VW-Obit-DOUGLAS-James Dale
11 Sept 1947 - 18 Feb 1968 buried Osborn Prarie Cemetery, Stone Bluff, Fountain County, Indiana
Source: Lafayette Journal and Courier 23 Feb 1968
A Darlington area Marine who was a star in Darlington HS athletics has been Killed In Action in Vietnam and a Veedersburg soldier is missing in war action. The dead Marine was Pfc. Harold W. Abbott, 19, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles L. Abott, Rt 1, Darlington, northwest of Shannondale.
The missing soldier is Spec 4 James D. Douglas, 20, son of Mr. and Mrs. Everett Douglas, 304 Dewey St, Veedersburg.
Young Abbott was fatally wounded last Saturday. A 1967 graduate of Darlington HS and an outstanding runner on the school's tract team, died in combat in the vicinity of Thua Thien. He enlisted in the Marine Corps last July and was serving with the 1st Marine Division. Abbott led Darlington to the Big Four Conference Track Championship last spring and was individual high scorer in the Montgomery County meet. He was an outstanding sprinter and won both the 100 and 220 yard dashes and anchored the winning 880-yard relay team in both meets. He also participated in cross country and played baseball for three years.
The youth was born at Somerset, Ky. The family moved to Fillmore in 1950 and later that year, to New Market, then lived in Crawfordsville in 1952-54 before moving to near Shannondale. His father, a WWII veteran is employed in Crawfordsville. Young Abbott had basic training at San Diego, Calif and was at Camp Pendleton, Calif before going to Vietnam Dec 12. He was a member of East Side Baptist Church in Crawfordsville. Surviving with the parents are two brothers, ROy L who served four years in the Air Force and Donald, a sophomore in Darlington HS and two sisters, Mrs. Clifton Drane of Crawfordsville and Mrs. Roy Acord of Miles City, Mont. He is the FOURTH Montgomery County man killed in the Vietnam War. The Associated Press reported Friday 499 Indiana men have now been killed in Vietnam
The missing Veedersburg soldier is a graduate of Fountain Central HS and was in the Army helicopter service. Before going into military service, he was employed by the Harrison Steel Casting Co. in Attica. It is apparently the second tragedy in the Douglas family. Two sons, two daughters and a son-in-law were killed in a car-train crash in Veedersburg several years ago. - kbz
Source: Indianapolis News 5 March 1968 (I assume it is the same man - same age - same father
Under "Lebanon" -- Army Specialist 4 James D. Douglas, 20, who was killed Feb 18 in Vietnam combat. Survivors - widow Carolyn; father Everett DOuglas; mother Mrs. Cecil Butts, five brothers and a sister. Rites were today.
Note thanks to Steve Kruger who added the picture / obit on findagrave.com
