THE WALL OF FACES

Dear Lt Thomas Dellwo,
Thank you for your service as a Field Artillery Unit Commander with the 1st Cavalry, and for graduating from West Point. It has been too long, and it's about time for us all to acknowledge the sacrifices of those like you who answered our nation's call. Please watch over America, it stills needs your strength, courage and faithfulness. Rest in peace with the angels.

1LT Thomas A Dellwo is resting at Choteau Cemetery, Choteau, MT

The “Friends of Rocky Versace” remember one of Rocky’s fellow alumni from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, 1LT Thomas Albert Dellwo, on what would’ve been his 70th birthday - 22 December 2016.

1LT Thomas Albert Dellwo was an alumnus of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, NY. He was one of 335 men from West Point who died or are MIA in Southeast Asia/Indochina during the period October, 1957 – September, 1972. “Well done; Be thou at peace.”

1LT Thomas A. Dellwo and 2LT Richard E. Harlan were artillery field commanders assigned to B Battery, 2nd Battalion, 19th artillery, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). On March 15, 1971, a grenade was tossed into the officer billet at Bien Hoa Army Airfield where they were, killing both officers. Dellwo died on the day he had been scheduled to leave Vietnam. PVT Billy Dean Smith was charged with two counts each of murder and attempted murder of Dellwo and Harlan plus one charge of assault with intent to do bodily harm. At a court-martial conducted in the United States at Fort Ord, CA, in November 1972, Smith was found innocent of those charges. He did serve 20 months confinement and a bad conduct discharge for assaulting a military policeman who arrested him shortly after the grenade explosion. [Taken from Lawrence World-Journal, November 15, 1972; and wikipedia.org]