Robert James McCarl

Robert James McCarl was born in Osceola and attended Saydel High School in Des Moines. He enlisted in the Marine Corps when he was 17 years old. CPL McCarl completed one tour in Vietnam from 1965 to 1966. During his first tour he was wounded and received the Purple Heart. CPL McCarl started a second tour in early January 1968. He was assigned to the 3rd Marine Division as a military truck driver in the Quang Tri Province. He was killed on January 24, 1968 when his military convoy was ambushed by the enemy only a few miles from the demilitarized zone. Six other Americans were killed during the encounter. The 20-year-old’s body was returned to Iowa and buried at the Glendale Cemetery in Des Moines.