Rank: Private First Class
Unit: F Troop, 2nd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment
MOS: 63A – Mechanical Maintenance Helper
Awards: Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
Unit awards: Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm device
Enlisted by: Regular
Date of birth: 3-Apr-1951
Hometown: Jersey City, New Jersey
Marital status: Never Married
Campaign: Vietnam Conflict
Entered service: 23-Apr-1969
Start of tour: 19-Nov-1969
Incident date: 15-Dec-1969
Date of casualty: 15-Dec-1969
Age at death: 18
Cause of death: Hostile, died of wounds. Grenade. Multiple fragmentation wounds.
James Patrick Nugent died as a result of wounds received while driver of a military vehicle on a combat operation when a hostile force was encountered. He was admitted to a military medical facility and later expired. / Driver on Armored Cavalry Assault Vehicle (ACAV) on reconnaissance mission. Engaged hostile force in firefight. Admitted to 2d Surgical Hospital, Lai Khe, on 15 Dec 1969 at 1210 hrs placed on Very Serious Injured (VSI) list on 15 Dec 1969 at 1600 hrs and later expired. Incident occurred on 15 Dec 1969 at 0920 hrs.
Five Blackhorse troopers died in this incident:
PFC Ronald Charles Collins
CPL Farrish Combs
SP4 Daniel Millard Dawson
PFC James Patrick Nugent
1LT John Roche
Location of fatality: Phuoc Long, South Vietnam, XU 955 265
Place of interment: Holy Cross Cemetery, North Arlington, New Jersey, USA
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