Boy's College Chance Dies With Marine
By Jack Hovelson Assistant City Editor
A Waterloo Marine was killed nine days ago in Vietnam.
A 15-year Vietnamese boy's hopes for a college education may have died with him.
Whether the boy knew it or not Cpl Merle K. Fagerlind Jr., had planned to furnish them money to send the youth through four years of college in Hue, Vietnam.
Whatever dreams the boy may have had for this education probably ended in a hail of bullets the night of December 4.
On Night Patrol
The words of L. Col Robert J. Keller, Fagerlind's commanding officer, tells the story:
"Your son was a member of night combat patrol… As the patrol proceeded on its assigned route without warning it came under a heavy volume of small arms and automatic weapons fire delivered by the enemy from well-hidden positions. Merle was struck by the initial burst of fire before he was able to take cover and was killed instantly."
Four days before, Merle had written his last letter to his parents.
He said, "Not much news around here…same thing day after day…got a package…brownies sure were good…another gone and only about five more to go…"
Compassion for Villagers
Merle was a member of a unit assigned to protect a South Vietnamese village from marauding Viet Cong.
He felt an affinity for the Vietnamese. In fact, after serving there for a year, he asked for an extension of duty in Vietnam. A primary reason was his desire to protect the South Vietnamese from Communist guerillas.
A "Nameless" Boy
One he was helping protect was the t5-year-old boy who went nameless in Merle's last letter to his parents.
"We have one kid that helps out around here in the kitchen. He goes to school so after school he comes over and helps out and also on weekends.
We pay him $14 a month which is quite a bit for them. In fact he's the one that supports the family. After I get my bills paid at home I'm giving his mother enough money to send him to college for fours years in Hue.
He is really smart. He knows English, French, Vietnamese, algebra and some geometry. I really want to see him get a good education.
I don't know what it will cost yet. He has one more year of high school after this year. I go over to his place every night."
Letter After Death
Merle's parents received his last letter after they learned he had died.
Another letter came from Lt. Col. Keller. In it he wrote:
"Merle was an extremely talented Marine whose ability and determination to excel in his duties won for him the respect and admiration of all who knew him. His loss to us will leave a void in our ranks which will be very difficult to fill.
Merle was an extremely loyal young American whose personal contributions to this unit made him one of our finest Marines."
Merle Comes Home
Merle Fagerlind comes home Wednesday night.
A Locke Funeral Home hearse will be in Des Monies to claim his body and bring it to Waterloo.
The U. S. Marine Corps has lost "one of our finest."
A Waterloo family has lost a son and brother.
A 15-year-old boy in South Vietnam may have lost his hope for a better life.
Information below is from Waterloo Daily Courier dated Wednesday December 5, 1967 page 1:
Merle is survived by his parents Merle K and Beverly (Volker) Fagerlind of 1635 Locke Ave., two brothers, Pvt Charles of Camp Pendleton, California and Kevin, 8, and one sister, Dena, 12.
Information below is from Carol Strayer's research:
Merle is the grandson of Dewey and Rose (Wilson) Fagerlind and great grandson of Charles and Matilda (Brostrom) Fagerlind. Merle was the 2nd cousin 1 time removed of Robert Fagerlind. Robert Fagerlidn married Carol Strayers 3rd Cousin Elmonda Johnson.
By Jack Hovelson Assistant City Editor
A Waterloo Marine was killed nine days ago in Vietnam.
A 15-year Vietnamese boy's hopes for a college education may have died with him.
Whether the boy knew it or not Cpl Merle K. Fagerlind Jr., had planned to furnish them money to send the youth through four years of college in Hue, Vietnam.
Whatever dreams the boy may have had for this education probably ended in a hail of bullets the night of December 4.
On Night Patrol
The words of L. Col Robert J. Keller, Fagerlind's commanding officer, tells the story:
"Your son was a member of night combat patrol… As the patrol proceeded on its assigned route without warning it came under a heavy volume of small arms and automatic weapons fire delivered by the enemy from well-hidden positions. Merle was struck by the initial burst of fire before he was able to take cover and was killed instantly."
Four days before, Merle had written his last letter to his parents.
He said, "Not much news around here…same thing day after day…got a package…brownies sure were good…another gone and only about five more to go…"
Compassion for Villagers
Merle was a member of a unit assigned to protect a South Vietnamese village from marauding Viet Cong.
