This Site Is Dedicated
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Killed In Action 4 September 1968 
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The Training and Commission David P. Sullivan was commissioned an Army second lieutenant upon graduation from the Officer Candidate School at the Army Artillery and Missile Center, Ft. Sill, Oklahoma on December 12, 1967. Gunnery was the primary subject taught during the 23-week course, designed to prepare men for officer duties in artillery units. He was also trained in artillery survey and transport, communications, map and aerial photo reading, electronics, counterinsurgency and leadership. The following information was provided by Lt. Col. James H. Ashhurst III, Artillery, 5th Battalion. This was in a letter sent to his father, dated 15 November 1968. Dear Dean Sullivan: Please excuse the delay in answering your 10 October letter to Captain Kludt. After reading your letter I wanted to take the time to visit the 1st Battalion 61st Infantry and gather the answers to your questions personally. Dave was a fine, young officer who enjoyed the admiration and respect of superiors, peers and subordinates of both the Artillery and the Infantry. He enjoyed his duties as a forward observer and was well received by the personnel of Company A. He often stated that he preferred duty with his infantry company to a firing battery assignment. Captain Vernon, an unusually mature and experienced Company Commander serving his second tour in Vietnam, often praised Dave's ability as his forward observer. Again, we of the 1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division share your tragic loss. On the morning of 4 September (Click for Map) Company A had the mission of sweeping the area to the west of their base of operations known as fire base C-2, to an area west of Con Thien, link-up with the marine infantry company and transport the marines back to C-2 on Company A's armored personnel carriers (APC's). It was raining, visibility was poor and trafficability of the terrain deteriorated as the rain continued. During the sweep two APC's became stuck in the mud and could not be immediately extracted. Captain Vernon left a portion of his force to secure the immobilized tracks and continued with his mission. They located the marine unit at about 2:40 PM, loaded them on and into the APC's and began the return trip to the site of the downed tracks. While enroute, Captain Vernon received a radio message that his people with the downed tracks had been ambushed and were under heavy enemy small arms fire. Captain Vernon dismounted the marines from his tracks and rushed to the aid of his people. Captain Vernon, Dave and three soldiers manned the leading command track. At approximately 4:20 PM as the APC's were closing on the ambush location, Dave spotted the first North Vietnamese soldiers and started to call for artillery fire on their position. Almost immediately the command track was hit at the top right side by an RPG (rocket propelled grenade). This shot wounded both Dave and Captain Vernon. The track driver turned the vehicle in an attempt to avoid further direct fire, but a second RPG hit the track in the tailgate, went completely through the vehicle and exploded in the engine compartment. This shot wounded all the remaining crew of the command track and immobilized the vehicle. The other APC's closed around the command track and engaged the enemy with small arms, machine guns and 81mm mortars. More than 20 RPG's were fired by the enemy with 6 scoring hits on APC's. As soon as the fury of the initial contact subsided, Dave and the other wounded were recovered from the APC's and evacuated by helicopter. In spite of continuing ground fire and poor visibility, it was getting dark and the rain was increasing, the helicopter evacuation was quickly executed. Flight time from the scene of the battle to the hospital at Quang Tri was on the order of 10 minutes.
[Click the link below, for the website of Michael "Doc" Raffin (M-60 Gunner from 1/61 Inf) who wrote and keep the Daily log's for Sept
1968.] | |
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The Medals Second Lieutenant David P. Sullivan was awarded the Bronze Star Medal   on 4 November 1968 for Meritorious Achievement (not involving participation in aerial flight) On 29 November 1968 he was also awarded the Purple Heart  
for wounds received in action in Vietnam resulting in his death. |
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The Memorial
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76 mm Gun, originally employed as an antiaircraft weapon; subsequently redesignated for use as an anti-tank weapon during World War II. This type gun was used extensively in the European theater and was especially effective during the Battle of the Bulge. |
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Knife Shows Up After 31 Years
This knife was handmade by an old knifemaker in Bosman, Montana. David got the knife in 1968 while home on leave, and brought it with him to Ft. Carson and then to Vietnam.It was never used for it's intended purpose of self-defense in close combat. When David was KIA (Sept 4, 1968), Tommy Dorris removed it from his body with plans to send back to the states to David's father. Unfortunately, Tommy only had the knife for 5 days when he himself was shot (Sept 9, 1968) and medvaced out. Everything was taken from Tommy at the hopital, and the knife was lost. David's father wrote the Commander of 5/4th Arty and also went to the Commander of the 1/61st Inf. A congressman was perhaps involved in the 2 month long investigation into the whereabouts of the knife. It is unknown where exactly the knife was finally found. It was returned to David's father (Nov, 1968) in Montana two months after it was lost. Just recently Mr. Sullivan mailed the knife to Tommy. It was 31 years and 1 month since Tommy had seen it. A proud symbol of a strong friendship shared many years ago, and a bonding for life. |
Tommy, Mr. Sullivan (David's Father) and Bob Rader
