William John Block
An anonymous friend left a haunting tribute to William on VVMF.org. It is reprinted at the bottom of this page.
Date of birth: 13 July 1947
Date tour began: 8 January 1968
Date of casualty: 12 February 1968
Home of record: Milwaukie, Oregon
Branch and Rank: Army Selective Service, Private First Class, Light Weapons Infantry
Unit: 25th Infantry Division, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry, B Company
Awards: National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Purple Heart
Location of name on the Vietnam Wall: 39E, 2
Location of service: South Vietnam, Gia Dinh province
Died through hostile action - small arms fire
Schools attended: Milwaukie High School, Multnomah Junior College
Burial location: Portland Memorial Cemetery
Memorials: Vietnam Veterans Memorial (Washington, DC), Oregon Vietnam Veterans Memorial (Portland), Veterans Memorial Coliseum (Portland), Gold Star War Memorial – Milwaukie High School
The Milwaukie Review, Wednesday, March 20, 1968
William J. Block
Funeral services for Private William John Block, a U.S. Army soldier from Milwaukie who was killed by enemy gunfire in Vietnam Feb. 12, were held at Peake Memorial chapel with vault interment following at Portland Memorial cemetery.
Block, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Block, 4025 Aldercrest, Milwaukie, attended Milwaukie High School and graduated from Multnomah Junior College in Portland. He worked for United Grocers before entering the service and was a member of Union local No. 206.
Besides his parents, survivors include a brother, Jim Block, Chicago, Ill.; and grandparents, Henry Block, Mulino, and Mrs. M. Ryan, London, England.
These personal remembrances were left for him here:
http://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/4416/WILLIAM-J-BLOCK
Beloved Son and Brother
You are missed but never far from our minds
********************************************************************
A fellow soldier
Spent basic at Ft Lewis together. A great friend and a wonderful guy. We spent lots of time training and it was obvious Block wasn’t comfortable with a rifle. It has always haunted me that he said upon completion of basic that he was going in the infantry, to Viet Nam, and he was going to be killed. I told him he'd be fine and don't talk like that. He was killed the very day I arrived in country. To any of his family, please know what a pleasure it was to spend 9 weeks with him. Have tried to find an address for relatives but to no avail. He was truly a great friend and I think of him often.
Date of birth: 13 July 1947
Date tour began: 8 January 1968
Date of casualty: 12 February 1968
Home of record: Milwaukie, Oregon
Branch and Rank: Army Selective Service, Private First Class, Light Weapons Infantry
Unit: 25th Infantry Division, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry, B Company
Awards: National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Purple Heart
Location of name on the Vietnam Wall: 39E, 2
Location of service: South Vietnam, Gia Dinh province
Died through hostile action - small arms fire
Schools attended: Milwaukie High School, Multnomah Junior College
Burial location: Portland Memorial Cemetery
Memorials: Vietnam Veterans Memorial (Washington, DC), Oregon Vietnam Veterans Memorial (Portland), Veterans Memorial Coliseum (Portland), Gold Star War Memorial – Milwaukie High School
The Milwaukie Review, Wednesday, March 20, 1968
William J. Block
Funeral services for Private William John Block, a U.S. Army soldier from Milwaukie who was killed by enemy gunfire in Vietnam Feb. 12, were held at Peake Memorial chapel with vault interment following at Portland Memorial cemetery.
Block, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Block, 4025 Aldercrest, Milwaukie, attended Milwaukie High School and graduated from Multnomah Junior College in Portland. He worked for United Grocers before entering the service and was a member of Union local No. 206.
Besides his parents, survivors include a brother, Jim Block, Chicago, Ill.; and grandparents, Henry Block, Mulino, and Mrs. M. Ryan, London, England.
These personal remembrances were left for him here:
http://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/4416/WILLIAM-J-BLOCK
Beloved Son and Brother
You are missed but never far from our minds
********************************************************************
A fellow soldier
Spent basic at Ft Lewis together. A great friend and a wonderful guy. We spent lots of time training and it was obvious Block wasn’t comfortable with a rifle. It has always haunted me that he said upon completion of basic that he was going in the infantry, to Viet Nam, and he was going to be killed. I told him he'd be fine and don't talk like that. He was killed the very day I arrived in country. To any of his family, please know what a pleasure it was to spend 9 weeks with him. Have tried to find an address for relatives but to no avail. He was truly a great friend and I think of him often.
