Herbert Ray Aldridge

Herbert Ray Aldridge was born in Des Moines and spent time in Edina, MO as a young man. He liked to play “cowboys and Indians” as a child. Aldridge’s hometown of record was listed as Cedar Rapids where his mother and step-father lived. His father resided in Spirit Lake. He joined the Marine Corps in March 1967 at the age of 17. A year after enlisting, PFC Aldridge was shot down aboard a C-123 transport plane east of Khe Sanh in South Vietnam. The aircraft was attempting a second landing approach at Khe Sanh Airfield when it was hit by enemy ground fire. Due to intense combat around the base and the rugged terrain of the crash site, remains were not fully recovered until July. 56 Americans were killed in the incident. PFC Aldridge’s remains were buried in a group burial at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis, MO.