5 INF DIV

61ST INF RGT

Richard Hurrell Stube

First Lieutenant
A CO, 1ST BN, 61ST INFANTRY, 5 INF DIV
Army of the United States
16 May 1946 - 20 September 1970
Helena, Montana
Panel 07W Line 080

Combat Infantry

Bronze Star, Purple Heart, National Defense, Vietnam Service, Vietnam Campaign

The database page for Richard Hurrell Stube

20 Feb 2008

Good afternoon, fellow Americans, I would like to add a tribute to Lt. Richard Stube. He was a platoon leader with A Company, 1/61 in 1970. I barely remember him, but I do remember he showed no regard for his own safety that hellish day in September north of FSB A-4 when we had been detached to recover the victims of a chopper shot down south of the DMZ.

It was a horrendous day as we arrived and found no survivors, We began to try and locate the chopper crew as well as a Ranger team from P Company, 75th Infantry. We had just started to load bodies on the first dustoff helo when we began to take mortar rounds from the enemy. It became more intense, trying to load bodies amongst the nightmarish barrage. Lt. Stube and Mike Linville were fatally wounded. There was very little cover, only a few rocks and the bomb crater half full of water where the dead bird had crashed. Finally the Cobras and friendly artillery fire caused the NVA to cease fire. The damage had been done.

We had to go back the next day to retrieve the body of a Ranger we could not locate. While taking a break from the heat during the search, we heard the sound of flies buzzing not 30-40 feet from where we had stopped. We found the body. I'm thinking Lt. Stube was given a Bronze Star.

Rest in Peace guys, we'll all gather on the other side.

Respectfully
Terry L.Garret
A Co 1/61
1970-71
default1951@yahoo.com

A Note from The Virtual Wall

During the night of 19/20 September Recon Team 1-8 from P Company, 75th Rangers was to be inserted into the Demilitarized Zone immediately north of the fire base at Con Thien. The low-level insertion was by a UH-1H (tail number 67-17597) from C Company, 158th Aslt Helo Bn.

The UH-1H didn't make it; it was hit by .51 caliber fire and crashed right on the southern boundary of the DMZ. A platoon from A Company 1/61st Infantry was in a defensive position in the area and was sent to secure the crash site. The mortar fire which was received killed two men from Alpha 1/61.

The eleven men who died in the helo and recovery operation were

  • Aircrew, C Co, 158th AHB
    • 1LT Albert M. Finn, Lansdale, PA, pilot
    • WO Larry G. Baldwin, Montgomery County, AL, copilot
    • SGT William T. Dotson, Dallas, TX, gunner
    • SGT Dan O. Felts, Flagstaff, AZ, crew chief

  • Team 1-8, P Co, 75th Infantry
    • SGT Harold E. Sides, Dallas, TX
    • SP4 Raymond H. Apellido, Bakersfield, CA
    • SP4 Anthony J. Gallina, Maplewood, MO
    • SP4 Dale A. Gray, Mesa, AZ
    • PFC Glenn G. Ritchie, Mount Pleasant, NC

  • A Co, 1st Bn, 61st Infantry




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With all respect
Jim Schueckler, former CW2, US Army
Ken Davis, Commander, United States Navy (Ret)
Memorial first published on 20 Feb 2008
Last updated 08/10/2009