Tay Ninh Province. On the 15th, in the same area, two more men were killed in a joint operation. They were: