David Carl Stanley was born to George and Pauline Stanley on July 26^th, 1945 in Laurel Township, Ashe County, North Carolina.  His leadership and negotiating skills were developed early in his life while living at home with his two sisters (Wava and Patricia) and his four brothers (Robert, Gene, James and John).

     The family moved to the West Chester area when David was young and he attended Concord Elementary School and West Chester High School.

      During the Summer of 1966 he received a letter from the Selective Service Commission beginning with the word, "Greetings", ...  it was the dreaded draft notice.    He complied with the order, reported to the induction center on North Broad Street in Philadelphia on September 26^th, 1966, passed his physical examination, was sworn-in, assigned the service number of US 52 808 246 and left with a group of other young civilians to become soldiers.

      His eight weeks of basic training was conducted in the sandy soil and muddy fields of Fort Jackson, SC.  Following the successful completion of that phase he stayed at Fort Jackson for advanced individual training (AIT); another eight week ordeal of learning his primary military occupational specialty (MOS).

      Because of his mathematical and mechanical aptitude he was selected to attend the advanced training course to become an indirect fire infantryman, or mortarman.  The course included instruction in setting-up defensive mortar firing positions, preparation and maintenance of the firing apparatus, selection of proper ammunition and propellant, map reading, target location, computation of firing data using firing charts and slide rules, calling for and directing fire from the mortars, and the supervision of the firing unit.  He graduated with the MOS of 11B20.

     Following this second phase of training, David received orders to report to Viet Nam for further assignment to a combat unit. By this time David's rank was that of Private First Class (PFC).  

     Upon his arrival in Viet Nam during the second week of March 1967, David was assigned to the 1^st Infantry Division which was then headquartered at Di An District (pronounced Zee Anh), Binh Duong Province, in the 3^rd Corps Tactical Zone (vicinity Saigon).
 

     From Di An, David was further assigned to Company "B", 2^nd Battalion, 2^nd Infantry Regiment (Mechanized) headquartered at Lai Khe, about 30 miles north of Saigon on Hwy 13.
 

     Even with his advanced training as an infantry mortarman, David took-on an even bigger challenge when he arrived at the 2nd/2nd base camp in Lai Khe.  The call went out among the new recruits for an alternate Driver/50 Caliber Gunner for the Company Commander's armored personnel carrier (APC). David stepped forward and accepted this duty knowing full well that such a position would in many ways put him in greater danger than his training as an indirect fire Infantryman.  Those who knew him have said that, "David accepted the new assignment as an adventurous challenge, willingly, and without regret".

     On July 24^th 1967 David was promoted to Specialist Fourth Class (SP4) and had already received  his Combat Infantryman's Badge (CIB) for direct combat action against enemy forces while conducting search and destroy missions in May of 1967 on Operation Manhattan in the area of the Michelin Rubber Plantation, twenty miles west of Lai Khe.

     On most daily operations the command track (APC) led the formation of personnel carriers putting the Company Commander and those onboard at a greater risk for being not only the first vehicle to be hit during an ambush, but also the lead vehicle over heavily mined roads.  Such as it was on September 14, 1967 in an area referred to as Claymore Corners.

     The name Claymore Corners can't be found on a map.  Like Omaha Beach in WWII, it achieved its name through the sacrifices made by those who were there.  On a map of Vietnam, Claymore Corners would be located east of the town of Ben Cat at the intersection roads TL/2A and LTL/1A.

     David's Company had been deployed to Claymore Corners in September of 1967 and had set up a night defensive position (NDP), from which they conducted daily search and destroy operations.  Research is still being done to find out exactly which road they were working.  It's known to be either TL/2A, LTL/1A or LTL/16.  Whichever road it was doesn't change what had happened.

     On the morning September 14, 1967 the Company headed out for what was supposed to be another day of search and destroy.  They had been traveling this same road for days and there was no reason to believe that they were in any great danger of road mines.  Besides, Infantryman with hand-held mine detectors swept the road every morning to lessen any danger of mines.  David was driving the lead armored personnel carrier (Command Track).  They had gone no more than 500 meters in the direction of Claymore Corners when it happened.  The distance separating each APC was enough that no other track was involved.  The force of the blast was enough to completely flip the 10-ton armored personnel carrier and claim the lives of six American heroes.

     Those killed in the incident were:

Cpt. Joseph S. Rose, Jr. - B Company, 2-2 Infantry, Company Commander - Dayton, OH
2Lt. William D. Huyler, Jr. - A Battery, 2-33 Artillery, Forward Observer - Short Hills, NJ
SFC Thomas E. Murray - B Company, 2-2 Infantry, Platoon Sergeant - Fort Worth, TX
SP4 David Carl Stanley - B Company, 2-2 Infantry, APC Driver - West Chester, PA
PFC David Leroy Howard - B Company, 2-2 Infantry, Infantryman - Lafayette, IN
PFC John M. Keppler - HQ Company, 1-2 Infantry, Infantryman - Gardena, CA               

    David Carl Stanley was laid to rest in his family's cemetery plot in Ashe County, NC.  His name is etched on the Viet Nam Veterans Memorial Panel 26E - Line 73.

 "B" Company, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment
 Field Memorial Service For The Four Men Of That Unit
Lost On 9/14/67 At Claymore Corners

(Photo provided by Stephen D. DeLacy and published courtesy of "The First Infantry Division in Viet Nam", Volumes I and II)

                           David's Medals And Awards

Combat Infantryman's Badge

Bronze Star

Purple Heart - Meritorious Service - Army Commendation

National Defense - Viet Nam Service - Viet Nam Campaign