Stephen Paul Alsted

Des Moines native Stephen Paul Alsted graduated from the Technical High School in the class of 1964. After school he worked for the Campbell Heating Company before entering the Marine Corps in October 1964. PFC Alsted was a rifleman with Company F, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines with the 1st Marine Division. PFC Alsted was killed during Operation Utah in the Quang Ngai Province, South Vietnam. Operation Utah occurred March 4-7, 1966. The Marine, Army and ARVN forces located and engaged North Vietnamese forces. The Marines lost 98 men during the campaign, 44 on the first day – including PFC Alsted. He died as a result of multiple fragmentation wounds to his entire body. He was 19 years old at the time of his death. The Iowan’s body was buried at the Laurel Hill Cemetery in Des Moines.