Kenneth Leroy Defenbaugh
Kenneth Leroy Defenbaugh
U.S. Army
Corporal
Biography:
Kenneth Leroy Defenbaugh grew up in Mount Ayr. His father served in the Army during WWII and was captured by the Germans and held as a POW for 5 months. The family relocated from Mount Ayr to Woodward in the mid-1960s. Defenbaugh’s father died in 1967 before the younger was drafted into the Army. After training, CPL Defenbaugh was deployed to Vietnam in January 1970 and served with the 1st Cavalry Division. On May 2, 1970 CPL Defenbaugh’s unit encountered the enemy south of Djamap Airfield near the Cambodian border. Several soldiers were wounded and 2 were killed, including CPL Defenbaugh. The 20-year-old’s body was returned to the United States and buried at the Woodward Cemetery.
County:
Dallas
City of Entry | Woodward | |
Conflict/Time Period | Vietnam War | Service Location | Organization(s) | Separation Status | Killed In Action (KIA) | Specialty/Rate | Specific Jobs |