Kurt Patrick Stephenson
Corporal
D CO, 2ND BN, 327TH INFANTRY, 101ST ABN DIV, USARV
Army of the United States
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
October 31, 1947 to August 10, 1968
KURT P STEPHENSON is on the Wall at Panel W49, Line 45

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Kurt P Stephenson
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27 Mar 2006

REMEMBERED

by his nephew,
Kurt Patrick Stephenson
iahawkeye06@aol.com

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall

On 10 August 1968 D Company, 2/327th Infantry, was working in the A Shau Valley. During the day they lost eight men:
  • SGT Antonio V. Garcia, Kingsville, TX
  • SGT Edward Stewart, Monroe, LA
  • CPL Daniel L. Ault, Mountville, PA
  • CPL Roger Hulsey, Powder Springs, GA
  • CPL Samuel R. James, Carrollton, GA
  • CPL John J. Matarazzi, Lebanon, PA
  • CPL Steven M. Schlosser, Lacon, IL
  • CPL Kurt P. Stephenson, Cedar Rapids, IA
The truly tragic aspect was that seven of the dead were victims of "friendly fire":
"In August 1968 a Navy A-7D fired two 5-inch aerial rockets into the HQ CP of Company D, 2d Battalion, 327th Infantry (101st Airborne Division), during an operation in the A Shau Valley. Fifty-five casualties [killed and wounded] resulted."

From "Amicicide: The Problem of Friendly Fire"
Army Command and General Staff College, Dec 1982

Corporal Kurt Stephenson is the only known hostile-fire casualty incurred on 10 August.

At this distance it makes little difference where the aircraft came from, but in August 1968 there were only four A-7 squadrons in Vietnam:

  • Attack Squadron 82 and Attack Squadron 86 in USS AMERICA (CVA-66) and
  • Attack Squadron 27 and Attack Squadron 97 in USS CONSTELLATION (CVA-64).
CONSTELLATION was operating on a dawn-to-dusk schedule, while AMERICA was on the dusk-to-dawn shift. If the aircraft type is correctly identified in the ACGSC study, it appears that A-7s from VA-27 or VA-97 were involved in the incident.

The author of this note was an aviator with VA-85 (A-6 INTRUDER)
embarked in USS AMERICA. The carrier's operating schedule in Aug 1968
was determined through reference to his flight log book and notes.


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