John M Vollmerhausen, JrPrivate First ClassC CO, 1ST BN, 501ST INF RGT, 101 ABN DIV Army of the United States 26 August 1950 - 18 May 1969 Wilton Manors, Florida Panel 24W Line 051 |
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Photo from "Vietnam: One Week's Dead" LIFE Magazine Vol. 66, No. 25, 27 Jun 1969 |
The database page for John M Vollmerhausen, Jr
Operation Lamar Plain began on 15 May 1969 when the 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile) sent a brigade task force south to Quang Tin Province in order to reinforce the Americal Division. John Vollmerhausen was among the first men to die during the operation. His platoon and another from Charlie Company were assaulting a small hill north of LZ Professional when an NVA soldier popped up from a spider hole and shot Vollmerhausen. Note that John died on 18 May 1969, not during the period of 28 May to 3 June as stated in the Life magazine article in which his photo appears. Nearly three dozen men killed during Operation Lamar Plain before or after those dates are mentioned in the misleading article.
From a Screaming Eagle researcher, |
Thank you for serving our country. You are a true hero. I want to know more about him and his family, and I would like to get in touch with relatives I don't know. If anyone could e-mail me more about him I would appreciate it very much.
From a distant relative, |
Notes from The Virtual WallA total of seven men were killed in action at Hill 187 where Bravo Company was positioned and at a nearby fortified hill taken by Charlie Company- four infantrymen and three medics:
At the time LIFE Magazine published "Vietnam: One Week's Dead" the clear implication was that the men portrayed had died in Vietnam during a specific seven-day period (28 May-03 June 1969). Within days objections arose from friends and families of the men whose photographs appeared in the article, stating that the men had died outside the stated period. LIFE published a clarification, stating in effect that they were unable to obtain photos for all the men listed by DoD for the period given but that the article accurately portrayed the number - if not the actual people - who died during the specified period. It later developed that only men killed in action were portrayed; those who died due to illness, accident, and other non-hostile causes were ignored. |
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With all respect
Jim Schueckler, former CW2, US Army
Ken Davis, Commander, United States Navy (Ret)
Last updated 08/10/2009