Delta Company 1/20

Delta Company, 1st Of The 20th, 11th Light Infantry Brigade
Americal Division

David Eugene Lovegren

David Lovegren, in the Cub Scout uniform, and family at Christmas

Roosevelt High School - 1967 Portland, Oregon

Fort Lewis - 1968 Washington

Vietnam - Feb. 1969
March 21, 1949 - March 1, 1969

David Eugene Lovegren
    David Lovegren was lost on March 1, 1969, a very sad day for Delta Company. David, and four other men, were lost in the helicopter crash that claimed the lives of five men of the Third Platoon and the entire chopper crew. There were only two survivors. The crash took place on a hillside, overlooking the Song Ve River.
    The other four men were James Craft, Thomas Gaines, Rodney Goode and Jimmy Gross. One of our Third Platoon members has commented that these five men were as fine a group of men as could be found.
Alan Conger

    "Not long ago I was reading the letters we received from some of David's friends after they learned of his death. Two of them were still in Vietnam when they found out. Their words describe David better than I could, being his mother they would probably be biased and sentimental.
    Young or old, people loved him."
Marge Lovegren   February 16, 2004

    "In all his letters David never talked of the bad times, but he was that way at home; when things were bad, or we were scared, he was ready with a laugh and looking on the bright side."
John Rusigno, 25th Inf. Div, Admin. Co.

    "When I read my wife's letter all I could do was cry. David's death is a tragedy that no one will forget."
Ron Walker, Co. C, 124th Sig. Bn. 4th Inf. Div.

    "For David and the other four, I have them implanted in my mind....their smiling faces and gentle nature. Craft had not been there very long, but Gaines, Gross, and Goode were like David. Their faces gleamed with joy.
    God gathered a complete bouquet on March 1, 1969"
anonymous   February 2004