lest we forget

PHILBECK, DONALD DEWAYNE

Rank / Branch:

  • PRIVATE FIRST CLASS, U.S. ARMY

Date Of Birth:

  • 1949-02-05

Country Of Loss:

  • SOUTH VIETNAM

Status:

  • HOSTILE MULTIPLE FRAGMENT WOUNDS

Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground:​

  • GROUND

Other:

  • NOT MARRIED

Unit:

  • FIRST DIVISION

Date Of Loss:

  • 1968-02-20

Loss Coordinates:

  • GIA DINH

Catagory:

  • BODY RETURNED

Awards & Decorations:

  • SEE BIO

VETERAN HAGI0GRAPHY

  • PHILBECK, DONALD DEWAYNE, PRIVATE FIRST CLASS, U.S. ARMY, MIDLAND, MIDLAND COUNTY, TEXAS

AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

  • COMBAT INFANTRYMANS BADGE, SILVER STAR, PURPLE HEART, ARMY COMMENDATIONS MEDAL, NATIONAL DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL, VIETNAM SERVICE MEDAL, VIETNAM MILITARY MERIT MEDAL, VIETNAM CROSS OF GALLANTRY WITH PALM, VIETNAM CAMPAIGN MEDALi

BIOGRAPHY

  • Donald was a Richmond, Kentucky native. He was born and raised there. He attended schools there and a year after graduation he was drafted into the Army. Donald is an honory honoree at the Permian Basin Vietnam Veteran's Memorial. Donald's first cousin, John Philbeck, is the president and founding member of the Permian Basin Vietnam Veterans' Memorial located in Midland, Texas. John is a tireless worker and fund raiser and is one of the primary people who have contributed to the ongoing success of the Memorial. John submitted Don's name to be included in our Memorial and at the time of the construction, John placed some of Don's memorabilia into the concrete foundation.
  • OPERATION LAM SON 68 was a search and destroy operation with seven infantry battalions and the 1/4th Cav to clear the An My, Lai Khe, and Phu Loi areas. The opposing forces primarily were the 273rd VC and Dong Nai Regiments. During the operation, C Company, 1/28 Infantry, engaged a VC force of unknown size near Thu Duc in a brief but violent fight. Charlie 1/28 lost 18 men killed in action, with 11 more wounded - but inflicted 123 dead on the Viet Cong. Donald was one of the 18 men who died.
  • Donald was buried with full military honors in Richmond, Kentucky. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star, the Army Commendation's Medal, the Purple Heart and the Vietnamese government awarded him the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm and the Vietnam Military Merit Medal.
  • PHILBECK IN RICHMOND, KENTUCKY 1965
  • PHILBECK'S BASIC TRAINING COMPANY, FORT CAMPBELL, KENTUCK, 1967
  • RICHMOND CEMETERY, RICHMOND, KENTUCKY