Rank: Specialist 4
Unit: L Troop, 3rd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment
MOS: 11D – Armor Reconnaissance Specialist
Awards: Bronze Star Medal with Valor Device, Purple Heart Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
Badges: Combat Infantryman Badge
Unit awards: Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm device
Enlisted by: Selected Service
Date of birth: 6-Dec-1946
Hometown: Ferguson, Missouri
Marital status: Never Married
Campaign: Vietnam Conflict
Entered service: 18-Apr-1968
Start of tour: 28-Aug-1968
Incident date: 9-Jun-1969
Date of casualty: 9-Jun-1969
Age at death: 22
Cause of death: Hostile, died. Small Arms Fire. Gun or small arms fire.
Kenneth Joseph Kreutz was killed while commander of a military vehicle on a combat operation when a hostile force was encountered. / Track commander of Armored Cavalry Assault Vehicle (ACAV) on reconnaissance in force mission. Engaged hostile force in firefight.
Two Blackhorse troopers died in this incident:
SP4 Kenneth Joseph Kreutz
SP4 Samuel Lee Young
Location of fatality: Binh Long, South Vietnam, XT 704 915
Place of interment: Calvary Cemetery and Mausoleum, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
View this soldier‘s Find a Grave page (opens in a new window)
BRONZE STAR MEDAL
WITH VALOR DEVICE
POSTHUMOUS
SPECIALIST FOUR KENNETH JOSEPH KREUTZ
9 JUNE 1969
L TROOP, 3rd SQUADRON
11TH ARMORED CAVALRY REGIMENT
Specialist Four Kreutz distinguished himself by heroism in connection with military operations against a hostile force on 9 June 1969 while serving as an armored vehicle commander with Troop L, 3d Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, in the Republic of Vietnam. On this date while on a reconnaissance-in-force operation, the troop suddenly came under intense automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenade fire from well-concealed enemy troops positioned on both sides of the friendly armored column. Seeing that his platoon leader had been wounded in the initial burst of hostile fire, Specialist Kreutz quickly assessed the situation and began an assault on the enemy positions in an attempt to suppress the enemy barrage. Although several of his fellow crew members had already been wounded and he knew that he could rely only on the fire from his heavy machine gun, he continued his relentless advance and covered the hostile positions with devastating suppressive fire until he was mortally wounded by an impacting enemy rocket-propelled grenade. Specialist Four Kreutz’s courage and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
Headquarters, II Field Force Vietnam General Orders No. 1773 (18 July 1969)