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Casualty Info
Home Town Philadelphia, PA
Last Address Philadelphia, PA
Casualty Date Aug 16, 1968
Cause KIA-Killed in Action
Reason Gun, Small Arms Fire
Location Thua Thien (Vietnam)
Conflict Vietnam War
Location of Interment Arlington National Cemetery (VLM) - Arlington, Virginia
Date of Birth November 25, 1945
African American, Baptist
Attended Thomas Edison High School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Married in March 1966 to Brenda J. Blevins, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Daughter: Alonda Blevins-Palmer
Father: Lural Blevins, Jr. (Deceased), Detroit, Michigan
Mother: Lucy M. Walker
Sister: Irma Johnson (Deceased), based on information in the The Philadelphia Inquirer Newspaper.
Regular Army - Enlisted
Started Military Service May 24, 1966 (Ancestry.com)
Military Occupation Specialty (MOS) 13A1P, Field Artillery Basic (Airborne Qualified).
Vietnam Tour of Duty Started October 1967
Lural died due to hostile action from a gunshot in the Thua Thien Province, U.S. Military Region 1, approximately four to five kilometers northwest of the village A Luoi located in the A Shau Valley, Republic of South Vietnam. The UTM grid coordinates of this incident is YD344024.
Age at Death 22
SP4 Lural Lee Blevins was initially listed as Missing In Action following his death. About one year following his death, unidentified remains of a possible U.S. Army soldier were located and recovered on June 10, 1969, at or near the location of this incident. Several years later these remains were identified on November 3, 1975 as those of SP4 Lural Lee Blevins. Lural's remains were returned to his family and interred in 1977.
The 2nd Battalion of the 320th Artillery Regiment was a towed 105mm howitzer battalion which served with the 1st Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division, Airmobile. The unit was stationed at various locations in South Vietnam during its tour from 1966 to 1970; Phan Rang, Gia Le, Phan Thiet, Kontum and Phu Bai. [Vietnam Order of Battle by CPT Shelby L. Stanton, U.S. Army Retired].
Three other U.S. Army soldiers died in this same incident. The information is from the Coffelt Database of Vietnam Casualties. These soldiers were assigned to D Company, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, and most likely in the same platoon that was on a patrol in the northwest portion of the A Shau Valley approximately 4-5 kilometers from the village of A Loui. The platoon sustained several wounded and three KIA soldiers as noted below. The platoon was forced to withdraw due to a superior hostile force and had to leave two of the KIA soldiers behind; SP4 Blevins and PFC Graniela. SP4 Blevins was with this platoon of D Company because he was the radio operator for the Forward Observer on the patrol, 1LT William D. Hughes.
Chisum, David, PFC KIA 11B1P Infantryman (Airborne Qualified)
Cimorelli, John J, SP4 KIA 11C20 Indirect Fire Infantryman
Graniela, Jose A, PFC KIA/MIA 11B1P Infantryman (Airborne Qualified)
Email received from Mr. Don Cooney to Gary McJimsey, ATWS on behalf of TWS, April 30, 2015, Regarding Blevins, Lural Lee, III, SP4, VN KIA, ATWS Profile #40562
Hi Gary,
I was in the same battle in the A Shau Valley, when Lural was killed. I was the RTO (radiotelephone operator) for the FO (forward observer) Lt. Ronald Christian in C Company 1/327. In fact I was Lural's replacement in C Company when he was assigned to D company.
I have been back to Vietnam more than 20 times in the past 25 years. On one of my trips in 1996, I returned to the A Shau accompanied by my girlfriend, a driver and a guide. We spent the night in a small cabin complex in A Loui. While we were eating dinner two NVA officers came in. One was a captain, who we later learned was in the same battle on the other side. We talked of the battle late into the night, while drinking a bottle of Mekong whiskey. He told me he saw Lural's body after the battle.