He felt an affinity for the Vietnamese. In fact, after serving there for a year, he asked for an extension of duty in Vietnam. A primary reason was his desire to protect the South Vietnamese from Communist guerillas.
A "Nameless" Boy
One he was helping protect was the t5-year-old boy who went nameless in Merle's last letter to his parents.
"We have one kid that helps out around here in the kitchen. He goes to school so after school he comes over and helps out and also on weekends.
We pay him $14 a month which is quite a bit for them. In fact he's the one that supports the family. After I get my bills paid at home I'm giving his mother enough money to send him to college for fours years in Hue.
He is really smart. He knows English, French, Vietnamese, algebra and some geometry. I really want to see him get a good education.
I don't know what it will cost yet. He has one more year of high school after this year. I go over to his place every night."
Letter After Death
Merle's parents received his last letter after they learned he had died.
Another letter came from Lt. Col. Keller. In it he wrote:
"Merle was an extremely talented Marine whose ability and determination to excel in his duties won for him the respect and admiration of all who knew him. His loss to us will leave a void in our ranks which will be very difficult to fill.
Merle was an extremely loyal young American whose personal contributions to this unit made him one of our finest Marines."
Merle Comes Home
Merle Fagerlind comes home Wednesday night.
A Locke Funeral Home hearse will be in Des Monies to claim his body and bring it to Waterloo.
The U. S. Marine Corps has lost "one of our finest."
A Waterloo family has lost a son and brother.
A 15-year-old boy in South Vietnam may have lost his hope for a better life.
Information below is from Waterloo Daily Courier dated Wednesday December 5, 1967 page 1:
Merle is survived by his parents Merle K and Beverly (Volker) Fagerlind of 1635 Locke Ave., two brothers, Pvt Charles of Camp Pendleton, California and Kevin, 8, and one sister, Dena, 12.
Information below is from Carol Strayer's research:
Merle is the grandson of Dewey and Rose (Wilson) Fagerlind and great grandson of Charles and Matilda (Brostrom) Fagerlind. Merle was the 2nd cousin 1 time removed of Robert Fagerlind. Robert Fagerlidn married Carol Strayers 3rd Cousin Elmonda Johnson.
Boy's College Chance Dies With Marine
By Jack Hovelson Assistant City Editor
A Waterloo Marine was killed nine days ago in Vietnam.
A 15-year Vietnamese boy's hopes for a college education may have died with him.
Whether the boy knew it or not Cpl Merle K. Fagerlind Jr., had planned to furnish them money to send the youth through four years of college in Hue, Vietnam.
Whatever dreams the boy may have had for this education probably ended in a hail of bullets the night of December 4.
On Night Patrol
The words of L. Col Robert J. Keller, Fagerlind's commanding officer, tells the story:
"Your son was a member of night combat patrol… As the patrol proceeded on its assigned route without warning it came under a heavy volume of small arms and automatic weapons fire delivered by the enemy from well-hidden positions. Merle was struck by the initial burst of fire before he was able to take cover and was killed instantly."
Four days before, Merle had written his last letter to his parents.
He said, "Not much news around here…same thing day after day…got a package…brownies sure were good…another gone and only about five more to go…"
Compassion for Villagers
Merle was a member of a unit assigned to protect a South Vietnamese village from marauding Viet Cong.
He felt an affinity for the Vietnamese. In fact, after serving there for a year, he asked for an extension of duty in Vietnam. A primary reason was his desire to protect the South Vietnamese from Communist guerillas.
A "Nameless" Boy
One he was helping protect was the t5-year-old boy who went nameless in Merle's last letter to his parents.
"We have one kid that helps out around here in the kitchen. He goes to school so after school he comes over and helps out and also on weekends.
We pay him $14 a month which is quite a bit for them. In fact he's the one that supports the family. After I get my bills paid at home I'm giving his mother enough money to send him to college for fours years in Hue.
He is really smart. He knows English, French, Vietnamese, algebra and some geometry. I really want to see him get a good education.
I don't know what it will cost yet. He has one more year of high school after this year. I go over to his place every night."
Letter After Death
Merle's parents received his last letter after they learned he had died.
Another letter came from Lt. Col. Keller. In it he wrote:
"Merle was an extremely talented Marine whose ability and determination to excel in his duties won for him the respect and admiration of all who knew him. His loss to us will leave a void in our ranks which will be very difficult to fill.
Merle was an extremely loyal young American whose personal contributions to this unit made him one of our finest Marines."
Merle Comes Home
Merle Fagerlind comes home Wednesday night.
A Locke Funeral Home hearse will be in Des Monies to claim his body and bring it to Waterloo.
The U. S. Marine Corps has lost "one of our finest."
A Waterloo family has lost a son and brother.
A 15-year-old boy in South Vietnam may have lost his hope for a better life.
Information below is from Waterloo Daily Courier dated Wednesday December 5, 1967 page 1:
Merle is survived by his parents Merle K and Beverly (Volker) Fagerlind of 1635 Locke Ave., two brothers, Pvt Charles of Camp Pendleton, California and Kevin, 8, and one sister, Dena, 12.
Information below is from Carol Strayer's research:
Merle is the grandson of Dewey and Rose (Wilson) Fagerlind and great grandson of Charles and Matilda (Brostrom) Fagerlind. Merle was the 2nd cousin 1 time removed of Robert Fagerlind. Robert Fagerlidn married Carol Strayers 3rd Cousin Elmonda Johnson.
By Jack Hovelson Assistant City Editor
A Waterloo Marine was killed nine days ago in Vietnam.
A 15-year Vietnamese boy's hopes for a college education may have died with him.
Whether the boy knew it or not Cpl Merle K. Fagerlind Jr., had planned to furnish them money to send the youth through four years of college in Hue, Vietnam.
Whatever dreams the boy may have had for this education probably ended in a hail of bullets the night of December 4.
On Night Patrol
The words of L. Col Robert J. Keller, Fagerlind's commanding officer, tells the story:
"Your son was a member of night combat patrol… As the patrol proceeded on its assigned route without warning it came under a heavy volume of small arms and automatic weapons fire delivered by the enemy from well-hidden positions. Merle was struck by the initial burst of fire before he was able to take cover and was killed instantly."
Four days before, Merle had written his last letter to his parents.
He said, "Not much news around here…same thing day after day…got a package…brownies sure were good…another gone and only about five more to go…"
Compassion for Villagers
Merle was a member of a unit assigned to protect a South Vietnamese village from marauding Viet Cong.
He felt an affinity for the Vietnamese. In fact, after serving there for a year, he asked for an extension of duty in Vietnam. A primary reason was his desire to protect the South Vietnamese from Communist guerillas.
A "Nameless" Boy
One he was helping protect was the t5-year-old boy who went nameless in Merle's last letter to his parents.
"We have one kid that helps out around here in the kitchen. He goes to school so after school he comes over and helps out and also on weekends.
We pay him $14 a month which is quite a bit for them. In fact he's the one that supports the family. After I get my bills paid at home I'm giving his mother enough money to send him to college for fours years in Hue.
He is really smart. He knows English, French, Vietnamese, algebra and some geometry. I really want to see him get a good education.
I don't know what it will cost yet. He has one more year of high school after this year. I go over to his place every night."
Letter After Death
Merle's parents received his last letter after they learned he had died.
Another letter came from Lt. Col. Keller. In it he wrote:
"Merle was an extremely talented Marine whose ability and determination to excel in his duties won for him the respect and admiration of all who knew him. His loss to us will leave a void in our ranks which will be very difficult to fill.
Merle was an extremely loyal young American whose personal contributions to this unit made him one of our finest Marines."
Merle Comes Home
Merle Fagerlind comes home Wednesday night.
A Locke Funeral Home hearse will be in Des Monies to claim his body and bring it to Waterloo.
The U. S. Marine Corps has lost "one of our finest."
A Waterloo family has lost a son and brother.
A 15-year-old boy in South Vietnam may have lost his hope for a better life.
Information below is from Waterloo Daily Courier dated Wednesday December 5, 1967 page 1:
Merle is survived by his parents Merle K and Beverly (Volker) Fagerlind of 1635 Locke Ave., two brothers, Pvt Charles of Camp Pendleton, California and Kevin, 8, and one sister, Dena, 12.
Information below is from Carol Strayer's research:
Merle is the grandson of Dewey and Rose (Wilson) Fagerlind and great grandson of Charles and Matilda (Brostrom) Fagerlind. Merle was the 2nd cousin 1 time removed of Robert Fagerlind. Robert Fagerlidn married Carol Strayers 3rd Cousin Elmonda Johnson.
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