Gary Dean Bender

Gary Dean Bender grew up in Des Moines and as a young man enjoyed motorcycles. Bender was drafted in the Army and was sent to Vietnam in December 1968. He served as an infantryman with the 25th Infantry Division. Bender and three other soldiers were killed on June 16, 1969 from an enemy explosive. He was stationed at the Black Virgin Mountain located only miles from Cambodia and the end of the Ho Chi Minh trail. The four were killed when an enemy infiltrated the base’s perimeter and detonated an explosive device. The 21-year-old was buried at the Swan Cemetery in Swan, IA.