FACES FROM THE WALL

MONTANA and VIETNAM WAR

June 1967 - October 1967


     Ronald Gregory BABICH

Birth 1938-03-29  Rank CAPT  Date of Death1967-06-02 
P. of birth   Service US Marine Corp  PlaceQuang Tri South Vietnam 
Town of
Record 		Butte, Montana  Unit 1st Mar Div, A Co, 1st Bn, 5th Marines Death Code Hostile, Died-Gun, Small Arms Fire- 
Hometown Butte   service # 080577  Panel21E - Row 031 
Married Married  MIA - BR  Medals Purple Heart  
Tour Date   Comment   Cemetery 

Capt. Babich War Victim
    Marine Corps Capt. Ronald Gregory Babich, 28, of 1704 McDonald Ave., was killed in the vicinity of Quang Tin, Vietnam, Friday (2 Jun 1967), the Defense Department announced Wednesday.
    Capt. Babich was graduated from Butte High School and from the University of Montana in 1960, receiving a degree in forestry. He married Shannon Flynn in Butte, 21 Mar 1957.
    He joined the Marines after graduating from the University here, received his basic training in Virginia, then was stationed at Camp Pendleton CA; Okinawa; Adak, AK, and Lejeune NC, before going to Vietnam last 19 Oct (1966). On 13 Jan (1967) he received the Purple Heart for injuries received in action.
    He was a member of the Episcopal Church. Surviving are the widow; two sons, Lawrence and Michael; a daughter, Sharon; a sister, Nicola Babich, Missoula and two brothers, Lawrence, Bozeman, and Samuel, Butte. Services are pending at Squire-Simmons-Carr Mortuary.
    Missoulian-Sentinel, Missoula MT, 1 Jun 1967)

Missoula Remembers Ron was another Butte man who I knew when I was a young high school freshman looking up to the bigger guys. I admired his jutted-jaw attitude. Not that he was overly aggressive in my memory, but his "way" sticks with me. He became a Marine Corps officer. George M. "Sonny" Gratzer, dedication speech of Missoula war Memorial, 12 Sep 1988

    Michael William HAVRANEK

Birth 1948-05-30  Rank LCPL  Date of Death1967-06-11 
P. of birth   Service US Marine Corp  PlaceQuang Tri South Vietnam 
Town of
Record 		Missoula, Montana  Unit 3RD FORCE RECON CO, 3RD RECON BN, 3RD MARDIV  Death Code Hostile, Died-Air Loss, Crash - Land-Helicopter - Non crew 
Hometown Missoula   service # 2231606  Panel21E - Row 089 
Married Single  MIA - BNR  Medals Purple Heart  
Tour Date1967-06-11   Comment   Cemetery 

    Franklin Delano CHOPPER

Birth 1945-02-24  Rank PFC  Date of Death1967-06-13 
P. of birth   Service US Army  PlaceBinh Duong South Vietnam 
Town of
Record 		Brockton, Montana  Unit 25th Inf Div, 4th Bn, 23rd Infantry Death Code Hostile, Died-Multiple Fragmentation Wounds-Ground Casualty 
Hometown Brockton   service # 56407837  Panel21E - Row 096 
Married Single  MIA - BR  Medals Purple Heart  
Tour Date1967-04-06   Comment   Cemetery 

    Donald Alexander LEHUTA

Birth 1947-02-10  Rank LCPL  Date of Death1967-06-15 
P. of birth Missoula Service US Marine Corp  PlaceQuang Tin South Vietnam 
Town of
Record 		Missoula, Montana  Unit 1st Mar Div, K Co, 3rd Bn, 5th Marines Death Code Hostile, Died-Artillery, Rocket, Mortar-Ground Casualty 
Hometown Missoula   service # 2190999  Panel21E - Row 106 
Married Single  MIA - BR  Medals Purple Heart  
Tour Date   Comment   Cemetery 

Cpl. D. Lehuta Is War Victim
    Lance Cpl. Donald A. Lehuta 20, son of Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Lehuta, 421 Oak St., died Thursday in the vicinity of Quang Tin of wounds received in action in Vietnam, his parents were notified Saturday. Col. Lehuta had returned to Vietnam for further duty last April after spending 20 days of leave at home. He had served more than a year in Vietnam when fatally wounded.
    He was born 10 Feb 1947, in Missoula, attended Willard Grade School and Hellgate High School. He enlisted in the Marines in November of 1965. Surviving are his parents: three brothers, Gary, Bob and Jimmy, and one sister, Diane, all in Missoula, and his maternal grandmother, Mrs. Charles Bouchard of Sidney. the Squire-Simmons-Carr Mortuary will be in charge of arrangements.
    (Missoulian Sentinel, Missoula MT, 18 Jun 1967)

    Dennis Lee CASEY

Birth 1942-07-19  Rank CPL  Date of Death1967-06-18 
P. of birth Minneapolis MN Service US Marine Corp  PlaceQuang Nam South Vietnam 
Town of
Record 		Lewistown, Montana  Unit S-2, SCOUTS, H&S CO, 2ND BN, 7TH MARINES, 1ST MARDIV   Death Code Hostile, Died-Artillery, Rocket, Mortar-Ground Casualty 
Hometown Lewistown   service # 2191167  Panel22E - Row 006 
Married Single  MIA - BR  Medals Purple Heart  
Tour Date   Comment Virtual Wall   Cemetery 

