Robert Eugene Schmitz

Robert Eugene Schmitz

Company D 1/22 Infantry

KIA 09/16/69

SGT - E5 - Army - Selective Service
4th Infantry Division
25 year old Single, Caucasian, Male
Born on Feb 25, 1944
From MARTIN, NORTH DAKOTA
Length of service 1 year.
His tour of duty began on Apr 01, 1969
Casualty was on Sep 16, 1969
in PLEIKU, SOUTH VIETNAM
HOSTILE, GROUND CASUALTY
GUN, SMALL ARMS FIRE *
Body was recovered
Religion
ROMAN CATHOLIC

Panel 18W - - Line 98

* Note that the above official report of SGT Schmitz's death states that he was killed by
hostile small arms fire. This is not the case. As can be seen by the newspaper article below,
SGT Schmitz was killed by friendly fire. SGT Harold Hall, a 3rd Platoon Squad Leader for Company D
that day, recalls the following about the death of SGT Schmitz:

"...........he was known to everyone as Smitty...........

For those of us that were there that day, we know that he died when a Huey Slick Pilot saw movement through the trees,
called in a wrong location and then strafed us two times using the two M-60’s. There were several wounded
but he was the only one that died that day. The newspaper story states that, he was mistaken for a hostile and fired upon
by supporting aircraft. It is amazing to me that the Army told his family what really happened
and did not try to cover it up like they often did. "

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, Washington, D.C. -- tip of flagpole pointing to Robert Schmitz' name

Thanks to Gary Hurl for the above items about Robert Schmitz.

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The above article is from John Gabbert via Fred Golladay

Thanks to Harold G. Hall for his contribution to the memory of his fellow Soldier and friend,
SGT Robert "Smitty" Schmitz

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