Richard A. Knaus
Private First Class
B BTRY, 2ND BN, 19TH ARTILLERY, 1ST CAV DIV, USARV
Army of the United States
Cheektowaga, New York
August 21, 1945 to December 27, 1966
RICHARD A KNAUS is on the Wall at Panel 13E, Line 84

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Richard A Knaus
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31 Mar 2007

I am writing this because I have been looking for anyone who might have known my brother Donald Lederhaus. I have received an e-mail from Sergeant James Johnson. It turns out that you and Don where in his unit and that you and DON were friends. I am so sorry for your loss and I know that your family misses you as much as I miss Don. I want to say "Thank you" for my freedom. I only wish I could be saying this to you in person.

Bonnie (Lederhaus) Phillips
manyowls2000@yahoo.com


 

A Note from The Virtual Wall

Landing Zone Bird was located in a bend in the Kim Son River about 10 miles southwest of Phu Cat in Binh Dinh Province. On 27 Dec 1966 the position was occupied by two artillery batteries (Bravo 2/19 with 105s and Charlie 6/16 with 155s) and C Company, 1/12 Cavalry. A ferocious fight ensued when LZ Bird was attacked by three battalions from the 22nd NVA Regiment.

Kelley's Where We Were in Vietnam incorrectly places the battle on Christmas Day, and has Charlie 2/12 Cav as the rifle company securing the base. He further reports that 58 Americans were killed in the battle, with 77 more wounded, at a cost to the North Vietnamese of 266 dead.

The US casualty list was bad enough - 28 men killed in action - but it is less than half that reported by Kelley:

  • Charlie 1/12th Cav lost 15 men;
  • Charlie 6/16th Arty lost 4 men;
  • Supporting helicopter units lost 2 men; and
  • B Battery, 2/19th Arty, lost 7 men:
    • SSG Rodney D. Staton, Guyan, WV
    • SGT Daniel L. Miracle, Williamstown, WV
    • CPL Ronald R. Conn, Tyler, TX
    • PFC Samuel Q. Asher, Milford, OH
    • PFC Anthony C. Coffaro, New Brunswick, NJ
    • PFC Richard A. Knaus, Cheektowaga, NY
    • PFC Donald H. Lederhaus, Milwaukee, WI

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