On May 8th, 2018, I stood beside the gravesite of my wife Garnett’s uncle Donald Sperl. It was the 50th anniversary of his death in Vietnam.
I sat there for a few minutes, and reflected on his life. He was 21 years old when he died. He left behind two brothers, a sister and his loving parents. He never met his niece, my future wife. His gravesite is located near the center of Evergreen Cemetery in Juneau, Alaska. Mountains surround Juneau and the cemetery, rising up in every direction. In May, most are still covered with a blanket of winter snow.
May 8th, 2018 was the day I decided to learn more about his service in Vietnam, and to learn more about the men that served with him. Donald served in the U.S. Army’s 3rd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division. He was one of 267 men who were assigned to the 3/12 Infantry when they lost their lives in Vietnam. I compiled a list of their gravesites, and decided I’d visit them all. I’ve since added about a dozen men to the list. Primarily artillery forward observers and helicopter pilots and crewmen, these men served and died while directly supporting the 3rd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment.