THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
Diane Morgan and the Camas Public Library, Gregory Payne

    Prentis Barney BOYKIN Jr.

Birth 08AUG47 Rank PFC Date of Death 04MAR68 P. of birth   Service Army Place Darlac, S. Vietnam Town of Record Vancouver Unit 173rd Abn Bde, D Co, 16th Armor Death Code Hostile, Died; Ground Casualty; Gun, Small Arms Fire Hometown   service # 18958699 Panel 42EAST - 61  married Single Links * Virtual Wall * 173rd Abn Bde * 173rdAirborne Medals   Tour Date 05MAY67 Comment   Cemetery

Picture supplied by his friend, Gregory Payne

Army Pfc. Boykin is casualty The death of Army Pfc. Prentis B. Boykin Jr., 20, as the reseult of wounds received in action while serving in Vietnam was reported today. According to an Army spokesman, the soldier died in Vietnam 4 Mar (1968) as the result of wounds suffered during a firefight with enemy forces. He was a member of Company C, 16th Armored, 173rd Airborne Division. Boykin was the eighth member of the armed forces with Clark County ties to die in the Vietnam War this year, while only one death had been reported at this same point in 1967. His was the 29th death of a county resident or former resident since the war began nine more than during the Korean War. Boykin was graduated from Hudson's Bay High School in 1965 and entered the Army here 1 Nov (1966). He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Prentis B. Boykin Sr., 2913 E. Fourteenth Court. The Columbian, Vancouver WA, 8 Mar 1968)

Harley Hubert "H3" HALL

Birth 23DEC37 Rank CAPT Date of Event 27JAN73 P. of birth   Service Navy Place Quang Tri, S. Vietnam Town of Record Vancouver Unit VF 143 ENTERPRISE CVAN 65 Death Code Hostile, Air Loss, Crash on Land - Fixed Wing - Pilot Hometown   service # 549503460 Panel 01WEST - 112   married Married MIA - Remains ret. wife refused id Medals   Link Virtual Wall Comment   Cemetery

(MIA information extracted from PowNetWork.Org) CDR Harley Hall was the commanding officer of Fighter Squadron 143 onboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. On 27 Jan 1973 he and his co-pilot Philip A. Kinzler were launched on an attack mission against North Vietnamese supplies vehicles. On his last pass his plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire. Hall attempted to fly his plane back towards the safety of the Ocean but the plane caught fire and he and his co-pilot were forced to eject extremely close to a Vietnamese Village. The co-pilot was wounded by ground fire and was captured. Harley Hall disappeared. Harley Hall, a career Air Force man, had been the leader of the Blue Angels. He was shot down on the "last day of the war" and was the last Navy air casualty of the Vietnam War. He was the last American to be classified Prisoner of War. Three of Harley Hall's front teeth were returned as evidence of his death. In 1993, his wife refused to acknowledge them as proof of his death. Lots more information about Harley Hall at Pownetwork.org

Picture and more biographical information at Virtual Wall

    Robert Arnold 'Bob' METTERT

Birth 14DEC46 Rank CPL Date of Death 07MAY67 P. of birth New Castle IN Service Marines Place Quang Tri, S. Vietnam Town of Record Vancouver Unit B Co, 1st Bn, 9th Mar, 3d Mar Div Death Code Hostile, Died Wounds; Ground Casualty; Misadventure Hometown   service # 2138999 Panel 19EAST - 53 married Single Tours 2nd Medals   Comment Link Virtual Wall  Tour Date   Cemetery Willamette National Cem., Portland OR

 

In remembrance I, GREGORY PAYNE, WAS ONE OF THE STUDENTS SITTING WITH THOMAS ALLEN METTERT, MARINE CPL ROBERT ARNOLD METTERT's YOUNGER BROTHER WHO GAVE THAT FATEFULL TALK THAT DAY ON APRIL 27th, 1967 IN MRS. VIRGINIA RICHARDS "CWP" CLASS (CONTEMPORARY WORLD PROBLEMS CLASS)WHOSE HUSBAND INCODENTLY WAS A CIVILIAN WAR CORRESPONDANT AT THE TIME AND VERY COINCIDENTLY MET BOB METTERT OVER THERE AND ACTUALLY WITNESSED HIS DEATH, FIRST HAND BEFORE THE MARINE CORPS HAD A CHANCE TO NOTIFY THE FAMILY, BECAUSE THEY WERE BOTH FROM VANCOUVER, WASHINGTOPN AT THE TIME HE NOTIFIED HIS WIFE LONG DISTANCE FROM DANANG, VIETNAM AND TOLD HER OF THE EVENT!!!!! IT WAS HELL ON MRS. RICHARDS BECAUSE SHE HAD TOM METTERT IN HER CLASS AND SHE COULD NOT FACE HIM WITH THE TRUTH THAT SHE WAS SWORN TO SECRECY NOT TO TELL THE FAMILY, UNTILL THE MARINE CORPS HAD GONE THROUGH THE APPROPRIATE STEPS TO DO SO FIRST!!!!!!! TOM METTERT AND I GRADUATED FROM HUDSON"S BAY HIGH SCHOOL IN JUNE OF 1967!!!!! My being both long term friends with alot of these people go back as far as 1956 for me, as well as being FAMILY as well to one! Picture and remembrance supplied by his friend, Gregory Payne

Shell Fatal To Marine in Vietnam The war in Vietnam has again been brought close to home, as the death of Marine Cpl. Robert Arnold Mettert of Vancouver was confirmed Wednesday night by the Defense Department. The corporal, son of Mr. and Mrs. John E. Mettert, 1208 Brandt Rd., was killed last Sunday in the vicinity of Khe Sanh, to become the 11th member of the armed forces with Clark County ties to die in Vietnam. Mrs. Mettert said she was first notified of her son's death Tuesday, but official confirmation did not come until the following evening. He was said to have died of chest wounds suffered from an exploding 81mm mortar shell. The 20-year-old Leatherneck had just arrived back in Vietnam for his second tour of duty. Mrs. Mettert said he had served 13 months there, before coming home on leave last March. He volunteered to go back and left here 21 Apr (1967) arriving in Vietnam just seven days before he met death. Mettert was born 14 Dec 1946 at New Castle IN. He was a 1965 graduate of Hudson's Bay High School and a member of the St. Joseph's Catholic Church. He had been a Columbian paper boy for about five years from 1959 to 1963. In addition to his parents and his brother at home, the corporal is survived by another brother, Thomas, and sisters, Mary Ann and Joan, all at home. Mrs. Mettert said the funeral arrangements will be made by the Vancouver Funeral Chapel when the body arrives from overseas with the services to be held at St. Joseph's Church. She also noted that thought she appreciates the sentiment, she would prefer not to receive flowers at her home. (The Columbian, Vancouver WA, 11 May 1967)

Funeral Due For Marine Killed In 2nd Viet Tour.
    Cpl. Robert Mettert of the U.S. Marines will be buried in Willamette National Cemetery with full honors Monday morning.
    He could be taking it easy in a soft assignment Stateside, but he died instead, in battle near Khe Sanh, just below the DMZ in South Vietnam.
    He was struck by an 81-mm mortar fragmant in the chest. "We did everything we could to save him." one of his buddies wrote," but it was no use."
    That was Sunday, 7 May (1967). Ten days later Mettert's body came home in a sealed coffin, marked "body unviewable."
    The rosary will be recited at 7:30 p.m.,Sunday at the Vancouver WA Funeral Chapel.
Corporal aged 20.
    Cpl. Mettert, son of Mr. and Mrs. John E. Mettert, 1208 Brandt Rd., Vancouver WA was 20. He had already served his 13 month tour in Vietnam. He would have automatically returned to a quiet stateside assignment for six months. But he volunteered to return to the thick of the fight near Khe Sanh. Why? To save some money he told his mother.
    "He was determined to pay his own way through college," she recalls. But the truth came out when he talked to a class of seniors at Hudson's Bay High School, where he was a graduate with honors in June, 1965. "It may sound corny," he told his schoolmates last month, during his last home leave," But I happen to love my country. We had to fight for our freedom, when we were getting started. Now we are a rich and powerful nation and I feel we have an obligation to help others fight for their freedom."
Fear Admitted
    "Aren't you Afraid?, the students asked.
    "Sure Im afraid whenever I go into action," he said. "Everyone is but you get so busy you don't think about yourself. "You know you can get it any day," he told his teachers " I've said goodbye to everyone."
    That was his last day at home, 21 Apr (1967). He was back in Vietnam by April 30. His mother got a letter dated 3 May (1967) telling about some hot fighting for Hill 831 near Khe Sanh, but assured his mother he was back in the safety and comparative comfort of Camp Carroll, the main Marine artillery plateau.
    He was in command of a squad and had been recommended for promotion to sergeant. Four days later he was dead, just seven days after starting his second tour of duty in Vietnam.
    His brother, John, now at home, also volunteered to serve two sucessive tours of duty 19 months as a Marine Corporal in Vietnam. John was released from active duty 4 April, 1967.
    Mr. and Mrs. Mettert have a son, Thomas A., and two daughters, Mary Ann and Joan Renee at home. Cpl. Metterts survivors also include an aunt, Sister Antonetta, a nun at Dayton OH, and the grandmother, Mrs. Amanda Mettert of Newcastle IN.
    Cpl. Mettert was a junior dealer for the Oregonian for five years before enlisting. (Oregonian, Portland OR, 20 May 1967)

    Dell Coleman "Coley" ODEGARD

Birth 15JUN48 Rank CPL Date of Death 30JAN68 P. of birth   Service Army Place Phuoc Long, S. Vietnam Town of Record Vancouver Unit 101st Abn Div, B Co, 1st Bn, 327th Inf Death Code Hostile, Died; Ground Casualty; Misadventure Hometown   service # 18959387 Panel 35EAST - 78   married Single Link Virtual Wall and Screaming Eagles Medals   Tour Date 27JAN68 Comment   Cemetery

 

Here are four photo's of Del Odegard from two of his old friends who will never forget him. Larry Melton and Jim Uphouse, Co. B 1/327 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne

Soldier Killed by Shrapnel     Killed by our own artillery, Cpl Dell C. "Coley" Odegard, 19, of Vancouver has become the 24th casualty of the Vietnam war with Clark County ties, and is the third to die there this year.     According to the Army, Odegard died of shrapnel wounds on 30 Jan (1968) from "friendly" artillery while he was on night perimeter guard.     The soldier's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Delmar Odegard, 3504 E. Twelfth St., were notified of his death Friday. The Pentagon released the information Monday, along with announcement of two other Washington men killed in action. Army Specialist Four Guy F. Brooks of Pasco and Marine Cpl. Michael G. Murdock of Rockford. Odegard had been in Vietnam since last June as a member of Co B., 1st Bn, 327th Inf., 101st Airborne Div. He entered the Army in January, 1967, and underwent training at Ft. Lewis and Camp Gordon GA, before entering jump school at Ft. Benning GA, where he was a distinguished honor graduate last June. Born in Astoria Or, 15 Jun 1948, Odegard had lived nearly all his life in Vancouver. He was a graduate of Hudson's Bay High School in 1966 and was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church. (Vancouver Columbian, Vancouver WA, 6 Feb 1968)

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