Ronald William Meyer
Ronald William Meyer
U.S. Marine Corps
Second Lieutenant [O-1]
Biography:
Ronald “Ron” William Meyer was the first Dubuque native to be killed in Vietnam. He was a 1961 graduate of Dubuque Senior High School, where he participated in several sports. After school he joined the Marine Corps and received officers training at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD, graduating in the class of 1965. Meyer achieved the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. 2LT Meyer began his tour in Vietnam in February 1966 as an Infantry Officer with Company C, 2st Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division. He was killed on June 16, 1966 during the assault of Hill 488, or better known as Howards Hill. The Battle of Hill 488 is detailed in the book, "Hill 488" by Ray Hildreth and Charles Sasser. In the book, 2LT Meyer is known as "Stump". The Marines took the hill, inflicted large casualties upon the enemy, and lost only a few men during the attack. A fellow Iowa native, Jimmie Earl Howard, received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the battle. Meyer was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for destroying a machinegun nest with hand grenades and turning the tide of the attack before being killed. The 23-year-old’s body was returned to Iowa and buried in the Dubuque Memorial Gardens.
County:
Dubuque
City of Entry | Dubuque | |
Conflict/Time Period | Vietnam War | Service Location | Organization(s) | Separation Status | Killed In Action (KIA) | Specialty/Rate | Specific Jobs |