NO. 17704 •
Died 17 July 1953 in Korea, aged 25 years.
We all try to forget the the unpleasant and remember the happy periods of our life. So it is with Dave. Our years of close association with him are cherished as one of the brightest periods of our lives. Those of us who knew him so well try to disbelieve that we have lost such an outstanding friend.
Dave grew up in Reno, Nev. He entered the Army after graduation from high school and immediately found that this was his calling. He obtained an appointment to West Point and arrived on the West Shore Railroad in July 1946. During the next four years, Dave displayed a sincere warmth and devotion to his family and friends. To be a friend of Dave's was to participate in rare comradeship. Although Dave is no longer with us, much of him remains. There is never a reminiscence about old Company I‑1 that does not include him. Why? Because Dave had such an influence on all he met. He quickly achieved eminence in the eyes of everyone he encountered, and he abides supremely in the hearts of those of us who were fortunate enough to be called friend by him.
Few of us have the capability to extract as much out of life as Dave did. He took each day as it came and lived it to its fullest. In his 25 years, Dave lived a far richer life than most who endure years longer. His love of life was contagious. You just wanted to be around him and share his enthusiasm. Dave made the ultimate sacrifice for the way of life he so dearly appreciated. On 17 July 1953, just a few days before the end of the Korean War, Dave was killed in action. Again, he was living this day to its fullest when he was killed. For his action in ousting a squad of Chinese Communists from the trenches by hand-to‑hand combat, he received the Silver Star.
Dave returned home to Reno, Nev., on 30 September 1953, with Bill Magill as escort. Services were held in October, and burial was in the veterans' section of the Mt. View Cemetery.
Dave's father wrote, "Dave would have been very proud and probably embarrassed to think that so many people would make so much fuss over him." In memory of Dave, his friends contributed a window to his church.
Little can be added to a tribute written by one of Dave's fellow officers in the 187th Regimental Combat Team. "Dave spent a wonderful year in the 187th, during which time he impressed those around him; his superiors, contemporaries, and their dependents as being an officer of outstanding efficiency, understanding, and generosity. In short, everybody liked him. He was a fine officer and a great guy"
‑Lou Prentiss