Kenneth Jack Fletcher

The database page for Kenneth Jack Fletcher

22 Feb 2006 Kenneth was a Monahans, Texas native. He graduated from Monahans High School in 1959 and was working in Quemondo, Texas when he was drafted in 1966 at the age of 25. He trained in infantry. He was killed when the APC he was a passenger in turned over on an incline. He was buried with full military honors. He is remembered by the Permian Basin Vietnam Veterans' Memorial in Midland, Texas. May his sacrifice never be forgotten. From a PBVVM representative, Billy M. Brown 13 Apr 2007 Kenneth was a 1959 graduate of Denver City, Texas and not Monahans High School. His family moved to Monahans, Texas. He was a student at Sul Ross State University pursuing a degree in Business Admintration with a minor in Education and would work in Monahans during the summer earning college money. He completed the requirements for his BBA in the spring of 1963 and took a job as a Business teacher at Eagle Pass High School in Eagle Pass, Texas. He lived in a small community of Quemado near Eagle Pass. He also coached the junior high track team. He love to rodeo and he was quite good in several rodeo events. He was drafted at age 25, completed basic training and Infantry AIT at Fort Polk, Louisiana. His father was informed that Kenneth died when the military vehicle he was riding hit a land mine, as quoted in the Odessa American February 16, 1967 shortly after Kenneth's death. An obituary which followed two days later, stated it was a mililtary vehicle accident. The casualty pages shows his death as non-hostile, other accident. There appears to be controversy as to the circumstances of his death. Kenneth is buried in the Monahans, Texas City Cemetery. His parents now lie next to him as do other family members. From a PBVVM representative, Billy M. Brown bmbrown@grandecom.net The two pictures of Kenneth J. Fletcher are from the Eagle Pass (Texas) High School's annual, El Cenizo. The business suit photo is from the 1966 yearbook; the uniformed photo from the 1967 annual which was dedicated to Jack Fletcher. WEST TEXAN DIES IN WAR By Joe Ater, American Staff Writer Wednesday, February 16, 1967 MONAHANS-"He felt like it was something that had to be done," the father of 26-year old Kenneth Jack Fletcher said Tuesday, "and he did it the best he could, just like he did everything else. "Personally, I think that if we're going to fight a war, we ought to fight it and quit taking these holidays off," said V. J. Fletcher. Fletcher's son was killed in Vietnam Feb. 6 when a vehicle in which he was riding struck a land mine and exploded. Young Fletcher, a private first class who had been in Vietnam since December 4, was a school teacher in Eagle Pass before he was drafted on June 24, 1966. A graduate of Sul Ross College in Alpine, he had been teaching business courses at Eagle Pass High School and he was coaching the junior high school track team for two years before going into the army. Fletcher stated his son dabbled in rodeo as a hobby. "He roped all the time while he was going to Sul Ross, " the father said, "and he helped sponsor the junior rodeo in Eagle Pass every year, he was there. He really loved that sort of thing." "He felt that he was doing something for his community by teaching youngsters, and I guess he felt the same thing about serving in the army. He didn't really want to go to war, but he figured it was a job that had to be done, and he was one of those who had to help do it." Fletcher, a retired Humble Oil Co employee, said his son lived in several Permian Basin town during his childhood. Born in Sugarland, Oct. 20, 1940, he had lived in Hobbs, New Mexico; Penwell; Andrews and Denver City. His parents moved to Monahans while he was attending Sul Ross, and he spent his summers there. The elder Fletcher is not bitter about the war that took his son's life. "I feel like there's a lot about this thing that we don't understand," he said, "but I do think that if we're to fight a war, we ought to get in there, whip them and get it over with. I can't see taking holidays off in a war, the starting all over again." He said his son had planned to return to Eagle Pass when he finished his two year hitch. "He wanted to go back to teaching and raise a few cattle." Young Fletcher was a 1959 graduate of Denver City High School, was an above average rodeo performer and his senior year he was the president of the business club at Sul Ross. One of this best friends was Roger Tucker, who supervised the Sul Ross residence hall Fletcher lived in. Later they coached and taught at Eagle Pass. "He was one of the finest fellas I ever knew," Tucker said. "He was very well liked by the students and by the teachers and people he worked with." Tucker coached the junior high basketball team and football teams at Eagle Pass. Fletcher said he and his wife "got a letter every two or three days" from their son. The last was written Feb 4, two days before his death. Fletcher said that the army representative who notified them of his son's death told him it would be seven to ten days before the body would arrive from Vietnam. He said the funeral arrangements would be handled by the Hammond Funeral Home in Monahans, and services would be held in the First Baptist Church. Odessa American February 16, 1967 Transcribed by Billy M. Brown Permian Basin Vietnam Veterans' Memorial April 15, 2007.

A Note from The Virtual Wall The casualty database shows that on 06 Feb 1967 six men died in a vehicular accident in Binh Duong Province. While The Virtual Wall cannot demonstrate that all six were involved in the same incident, neither can we discount the possibility. The six were 1LT Richard D. Shepherd, New York, NY, B Co, 2/2nd Infantry SSG Russel L. Watson, Post Falls, ID, C Co, 2/2nd Infantry SP4 Michael C. Newman, Lincoln, NE, B Co, 1st S&T Bn SP4 Roger L. Tanner, Cincinnati, OH, HQ Co, 2/2nd Infantry PFC Max E. Brown, Hazel Park, MI, C Co, 2/2nd Infantry PFC Kenneth J. Fletcher, Quemado, TX, C Co, 2/2nd Infantry

The point-of-contact for this memorial is a PBVVM representative, Billy M. Brown 4015 Melody Lane, Odessa, Texas 79762 bmbrown@grandecom.net

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With all respect
Jim Schueckler, former CW2, US Army
Ken Davis, Commander, United States Navy (Ret)
Memorial first published on 22 Feb 2006
Last updated 05/03/2007