David Elroy Baun

Specialist Four
C CO, 2ND BN, 18TH INF RGT, 1 INF DIV
Army of the United States
28 October 1945 - 30 June 1966
Mercer, Pennsylvania
Panel 08E Line 110

1 INF DIV 18TH INF RGT
CIB

Purple Heart, National Defense, Vietnam Service, Vietnam Campaign
David E Baun

The database page for David Elroy Baun

20 May 2000

My father, David E. Baun was in Vietnam for 40 days before he was killed, five months before I was born.

He was killed in action 6/30/66, he was a member of Company C, 2nd Battalion, 18th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. He was the radio operator for the Executive Officer of the company.

If you or anyone you know, either may have known or served with my father, please feel free to email me...

Please visit my complete
memorial to my father

David E Baun Jr
itzmedave1@aol.com

A Note from The Virtual Wall

The "El Paso" operations in Binh Long Province during the period 19 May - 03 Sep 1966 were intended to locate, pin, and destroy the 271st, 272nd, and 273rd Regiments of the 9th VC Division and by so doing secure Highway 13 and protect the city of An Loc from enemy attack. The battles of Ap Tau O (08 June), Srok Dong (30 June - 02 July), and An Hoa (09 July) were fought in this campaign. In the first major encounter on 08 June, the 272nd VC Regiment ambushed A Troop, 1/4 Cavalry, on Route 13. The infantry arrived too late to be a factor, but did kill around 100 of the enemy. Later, the 2/28th Infantry fought the 273rd VC Regiment northwest of Loc Ninh.

On 30 June, an ambush by the 271st VC Regiment at Srok Dong along Route 13 heavily damaged B Troop, 1/4 Cavalry. C Troop, 1/4 Cav, and the infantrymen of 2/28 Infantry joined what became a three-day battle. Thirty-seven American soldiers are known to have died in the fight, but the VC left 270 bodies on the field and there were 15 VC POWs.

On 30 June 1966 the 2nd Battalion, 18th Infantry, lost 5 men - they were

  • 1LT Peter E. Odenweller, Grosse Pointe Farm, MI, C Company
  • SP4 David E. Baun, Mercer, PA, C Company
  • SP4 Harry J. Yost, Whitacre, VA, A Company
  • PFC Eddie K. Williams, Columbia, SC, C Company
  • PFC Earl Smith, Dearborn, MI, HQ Company


The point-of-contact for this memorial is
his son,
David E Baun Jr
itzmedave1@aol.com



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With all respect
Jim Schueckler, former CW2, US Army
Ken Davis, Commander, United States Navy (Ret)
Memorial first published on 20 May 2000
Last updated 05/14/2006