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Encourage us in our endeavor to live above the common level of life. Make us to choose the harder right rather than the easier wrong...</p>
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These words from the Cadet Prayer expressed the philosophy of Second Lieutenant <em>David L. Ugland</em>. He was far above the “common level” and always chose the path of right no matter how difficult it might be. Now that he is gone, those of us who remain behind salute him and only hope that we can live up to the example he provided.</p>
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Newspapers across the nation featured accounts of the battle between North Vietnamese troops and paratroopers of the 173d Airborne Brigade in the jungles of War Zone D on Monday, 8 November 1965. Lieutenant Ugland’s platoon, part of Company A, 1st Battalion, 503d Infantry, was in the center of the fight. In an engagement described as the heaviest of the war up to that time, David Ugland met a soldier’s death, as described in the citation accompanying the Bronze Star with “V” presented posthumously to his family.</p>
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While leading his platoon through heavy concentrations of Viet Cong machine-gun fire he pinpointed a hidden machine gun. After warning his platoon, he exposed himself to the hostile fire without regard for his personal safety, engaging the enemy singlehandedly. Only seconds later the Viet Cong machine-gun crew recovered from the initial attack of Lieutenant Ugland and a burst of fire killed him instantly. Through his courageous actions the lead squad of the platoon had been given time to maneuver and destroy the enemy position...</p>
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The family has also been informed of or has received several other decorations earned by David in his brief career including: the Purple Heart and two Vietnamese awards—the National Order, Fifth Class, and the Gallantry Cross with Palm.</p>
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David was born on 22 April 1942, in Chicago. His family lived in Toledo and Columbus, Ohio, before settling in Minneapolis, Minnesota, soon after David’s tenth birthday. In high school he was chosen for such leadership positions as all-School H-Y Chaplain, was a standout in the classroom, and lettered in wrestling. He was a member of the National Honor Society and a winner for several years in the Minneapolis Star and Tribune World Affairs contest. In his senior year he won the first prize—a trip to Washington, D.C.</p>
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He first expressed a desire to attend West Point when he was interviewed in connection with an award as a Minneapolis “Teen Trooper” in ninth grade. Hard work in high school and a good score on the entrance exam were rewarded by an appointment to the Class of 1964 from Congressman Walter Judd. As a cadet David struggled with the iron discipline of his plebe year, and once wrote that "another week of ‘gigs’ like the last one” would result in a trip home. He proved himself equal to the challenge, however, and soon assured himself of success with a characteristically excellent academic performance. He ranked high in the Class and won the American Legion award for standing first in chemistry.</p>
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David’s fine record would have qualified him for graduate training in engineering, but his goal was to work with and lead troops, so he chose the Infantry. Having made this choice he spent the few months after graduation at Fort Benning where he successfully completed the Airborne course on 27 August and the Ranger course on 10 November 1964.</p>
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David then named the airborne unit on Okinawa as his preference for assignment, and he joined the 173d Airborne Brigade there in December 1964. The situation in Vietnam was deteriorating at the time, and David wrote of the intensified training in anticipation of a move there. In May 1965 the brigade was ordered to Bien Hoa, the first large unit to be sent officially as a fighting force rather than as advisors.</p>
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The following month David fell ill with one of the new strains of malaria which still baffle our doctors. In spite of a 104-degree fever and loss of weight—to less than 140 pounds—six-foot-three David refused hospitalization several times. Finally, over his protests. David was relieved and evacuated to Japan in August. There he managed to regain his strength, and he returned to Bien Hoa in October. The return orders were difficult to obtain because he had now been declared medically unfit for duty in the jungle, but he made it with the help of some paper juggling. He was especially happy to be assigned to the same company as before. Later he expressed his disappointment because he had missed a skirmish just a short time before his return. He also wondered why everyone back home seemed to feel sorry for him because he was in Vietnam: "I get a kick out of these people who think I’m being a martyr or something...I’m glad I’m here,” he wrote his parents. His last letters told of his preparations for the scarch-and-destroy mission which was to cost him his life.</p>
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David’s close friends well remember the many good times we had at his home, in Minneapolis. The Ugland house suddenly became a social center whenever David came home, and the discussions usually ran far into the night and covered such a wide range of topics as politics, foreign affairs, college, the Army, our futures, sports, and, of course, girls. Some of us even made plans to encourage David to enter politics after his Army career, but he was much more interested in a teaching career, either at the Academy or at some other college. But all of these plans came to an abrupt end on that November day in a far-off jungle.</p>
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Those of us who knew David will always remember his high ideals and the many successes he achieved in just 23 years. His life was taken at its very peak, but the sadness of the loss is eased somewhat by the wonderful memories of the man. His parents, his older sister, his two younger brothers, and his countless friends miss him, but they also find inspiration in his memory. To them he remains much revered and never to be forgotten.</p>
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<em>-Edward Wallin</em><br />
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