William Harrison Pease

William Harrison Pease was raised in Fort Dodge. He served in the Army and was sent to South Vietnam in September 1969. SP4 Pease was assigned to the 1st Aviation Brigade. Shortly after arriving in Southeast Asia SP4 Pease became ill and spent some time in the military hospital in Japan. He yearned to fly aboard Huey helicopters as a door gunner. His request was eventually granted and on his first flight he was critically wounded on April 16, 1970. SP4 Pease was shot in the throat, causing him to fall out of the chopper. His foot became trapped on the rocket pod of the craft and he dangled from the side of the Huey. The co-pilot freed SP4 Pease and pulled him in to safety. The aircraft rushed to the hospital at Tan An. SP4 Pease survived and was transferred to the VA hospital in Chicago, IL. He was paralyzed from the neck down with some dexterity in his arms. His health slowly deteriorated and SP4 Pease expired three years after being wounded on October 16, 1973. He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart by the Army. The 22-year-old Iowan’s remains were laid to rest at the North Lawn Cemetery in Fort Dodge. After petitioning the United States government, SP4 Pease’s name was added to the Vietnam War Memorial Wall in 1987.