DENNIS CASEY, LEWISTOWN MARINE KILLED IN ACTION IN VIETNAM SUNDAY
    Mr. and Mrs. Ronald J. Casey of Lewistown were notified Monday that their son, Cpl Dennis L. Casey, USMC, was killed in action in Vietnam Sunday (18 Jun 1967). Two Marine officers from Billings delivered the message to the Casey family. The telegram confirming Dennis' death stated he sustained a fragmentation wound to the chest from a communist mortar round while on an operation in the vicinity of Quang Nah, Republic of Vietnam.
    The parents were informed that further information would be released by Marine Corps Headquarters. It is believed Dennis is the first Vietnam casualty from Lewistown.
    Dennis' attempts to serve his country received publicity when, after being rejected because of his height (5'3"), he suddenly found himself accepted by three branches of the service at the same time. After receiving a discharge from the Montana National Guard and the Army, he was sworn into the Marines 27 Dec 1965. He had served in Vietnam about one year.
    Dennis L. Casey was born 19 Jul 1942 in Minneapolis MN. He attended Lewistown schools and was graduated from Fergus Co High School in 1961. He received a degree in history and political science from Rocky Mountain College, Billings, in 1965. While at college he served as president of his class, president of the college Republicans at RMC and was national vice president of the Student Education Association.
    He was a member of the First United Presbyterian Church of Lewistown and the Masonic Lodge.
    In addition to his parents, he is survived by two sisters, Mary and Jean; two brothers, Jimmy and Michael; all of Lewistown; paternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. James Casey, New Rockford ND; one niece and several aunts and uncles. Funeral services are pending at the Cloyd Funeral Home.
    Lewistown Daily News, Lewistown MT, 20 Jun 1967)

    Walter Norvel LOCHER

Birth 1945-10-23  Rank PFC  Date of Death1967-06-28 
P. of birth   Service US Army  PlaceKontum South Vietnam 
Town of
Record 		Lame Deer, Montana  Unit A Co, 2nd Bn, 12th CAV RGT, 1 CAV DIV  Death Code Hostile, Died-Multiple Fragmentation Wounds-Ground Casualty 
Hometown Lame Deer   service # 56637745  Panel22E - Row 079 
Married Single  MIA - BR  Medals Purple Heart  
Tour Date1967-05-01   Comment   Cemetery 

    Darryl Richard JUEL

Birth 1946-11-09  Rank LCPL  Date of Death1967-07-02 
P. of birth   Service US Marine Corp  PlaceQuang Tri South Vietnam 
Town of
Record 		Scobey, Montana  Unit 3rd Mar Div, B Co, 1st Bn, 9th Marines Death Code Hostile, Died-Artillery, Rocket, Mortar-Ground Casualty 
Hometown Scobey   service # 2231586  Panel22E - Row 106 
Married Single  MIA - BR  Medals Purple Heart  
Tour Date   Comment   Cemetery 

    Gary Owen MOOER

Birth 1945-03-15  Rank SP 4  Date of Death1967-07-23 
P. of birth   Service US Army  PlacePleiku South Vietnam 
Town of
Record 		Rosebud, Montana  Unit 4th Inf Div, C Co, 3rd Bn, 8th Infantry Death Code Hostile, Died-Multiple Fragmentation Wounds-Ground Casualty 
Hometown Rosebud   service # 56372961  Panel23E - Row 111 
Married Single  MIA - BR  Medals Purple Heart  
Tour Date1966-09-15   Comment   Cemetery 

    George Daniel MILLER

Birth 1945-11-22  Rank AN  Date of Death1967-07-29 
P. of birth   Service US Navy  PlaceOff Shore North Vietnam 
Town of
Record 		Glasgow, Montana  Unit 7TH FLEET, VF-74, TF 77, USS FORRESTAL CVA-59 Death Code Non-Hostile, Died-Other Causes-Sea Casualty 
Hometown Glasgow   service # 3918851  Panel24E - Row 033 
Married Single  MIA - BR  Medals  
Tour Date   Comment   Cemetery 

The Forrestal Fire On 29 Jul 1967, while off the shores of Vietnam, the USS Forrestal (CVA-59) had one of the worst fires in U.S. Naval history. As an attack squadron was being ready for a mission, a ZUNI rocket was fired accidentally. The rocket screamed across the flight deck, struck another aircraft and ignited a fuel fire. The initial fire could have been contained, but 90 seconds after the fire started a dropped into the fire and detonated, killing or seriously wounding most of the the first responding fire fighters. The detonation ruptured the flight deck, and burning fuel spilled into the lower levels of the ship. Bombs, warheads, and rocket motors exploded with varying degrees of intensity in the fire. The flight deck fire was contained in about an hours time but but the burning fuel had found pockets to collect in inside and burned furiously for another 12 hours. All the accounts remark on the bravery and the unity of the Forrestal Crew, the ages of the young men fighting the fire (18 and 19), and many extroidinary acts ie. lifting 500lb bombs to throw over the side, entering burning rooms to defuse a bomb and later to pull it out, and rushing into the flames to rescue pilots and shipmates. The nearly 5500 crew lost 134 men killed, 156 seriously injured and 21 planes. Much of the flight deck had burned away. The ship limped back to port... and was eventually rebuilt after 2 years in dry dock.
More information Lost liners.com
Forrestal-fire

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