I have been to the wall in Washington and saw Lural's name there. I assumed his remains had been recovered, until two days ago when I saw his story on the Virtual wall of faces. I am passing on my story to you in hopes you will get it out. One of the postings on Lural's page is by Ronald Christian, I have been trying to contact him at the e-mail address on his posting but have had no response. If you can help with that or have any questions you can contact me at [email protected], or call at (865)-693-1284 or my cell (865)-300-5785.
Above the rest!
Don Cooney
[Note from ATWS member Gary McJimsey: The unit information in this email does not match exactly to what ATWS has recorded in Lural Lee Blevins Vietnam Fallen Remembrance Profile, which is A Battery, 2nd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division. Our information is based on the Vietnam Unit Assignment as stated in the Coffelt Database of Vietnam Casualties which is compiled from the U.S. Military National Archives Data, and made available to the public. None the less, ATWS greatly appreciates receiving information from combat veterans of the Vietnam War who knew a fallen soldier or was present at the time of a soldier's death].
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Message From Alonda Blevins-Palmer,
Daughter of Lural Lee Blevins III
April 28, 2014
Lural Lee Blevins lll was my father and I am looking for information about his comrades that may still be alive as well as our family history. If you can provide any assistance, it would be appreciated. Thank you.
Brave RTO
Lural was my RTO.I was the artillery forward observer assigned to D company. We would talk sometimes about home,etc. We were next to each other almost all the time. I had to call in many fire missions every day. At least 4 every evening as we were bedding down in the middle of the jungle. On the day he was killed he wanted to go ahead with the first platoon with his buddies knowing they were heading into battle. I was told he took over a fallen soldiers M-60 machine gun protecting his fellow soldiers. He was hit with an enemy 51 caliber round.
By: 1LT William D. Hughes
2017
Mr Dad, Lural Lee Blevind III, The Unsung Hero
Though I do not personally remember you daddy, I will not forget the sacrifice you made for me. You stayed in the fight with your brother's when you could have taken the easy way out. And although I missed out on your presence in my life I totally understand. Your heart was beautiful, selfless. I love you daddy.
By: Alonda Blevins-Palmer
2016
A Brave Very Good Guy
Earl Blevins (he did not use 'Lural') left the relative safety of an artillery gun crew to carry my radio while I was serving as FO to the infantry. He immediately impressed me with his courage.
Being a fellow Philadelphian we talked about meeting up in the 'world'.
I left for R&R and when I got back he had been moved to D company, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment as an RTO, for the Asahau (S/b A Shau Valley) invasion. Hearing on the radio that he had been killed and his body left behind, while saving others, was a low point. His family should be proud of the man he was.
By: Ron (Ronald) Christian, LT, U.S. Army
2012
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The Philadelphia Inquirer Newspaper 1968:
Germantown Father Dies, of Vietnam Wounds
Following article appeared, in The Philadelphia, Inquirer, on November 22, 1968, via Newspapers.com.
"A Germantown soldier, reported, missing in action in August 1968, was declared dead in Vietnam, by a telegram, received Thursday, by his wife. The army notification said Sp4 Lural L. Bevins (Sic) III, 22, of 5831 N. Woodstock Street., died, on August 16, 1968 as the result of wounds. His wife Brenda, 19, said there were no circumstances of death reported and the remains were never recovered. I can't believe he's dead she said. It doesn't seem real either that they can't find anything - a tooth or the wedding band he always wore. Mrs. Blevins last heard from her husband in July 1968, when he spared me the details of war. He wanted to come home and study to be a mechanic. Sp4 Bevins (Sic) who attended Edison High School was drafted in June 1966 for a three-year tour. He went to Vietnam in October 1967, and was assigned to an artillery unit of the 101st Airborne Division. The Bevins (Sic) were married in March 1966. They have a 22-month-old daughter Alonda. Besides his wife and daughter he is survived by his father Lural Bevins (Sic) Jr., his mother Mrs. Lucy Walker and a sister Mrs. Irma Johnson."
Information is From:
Jim McIlhenney
Native Philadelphian & Vietnam Veteran
Via Internet
