Families of fallen Vietnam War vets share their memories
YOUNGSTOWN — “I will be able to say I fought for my country, and I helped save lives. So you see, it isn’t all that bad,” wrote David Lawrence “Larry” Eisenbraun, Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class, in a letter to his family.
A Navy corpsman, Eisenbraun, who grew up on Hitchcock Road in Boardman, was killed by shrapnel from a mortar round on Sept. 17, 1968, in Quang Tri Province as he lay across the body of a wounded Marine, sacrificing himself to protect his patient.
Had he lived, he would have been 67. He was one of seven brothers and sisters.
Army Private 1st Class Amalio Gonzalez, a Youngstown East High School graduate, was in Vietnam just 22 days when he was killed April 25, 1966. An infantryman with the “Big Red One” 1st Infantry Division, he was killed by shrapnel, possibly from a land mine, said his younger brother, Enrique “Chico” Gonzalez of Campbell.
Amalio, who was drafted into the Army, arrived in Vietnam on March 29, 1966. He was a member of the 1st Infantry Division’s 2nd Battalion, 16th Regiment. Had he lived, he would have been 69. He was one of eight brothers and sisters.
For the complete story, read Sunday's Vindicator and Vindy.com