Rank: Sergeant First Class
Unit: 919th Engineer Company, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment
MOS: 12B – Combat Engineer
Awards: Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal with Three Oak Leaf Clusters, National Defense Service Medal with Star Device, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
Badges: Drill Sergeant Badge
Unit awards: Valorous Unit Award, Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm device
Enlisted by: Regular
Date of birth: 4-Jan-1931
Hometown: Orangeburg, South Carolina
Marital status: Married to Vernell H. Dash, one son, two daughters
Campaign: Vietnam Conflict
Entered service: 6-Apr-1951
Start of tour: 10-Jul-1969
Incident date: 8-Apr-1970
Date of casualty: 2-May-1970
Age at death: 39
Cause of death: Non-hostile, died of illness/injury. Other Accident. Other accident.
David Winthrop Dash died as a result of injuries received while on a military mission when he tripped a friendly command detonated mine. He was admitted to a military medical facility and later expired. / Individual tripped friendly command detonated mine. Individual was admitted to 45th Surgical Hospital 8 Apr 1970 at 1115 hrs, placed on Serious Injury (SI) list 8 Apr 1970 at 1530 hrs. Evacuated to United States Army Hospital Camp Zama, Japan, 23 Apr 1970 and later expired. Incident occurred on 8 Apr 1970 at 1030 hrs.
Three Blackhorse troopers died as a result of this incident:
SFC David Winthrop Dash
SSG Robert James Thompson
SP5 Craig Alden Van Akin
Location of fatality: Tay Ninh, South Vietnam, XT 048 857
Place of interment: Brown Chapel AME Church Cemetery, Elloree, South Carolina, USA
View this soldier‘s Find a Grave page (opens in a new window)