lest we forget

GRIFFITH, ROBERT ELWIN

Rank / Branch:

  • FIRST LIEUTENANT, U. S. ARMY

Date Of Birth:

  • 1945-09-02

Country Of Loss:

  • SOUTH VIETNAM

Status:

  • HOSTILE, SMALL ARMS FIRE

Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground:​

  • GROUND

Other:

  • MARRIED

Unit:

  • FOURTH DIVISION

Date Of Loss:

  • 1969-03-03

Loss Coordinates:

  • KONTUM

Catagory:

  • BODY RECOVERED

Awards & Decorations:

  • SEE BIO

VETERAN HAGI0GRAPHY

  • GRIFFITH, ROBERT ELWIN, FIRST LIEUTENANT, U.S. ARMY, BIG SPRING, HOWARD COUNTY, TEXAS

AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

  • COMBAT INFANTRYMANS BADGE, BRONZE STAR WITH V DEVICE, PURPLE HEART, NATIONAL DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL, VIETNAM SERVICE MEDAL, VIETNAM CROSS OF GALLANGRY WITH PALM, VIETNAM CAMPAIGN MEDAL

BIOGRAPHY

  • Robert Griffith was born in San Antonio, Texas to Mr. Jay Maurice and Mrs. Vivian Earwood Griffith. The family moved to Big Spring and Robert attended Big Spring schools. He was a 1963 graduate of Big Spring High School. After a year of college at Howard College in Big Spring, Robert enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1966. He was selected to attend Officer Candidate School. He was commissioned as 2Lt. Infantry in 1967.
  • He married Linda Diane Duncan of Big Spring on September 10, 1966, before he reported for Officer Candidate School. A son, Wesley Jay was born on March 13, 1968, while Robert was serving as an instructor at the Ranger school at Fort Benning, Georgia. He departed for Vietnam October 19, 1968, as a First Lieutenant. He was assigned as a platoon leader for A Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment of the 4th Division. His company and Regiment were involved in several serious skirmishes and battles in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. On March 3, 1969, his company was operating as a part of four other companies in the battalion attempting to root NVA regulars out of the Kontum province. This operation was known as "Wayne Grey." Robert's company was involved in intense fighting when his company in which he was a platoon leader engaged a battalion of PAVN. Robert and at least 12 other members of A Company/3rd Bn/8th Infantry were killed in the fierce battle on March 3, 1969. During the battle A Company was in danger of being overrun, many were wounded, and the survivors were able to pull out. In doing so, the 12 dead were left in the field. In a company sweep several days later, after several days of fierce fighting, a reserve company, Company C, 3rd Battalion, 8th Infantry was able to locate the twelve dead. For his action in the battle, Lt. Griffith was awarded a posthumous Bronze Star with "V" device and a purple heart.
  • Lt. Robert Griffin was buried in the Trinity Memorial Park Cemetery in Big Spring with full military honors. He was survived by his parents, his wife and his son. His wife remarried and now lives in Levelland.
  • BIG SPRING HIGH SCHOOL, CLASS OF 1963
  • TRINITY MEMORIAL PARK CEMETERY, BIG SPRING