James Alan Lasche

The first Ames resident to die in the Vietnam War was James Alan Lasche. He was raised in Ames and graduated from Ames High School in the class of 1965. As a young man he worked at the HyVee grocery store in Ames. After high school Lasche was drafted by the Army and trained as an infantryman. He was sent to Vietnam a few days before Christmas in 1966. In Vietnam, he served with Company A, 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry with the 1st Cavalry Division in the Binh Dinh Province, South Vietnam. Less than two months into his tour PFC Lasche was killed in action on February 6, 1967. His fatal injury was inflicted by a sniper’s bullet while he was setting up a tent. The 19-year-old’s body was returned to Iowa and buried at the Ames Municipal Cemetery.