In Memory Of...

Two family members appear on the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington D.C. One was my cousin David Edward Herschbach, whom I met when I was a child. The other is Paul Dell Herschbach, son of Burton and Mary Herschbach of California. The following information is from the official military record.

Let us not forget the sacrifice these two fine men made, to have lost their lives at such an early age. Both died at the age of twenty.

David Edward Herschbach

Born: Monday, August 16, 1948
Gender: Male
Race: Caucasian
Residence: East St Louis, IL
Marital Status: Single
Religion: Roman Catholic
Service: Army, Reserve
ID Number or SSN: W3163761
Grade: W1
MOS: 062B
Tour of Duty Began: Tuesday, March 04, 1969
Casualty Date: Friday, March 21, 1969
Age: 20
Casualty Place: Tay Ninh, South Vietnam
Casualty Type: Hostile, Died, Air Loss, Crash - Land, Helicopter - Crew

Rank WO1 Aircraft Commander, 1st Cavalry, Helicopter Type UH-1H, Tail Number 66-16926

On the Vietnam Memorial: Panel 29W, Line 099

David was the son of Raymond August Herschbach and Lydia Louise Gerlach of Illinois. His brothers and sisters are Lydia Irene Herschbach, Donald Raymond Herschbach, Dorothy Jane Herschbach, Delores Jean Herschbach, Frances Louise Herschbach, Raymond Arthur Herschbach, Thelma Marie Herschbach, Albert Irvin Herschbach, Marjorie Ann Herschbach, James Daniel Herschbach, Donna Raye Herschbach, and Richard Eugene Herschbach.

Note from Steve Herschbach - I have a two distinct memories of David from when I was a child. The first was from a visit he made to my family. I had a treehouse in the woods near our house. I went there alone one day, and saw that a stranger, a man, was in the treehouse! He started down and came towards me. I was frightened, and ran home. He followed and when I arrived home I found that the stranger was my cousin David come to visit. I remember this now as a funny incident.

The second memory is much sadder... my mother running to her room crying when she got the call that David had been killed in action in Vietnam.

Paul Dell Herschbach

Born: Thursday, April 10, 1947
Gender: Male
Race: Caucasian
Residence: Grove, OK
Marital Status: Single
Religion: Protestant, No Preference
Service: Army, Selective Service
ID Number or SSN: 54663834
Grade: E4
MOS: 11B20
Tour of Duty Began: Friday, April 07, 1967
Casualty Date: Wednesday, February 21, 1968
Age: 20
Casualty Place: Quang Tin, South Vietnam
Casualty Type: Hostile, Died, Multiple Fragmentation Wounds, Ground Casualty

On the Vietnam Memorial: Panel 40E , Line 052

Paul was the son of Burton and Mary Herschbach of California.

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