VIETNAM - PITRE, KENNETH JOSEPH

Pitre, Kenneth Joseph

VIETNAM - PITRE, KENNETH JOSEPH
PITRE, KENNETH JOSEPH

Rank: Sergeant

Unit: B Troop, 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment

MOS: 11B – Infantryman

Awards: Bronze Star Medal with Valor Device and Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

Badges: Parachutist Badge

Unit awards: Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm device

Enlisted by: Selected Service

Date of birth: 27-Mar-1948

Hometown: New Orleans, Louisiana

Marital status: Never Married

Campaign: Vietnam Conflict

Entered service: 11-Apr-1968

Start of tour: 6-May-1969

Incident date: 7-Jun-1969

Date of casualty: 7-Jun-1969

Age at death: 21

Cause of death: Hostile, died. Grenade. Multiple fragmentation wounds.
Kenneth Joseph Pitre was killed while commander of a military vehicle on a combat operation when a hostile force was encountered. / Track commander on Armored Cavalry Assault Vehicle (ACAV) on combat operation when engaged hostile force in firefight.

Two Blackhorse troopers died in this incident:
PFC Alf Edward Eriksen
SGT Kenneth Joseph Pitre

Location of fatality: Long Khanh, South Vietnam, YT 614 064

Place of interment: Saint Francis de Sales Cemetery #2, Houma, Louisiana, USA

View this soldier‘s Find a Grave page (opens in a new window)

Vietnam Veterans Memorial panel and row: 23W 105 (view Vietnam Veterans Memorial link in a new window)

 

BRONZE STAR MEDAL

BRONZE STAR MEDAL
WITH VALOR DEVICE
POSTHUMOUS

SERGEANT KENNETH JOSEPH PITRE
7 JUNE 1969
B TROOP, 1st SQUADRON

11TH ARMORED CAVALRY REGIMENT

Sergeant Pitre distinguished himself by heroism in connection with military operations against a hostile force on 7 June 1969 while serving as an armored vehicle commander with Troop B, 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, in the Republic of Vietnam. On this date while conducting a reconnaissance-in-force operation, the troop suddenly came under intense small arms, automatic weapons, mortar, and rocket-propelled grenade fire from a well-fortified enemy force. Unhesitatingly, Sergeant Pitre maneuvered his vehicle directly in front of the enemy positions and began raking them with devastating heavy machine gun fire. He continued providing effective support and cover for the other vehicles until he was mortally wounded by an impacting enemy rocket-propelled grenade. Sergeant Pitre’s outstanding 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. 1771 (18 July 1969)