Class of 1967 Vietnam Veterans Project

A message from the class of ’67:

Vietnam was our generation’s war. Between 1957 and 1975, over 58,000 American service members lost their lives. It was a time of protests in the streets, a time when troops were spit upon when returning home and when our government was not forthcoming as to what the United States was doing in southeast Asia, much less in the Republic of Vietnam.

A number of our classmates entered the military through the Dickinson R.O.T.C program, OCS, as volunteers or via the draft. Some saw combat; others did not. Regardless, they all served.

In March 2024 members of the class of 1967 began a project to identify and honor all classmates who served in the Vietnam war. After months of outreach and research they identified the following:

57 Veterans have been identified (nearly 23% of the 248 men who graduated in our class)
22 were ROTC commissioned (9% of the men)
16 served in Vietnam (one killed in action)
14 Veterans have passed away since graduation
36 served in the Army, 8 in the Air Force, 5 in the Navy, 4 in the Marine Corps and 4 in the Reserves

Honor Roll

The class of 1967 partnered with Dickinson's Office of Alumni Engagement to develop the Honor Roll. View and download a copy of the Honor Roll here.

Class of 1967 Paver

Our Class has donated a 13'X13" paver on which is etched, "With Profound Gratitude The Class Of 1967 Honors Its Vietnam era Veterans." It is located on the entrance walkway to the John M. Paz '78 Alumni and Family Center. For the exact placement see the photos below.

Share Your Story

As we continue to honor our class Veterans we are gathering stories from those who served. Please share your experiences through the form below. Responses will be compiled, and a copy of the book will be available in the John M. Paz ’78 Alumni & Family Center.

Click here to share your story.

Email accompanying photos to alumni@dickinson.edu. We will take whatever photo(s) you want to send in. However, for the best reproduction, photos should be of 300 dpi quality

1967 Veteran Stories

James Newton ’67

was drafted in 2/68 and arrived in RVN in 9/68 and returned home in 10/69. I was attached to the 1st Bde., 5th Inf Div (M). in Quang Tri Province.

Lewis Miller ’67

I was drafted in the summer of 1967. I arrived in Vietnam on the third day of the Tet Offensive, in early February 1968. A group of us (5/7 people) were sent to a Signals Intelligence compound of about 25 people. One day shortly after I and another guy were "volunteered" to pick up trash from BOQs in Saigon, where there were firefights going on constantly. After a few stops, we unvolunteered and returned to the compound. Later, while still at the SI compound, we were attacked one night by a Vietcong battalion. I was made an ammo runner for a machine gun. During the night I was almost killed by friendly fire twice, once by ARVNs and once by an officer with a grenade launcher. When we got to our permanent party compound we were made guards and sandbag fillers. Three months later I was able to gain assignment to a military intelligence service (CICV). When I returned to the US in 1969 and was discharged from the Army I wandered around the country doing odd jobs. Only a year later was I hired into a public education career where I spent over 40 years as a teacher and administrator and consultant.

Mark Hammond ’67

I was drafted, received military police training, and was a guard at a special weapons ordnance depot in West Germany. We guarded tactical nuclear weapons. My duty consisted f physical security and not law enforcement.