LCPL – E3 – United States Marine Corps D Company, 1st Battalion 4th Marines
3rd Marine Division 
0341 - Infantry Mortar Man 19 Years Old Lenexa, Kansas December 11, 1948 – MIA, June 6, 1968 Body Was Not Recovered
Larry Bear remembers Kurt...
I was a 0331 with Delta, 1st Battalion, 4th Marines. As a machine gunner I was assigned to the 3rd Platoon. I ran killer patrols and ambushes along with the other platoons on
occasion from August 1967-September 1968. I knew Kurt, although not well, as a solid Marine and a dedicated individual who believed in his country and I will never forget Kurt
and the others that did not make it home. I was one of the lucky Marines that made it off that damn mountain top called LZ Loon. I remember those brave Marines and the
sacrifices they made for me and every other Marine that left that LZ alive on that hot, humid fateful day in June 1968. I REMEMBER KURT AND I WILL NEVER FORGET! Wherever you are, REST IN PEACE!
A description of what happened to Kurt La Plant from www.taskforceomegainc.org ...
On 6 June 1968, PFC Paul E. Burgard, Cpl. William R. Elbert, LCpl. Felix F. Flores, LCpl. William E. Hannings, LCpl. Ralph L. Harper, LCpl. Kurt La Plant, PFC
Catarino Morelos, Jr., LCpl. Luis F. Palacios, LCpl. Lawrence E. Porter, PFC Jose R. Sanchez, PFC Donald S. Satter, Jonathan L. Stoops and PFC Eugene Wilson
comprised a Marine Corps patrol operating in the rugged jungle covered mountains southwest of Khe Sanh, Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam. Their mission was to
block NVA troops and supplies from infiltrating toward Khe Sanh. The Marines engaged a communist force of unknown size in heavy combat. As the fierce
firefight raged around them, the Marines, who were out numbered and rapidly running low on ammunition, requested an emergency extraction.
The onsite Forward Air Controller, call sign "Fingerprint 22," directing all air operations in the region including air support for ground troops, made a radio call requesting any
helicopter in the Khe Sanh area to come up on guard channel, the emergency radio frequency. The aircrew that responded to the FAC's transmission was a Marine Corps
CH46A Sea Knight (serial #151940), call sign "Chicken Man 22." Its aircrew was assigned to HMM-165, a Marine helicopter squadron that was part of a flight that had been providing air support for other ground troops. Chicken Man 22 descended under fire to the Marine's position near LZ Loon. Rapidly some 13 Marines scrambled on board and the Sea Knight lifted off. As it gained altitude,
the helicopter was immediately struck by intense and accurate enemy ground fire causing it to enter into a nose-low attitude and crash onto an east/west mountain
ridgeline, roll down to the bottom of the hill and burst into flames. Within an hour and a half, a search and recovery team was inserted into the crash
site. The team members pulled the charred bodies of the aircrew and passengers from what was left of the burned out helicopter and placed them in body bags. In addition
to recovering the remains of the aircrew, the SAR team was able to find and extract eight of the other Marines. Without specialized equipment, the recovery team was unable to extract the bodies
of five of the passengers before they withdrew the site. At the time the recovery operation was terminated, LCpl. Kurt La Plant and four others were reported as Killed in Action/Body Not Recovered.
Rhonda honors Kurt...
I was able to view the portable wall in DeSoto not to long ago. I saw Kurt's name while looking for other names. It was on W 59. I wish I had known Kurt. I only
knew little about him from Lee. Many were lost but will never be forgotten. It's really nice you did this. Best wishes to all.
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