HONORED ON PANEL 27W, LINE 107 OF THE WALL
DAVID ALLEN DITTMER
WALL NAME
DAVID A DITTMER
PANEL / LINE
27W/107
DATE OF BIRTH
CASUALTY PROVINCE
DATE OF CASUALTY
HOME OF RECORD
COUNTY OF RECORD
STATE
BRANCH OF SERVICE
RANK
REMEMBRANCES
LEFT FOR DAVID ALLEN DITTMER
POSTED ON 2.27.2024
POSTED BY: David Sternback
Thank You
Thank you for the sacrifice you made. You will never be forgotten.
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POSTED ON 5.28.2022
POSTED BY: David
Thank You
Thank you for your service, this is for a school project but everyone in the class will always remember the sacrifice you made.
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POSTED ON 5.3.2022
POSTED BY: John Fabris
honoring you...
Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. The remembrances from those who knew you are touching and reflect their admiration and respect for you. As long as you are remembered you will always be with us.
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POSTED ON 12.5.2021
POSTED BY: Jury Washington
Thank You For Your Valiant Service Soldier.
May those who served never be forgotten. Rest in peace SGT. Dittmer, I salute your brave soul. My heart goes out to you and your family.
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POSTED ON 7.13.2020
POSTED BY: [email protected]
Final Mission of SGT David A. Dittmer
On the afternoon of April 18, 1969, elements of C Troop, 3rd Squadron, 5th Cavalry Regiment, a U.S. Army mechanized unit, was traveling on Highway QL-9 in the upper Quang Tri Province, RVN, when they came across two platoons of Marines from C Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry returning from a road sweep. The tankers offered the Marines a lift which they accepted. Shortly thereafter, one of the tanks hit a mine, disabling the vehicle. It was late by the time the column was ready to move again, so they bivouacked alongside of the road, the Marines on a slight rise, and the mechanized unit a hundred yards away in a slight valley. Unbeknownst to the armored troopers, they set their overnight camp in the middle of a North Vietnamese Army (NVA) bunker system. After dark, at approximately 8:30 PM, a trip flare set out by the Americans went up, signaling the presence of enemy sappers. Eight NVA were spotted running in the open and were engaged by U.S. troops. The enemy then attacked from the north and northwest, infiltrating the camp and firing weapons and tossing satchel charges. U.S. flare ships, AC-47 “Spooky” gunships, and artillery were used in support of the besieged Americans. The sometimes close-quarter fighting raged approximately three hours. The Marine unit, only a football field away, was advised to stay put as the confused combat made for unclear battle lines. Nearby Marine and Army artillery units plus air support kept most of the attackers outside the camp and finally drove the NVA into the surrounding jungle. Twelve U.S. Army personnel were killed and twenty-two were wounded. They included SP4 Andrew A. Biedron Jr., SP4 Kenneth R. Brinker, SGT John Burgess, SP5 George C. Dahlman, SGT David A. Dittmer, PFC Victor L. Mills, CPL Robert L. Park, SGT Ronald H. Riley, SGT Perry J. Scott, SP5 Charles D. Short, SP4 Charles C. Smith Jr., and SGT Timothy T. Tipton. Also lost was a Pacific Stars & Stripes correspondent embedded with the unit, SSG Paul D. Savanuck, the first S&S reporter killed since the Korean War. A sweep of the battle area revealed five NVA bodies, two found inside the perimeter. Total enemy kills were estimated at thirteen. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org, “G2 & G3 Journal (3d MARDIV)” at ttu.edu, and “Stripes’ Newsman Killed in Attack.” Pacific Stars & Stripes, April 23, 1969; also “Human bombs hit U.S. base.” Chicago Times, April 19, 1969; also, information provided by Howell M. Young (May 2020)]
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