Remembering those from Avoyelles who died in Vietnam

14 men to be honored with dedication of La. Hwy 1 through Marksville

A week after observing Independence Day in 1965, Marine Cpl. Brian James Gauthier of Mansura was killed by a land mine in Quang Nam Province, Vietnam. He was the first soldier from Avoyelles Parish killed in the Southeast Asian war.

On Christmas Eve 1970, Army Sgt. Michael Ray Nugent of Marksville, of the 101st Airborne Division, died in an accident in Thua Thien Province, Vietnam.

A few months later, two days before Easter Sunday 1971, S/Sgt. James Henry Abram -- a native of Avoyelles Parish living in Melville and also with the 101st Airborne -- died in a non-combat incident in Thua Thien.

From July 11, 1965, to April 9, 1971, 14 men from Avoyelles Parish died in a foreign land for the ideal of liberty -- not Americans’ freedom but that of those who lived in that country. Of the 14 men from this parish who died in that war, 10 died in combat and four deaths were listed as non-combat related.

The highest-ranking officer of the parish’s casualties was 1st Lt. Denny Layton Johnson of Bunkie. He graduated from West Point in 1968 and was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division in Tay Ninh Province. The 22-year-old officer arrived in Vietnam on July 29, 1969 and died from enemy small arms fire on Sept. 2, 1969.

Five of the 14 were non-commissioned officers and eight were in the enlisted ranks. One was 44, one was 30, two were ages 25-27 and 10 were aged 20-22.

Most of the combat deaths were due to explosive devices or mortar attacks. One died when his helicopter was shot down. Another died in a non-combat-related aircraft crash.

REMEMBERING

American Legion Prevot-Johnson Post #130 and VFW Post 3139 mounted a campaign to have La. Hwy 1 through Mansura and Marksville dedicated in Gauthier’s memory, as the parish’s first death in the Vietnam War. Benny Bordelon of the American Legion and Nulen Moses of the VFW addressed the Marksville and Mansura municipal officials over the past few months.

The Marksville City Council wanted La. Hwy 1 through that city to be dedicated to all 14 of those who died in the war. The Mansura Town Council noted it has already dedicated that section of the highway in Mansura to the memory of the late Harold Quebedeaux, a long-time mayor of the town who was responsible for expanding the town limits. The council is considering whether to have a “dual dedication” or choose another highway to dedicate to Gauthier.

It has been over 44 years since America signed a peace treaty with North Vietnam that ended hostilities and U.S. involvement in South Vietnam. It has been 41 years since North Vietnam broke that treaty, invaded its southern neighbor and united Vietnam under the Communist leadership of Ho Chi Minh.

To a large segment of the population, the Vietnam War is something they read about in their history class or heard about from their father or other relatives from the “Baby Boomer” generation that fought in the war or watched it unfold over more than a decade on the living room TV set.

To those with no firsthand memories of those years, these numbers reflect the reason for remembering that war this Memorial Day: 58,315 U.S. military men and women killed; 887 from Louisiana; 14 from Avoyelles.

HOW THEY DIED

In addition to the four slain warriors whose stories were recounted above, we remember:

Spec. 4 Richard Jude Desselle, 21, of Moreauville, with the 1st Infantry Division -- the “Big Red 1” -- was killed by shrapnel on May 1, 1967 in Binh Duong Province.

Army S/Sgt. George Randolph of Cottonport turned 44 three days after arriving in Vietnam on Jan. 10, 1967. He was with the 9th Infantry at Can Giuoc in Long An Province when he was killed by shrapnel on June 19, 1967.

Spec. 4 Michael Joseph Juneau, 20, of Hessmer was with the 25th Division’s 125th Signal Battalion when he was killed in a rocket/mortar attack at Nui Ba Den (Black Virgin Mountain) in Tay Ninh Province on May 13, 1968.

Marine Cpl. Gerald Williber, 22, of Evergreen was in the 1st Marine Division at Khe Sanh when he was killed by an explosive device on May 19, 1968.

Army Sgt. Robert Lynn Daigrepont of Bunkie, 20, with the 46th Infantry Division, was killed by rocket/mortar in Quang Tin Province on July 2, 1968.

Army Cpl. William Francis Lemoine, 20, of Cottonport was assigned to A Battery of the 34th Artillery at Kien Hoa Province when he was killed in combat with the enemy on Sept. 27, 1968. The report does not specify the cause of death.

Spec. 4 Mitchell Lawrence Firmin, 20, of Cottonport, was assigned to the 21st Infantry’s 196th Light Infantry Brigade in Quang Lin Province, where he was killed by an explosive device on Sept. 27, 1968.

Army Warrant Officer Gerald M. Ortego, 30, of Simmesport was killed when his helicopter was shot down near Da Nang in Quang Nam Province on Nov. 21, 1968. He was with the 198th Light Infantry’s HQ Company.

Spec. 5 Cecil Jackson Jr., 25, of Marksville was assigned to the 1st Signal Brigade in Thua Thien Province. He died in an “accidental homicide” that was ruled non-combat related.

Spec. 4 Ronald R. Greenhouse, 22, of Marksville was in the 17th Cavalry’s 7th Squadron in Ninh Thuan Province. He died in a non-combat related aircraft crash on Nov. 19, 1970. He had five weeks left on his one-year tour of duty.

{For photos of 12 of these men, see this week's edition of the Avoyelles Journal}

AVOYELLES JOURNAL
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MARKSVILLE WEEKLY

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