Sergeant
United States Army
B CO, 1ST BN, 6TH INF RGT, 198 INF BDE
Component: Selective Service
Serial no. 51616000
Age 22
Marital status: Single
Religion: Roman Catholic
Birth place: Saint-Antoine, NB
Home of record: Gardner, MA
Awarded Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart
Tour began: October 4, 1967
Casualty type: Hostile, died of wounds
Multiple fragmentation wounds
Ground casualty
Body recovered
Honored on Panel 65W, Line 005 of
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial
He is also listed on The North Wall
Canadian Vietnam Veterans Memorial
in Windsor, Ontario
On July 6, 1962, Fidele, age sixteen, moved from Saint-Antoine, New Brunswick, Canada to Gardner, Massachusetts with his family. Ambrose, his father, moved there because of work. When Fidele was drafted his mother suggested he move back to Canada. He refused because he felt it was his duty to serve his adopted country. He took basic training at Fort Dix, New Jersey, in July 1966 and on March 15th he took additional training at Fort Hood, Texas. He started his tour in Vietnam in October. Fidele was a mortarman and was assigned to Company B of the 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 198th Infantry Brigade. The Brigade had joined the 23rd Infantry Division (Americal) operating in the northern part of South Vietnam. Eight and one-half months into his tour, Fidele was killed. He is buried in Gardner, MA. (Source: "Cross-Border Warriors" by Fred Gaffen)
He was previously employed by the former O'Hearn Manufacturing Co. and was a member of Holy Rosary Church and the Assumption Society.
Wounded in a firefight at 1730 hours on May 23rd, he was admitted to a military hospital in Vietnam and died on May 27th.
Sgt Bastarache was survived by his parents Ambroise and Helene (LeBlanc) Bastarache; brothers Zephyr and Hubert; sisters Helena Bellefeuille, Diana Johnson, Rosella and Dorilla along with other relatives.
Requiem Mass at Holy Rosary Church and burial with full military honors at Notre Dame Cemetery took place on Tuesday, June 11, 1968. Honorary bearers were from the Assumption Society. The military bearers, firing party, color guard and bugler were from Fort Devens.
*Sincere thanks to forums contributors JimR, treehstn, threadsewer and tiw35674 for their generous research assistance.
*Many thanks to Jane Eubanks for her kindness in sponsoring this memorial.
*Thank you Lindsay for the grave photos.
Sergeant
United States Army
B CO, 1ST BN, 6TH INF RGT, 198 INF BDE
Component: Selective Service
Serial no. 51616000
Age 22
Marital status: Single
Religion: Roman Catholic
Birth place: Saint-Antoine, NB
Home of record: Gardner, MA
Awarded Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart
Tour began: October 4, 1967
Casualty type: Hostile, died of wounds
Multiple fragmentation wounds
Ground casualty
Body recovered
Honored on Panel 65W, Line 005 of
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial
He is also listed on The North Wall
Canadian Vietnam Veterans Memorial
in Windsor, Ontario
On July 6, 1962, Fidele, age sixteen, moved from Saint-Antoine, New Brunswick, Canada to Gardner, Massachusetts with his family. Ambrose, his father, moved there because of work. When Fidele was drafted his mother suggested he move back to Canada. He refused because he felt it was his duty to serve his adopted country. He took basic training at Fort Dix, New Jersey, in July 1966 and on March 15th he took additional training at Fort Hood, Texas. He started his tour in Vietnam in October. Fidele was a mortarman and was assigned to Company B of the 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 198th Infantry Brigade. The Brigade had joined the 23rd Infantry Division (Americal) operating in the northern part of South Vietnam. Eight and one-half months into his tour, Fidele was killed. He is buried in Gardner, MA. (Source: "Cross-Border Warriors" by Fred Gaffen)
He was previously employed by the former O'Hearn Manufacturing Co. and was a member of Holy Rosary Church and the Assumption Society.
Wounded in a firefight at 1730 hours on May 23rd, he was admitted to a military hospital in Vietnam and died on May 27th.
Sgt Bastarache was survived by his parents Ambroise and Helene (LeBlanc) Bastarache; brothers Zephyr and Hubert; sisters Helena Bellefeuille, Diana Johnson, Rosella and Dorilla along with other relatives.
Requiem Mass at Holy Rosary Church and burial with full military honors at Notre Dame Cemetery took place on Tuesday, June 11, 1968. Honorary bearers were from the Assumption Society. The military bearers, firing party, color guard and bugler were from Fort Devens.
*Sincere thanks to forums contributors JimR, treehstn, threadsewer and tiw35674 for their generous research assistance.
*Many thanks to Jane Eubanks for her kindness in sponsoring this memorial.
*Thank you Lindsay for the grave photos.
