Dan Bullock - Youngest American Serviceman Killed in Vietnam

Published:

Note:  I found the video in my recommendations on my YouTube page and watched it last night.  There are shorter ones that tell his story, but this one is worth watching for the 32 minutes it lasts.



Dan Bullock (December 21, 1953 – June 7, 1969) was a United States Marine and the youngest American serviceman killed in action during the Vietnam War, dying at the age of 15.

Bullock was born in Goldsboro, North Carolina. He lived in North Carolina until he was about 12, when his mother died and he and his younger sister, Gloria, moved to Brooklyn to live with their father and his wife. He had wanted to become a pilot, a police officer, or a U.S. Marine.

When he was 14 years old, he altered the date on his birth certificate to show he was born December 21, 1949. He processed through the recruiting station, and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps on September 18, 1968. As a member of Platoon 3039 in Parris Island, he graduated from boot camp on December 10, 1968.

Bullock arrived in South Vietnam on May 18, 1969 and was assigned as a rifleman in 2nd Squad, 2nd Platoon, Fox Company, 2nd Battalion 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division. He was stationed at An Hoa Combat Base west of H?i An in Qu?ng Nam Province. He was killed instantly by small arms fire on June 7, 1969, during a North Vietnamese army night attack while making an ammunition run to resupply his beleaguered unit. Bullock was just 15 years old.

After he was interred, his gravesite did not have a marker. In 2000, one was finally provided.

On June 7, 2003 a section of Lee Avenue in Brooklyn, where Bullock had lived since age 11, was renamed in his honor.

Entry #13

Comments

Avatar eddessaknight -
#1
Thanks Mike this is an enormous American War hero video-

Dan had what Brooklyn guyz prize and that's HEART !

A 15 year old with a heart of a lion who beloved & lived in things bigger then self. Hard to explain what service time up at the front to those who haven't experienced it- but the video made an admirable effort - BRAVO

May Don's ultimate sacrifice be especially remembered & understood by our youth of this country - because freedom isn't free.

God bless them all the long, the short & the tall

R.I.P. Dan, I salute you !
Avatar rcbbuckeye -
#2
Thanks Mike.
Avatar mikeintexas -
#3
Thanks for posting.

I am an avid student of history, particular that of the U.S. military and don't recall ever hearing of or reading about this young man.

During the waning years of WWII, my pop forged his mother's signature on his permission-to-enlist form when he was barely 15, but he didn't look nearly as old as did Bullock. (I suspect the military didn't much care by that time, being fairly desperate for more bodies for the meat grinder) Dad didn't last very long in the Army, only until Grandma found out where he was and went to get him.

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