2ND PLT, A CO, 4TH BN, 31ST INFANTRY, 196TH INFANTRY BDE, AMERICAL DIV
small arms fire

A Note from The Virtual Wall

Pages 190-195 of Keith William Nolan's "Death Valley, The Summer Offensive I Corps, August 1969" contains a detailed account of an incident involving "A" Company, 4/31st Infantry:

"The morning of August 22 ... Alpha 4-31 and Charlie 2-1 hiked towards Hill 102... Alpha Two under 2dLt Stephen Moore was on point... A tree line intersected their dike... Moore sent one squad around one side of it while he and his platoon sergeant went around the other with Holtzman's squad... a North Vietnamese killed him (Moore) at perhaps ten feet with an M79 to the chest... In moments the North Vietnamese had killed four men from the lead platoon and wounded four more."

The four dead were

1LT Stephen D. Moore, Fair Oaks, CA
CPL William J. Zeltner, Philadelphia, PA
PFC Daniel H. Love, Watkins Glen, NY
PFC Darrell D. Taylor, Vicksburg, MI

POSTED ON 5.24.2015

POSTED BY: JOSEPH A YANNUZZI

WILLIAM ZELTNER GREAT FRIEND & CLASSMATE

Billy and I grew up together, attended the same high school and played various sports together. Billy was the nicest kid you could have as a friend. He was loyal and dedicated to a fault.
Billy came from a very nice family with several sisters and a brother.
When Billy was killed in Vietnam, I was called upon by his parents to fly home with his remains as his personal escort. At that time I was a Drill Sgt. training recruits at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri when the Company Commander called me to his office and informed me of Billy's death and his parents request that I escort his remains home to Philadelphia.
It was truly an honor for me to perform this mission.
Rest in peace Billy my fellow veteran and warrior.

Zeltner, William J., III, CPL