James Walter Speer

James Walter Speer of Bloomfield graduated from Davis County High School before being drafted into the Army. His tour started on March 24, 1969 when he began serving as an infantryman with the 9th Infantry Division. A bunkmate recalled that he instantly liked PFC Speer, describing him as “sarcastic but with a wry and droll sense of humor.” On May 23, 1969, two months into his tour of duty, PFC Speer was killed by a mine explosion in the Dinh Tuong Province of South Vietnam. He was 19 years old at the time of his death. His body was buried at Odd Fellows Cemetery in Bloomfield. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of Corporal.