William Edward Dean
Private First Class
509TH ENG CO, 39TH ENG BN, 937TH ENG GROUP, 18TH ENG BDE, USARV ENG CMD, USARV
Army of the United States
London, Ohio
March 13, 1949 to March 13, 1968
WILLIAM E DEAN is on the Wall at Panel 44E, Line 34

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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 address is not available.


 
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

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