(Photo in Army uniform)

Milo Clements Is County’s 2nd Vietnam Casualty

Had Received Citation Only Eleven Days Before His Death

Milo Clements, son of Eugene Clements of Blair, became Washington County’s second casualty in the Vietnam war Sunday, word of his injuries and death having been relayed to relatives here late Sunday evening.

Specialist 4, Milo Clements died of wounds received in action in Vietnam on Saturday, March 8th. He was on a combat mission and received injuries from fragmentation of a booby trap. He died at 7 A.M. Sunday.

On March 6th relatives had received a letter from him which was written on February 28th telling of receiving a special citation two days earlier. It was an Air Medal Certificate by the direction of the President, for meritorious action while participating in air mobile missions over hostile territory, in support of ground combat from November 7, 1968 to January 15, 1969. To qualify two air mobile missions were required. Since then he had made over 25 more missions and was about to receive an Oak Cluster medal.

The citation he received on February 26th stated that he had brought Credit upon himself, his organization and the U.S. Army.

Milo was born September 30th, 1948 at Blair to Eugene Clement and the late Merle French Clements. He graduated from Blair High school in 1966 and attended Dana College for one year. In High School he lettered in track, football and basketball and in basketball at college. He entered the service on February 20 1968 and left for Vietnam July 16, 1968. He was serving with the 3rd Battalion, 60th Infantry of the 9th Infantry Division in the Mekong Delta. He was a member of the First Baptist Church of Blair. He is survived by his father, Eugene Clements and Mrs. Clements, three brothers Roger, Saylor and Mark; two sisters, Patricia and Merri Beth; Grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Claude Clements and Mrs. Bessie Rhoades and a step-grandfather Edward Giesselman.

The Bendorf Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Services which will be held at the First Baptist Church are pending. A military service will be held at the Blair Cemetery.

Enterprise 20 March 1969 Vol. 76

(Photo in Army uniform)

Military Services Wednesday For Milo Dean Clements

Vietnam Hero Laid To Rest Amid Military Services and Honors

Milo Dean Clements, son of Eugene Clements of Blair, was buried in the Blair Cemetery Wednesday afternoon with military honors and ceremony. He was Washington County’s most recent, and second, Vietnam casualty.

Services were held at the First Baptist Church with the Rev. John Bauserman conducting the service. An overflow attendance at the service attested the respect and concern which the area has for this young man who had given his life for his country.

Honorary pallbearers were local men who were all close friends of the deceased. Active pallbearers were fellow servicemen from Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha. Local patriotic organizations carried out a concluding service at the graveside in the Blair Cemetery.

Specialist 4 Clements died of wounds he received in action in Vietnam on Saturday, March 8th. He was on a combat mission ad received injuries form fragmentation of a booby trap. He had received a special citation late in February for meritorious action while participating in air mobile missions over hostile territory. Before his death he had made enough combat missions to qualify him for an Oak Cluster medal.

Milo was born September 30th, 1948 at Blair to Eugene Clements and the late Merle French Clements. He graduated from Blair High School in 1966 and attended Dana College for one year. In High School he lettered in track, football and basketball and in basketball at college. He entered the service on February 20, 1968 and left for Vietnam July 16, 1968. He was serving with the 3rd Battalion, 60th Infantry of the 9th Infantry Division in the Mekong Delta.

He was a member of the First Baptist Church of Blair.

He is survived by his father, Eugene Clements and Mrs. Clements, three brothers Roger, Saylor and Mark; two sisters, Patricia and Merri Beth; Grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Claude Clements and Mrs. Bessie Rhoades and a step-grandfather Edward Giesselman.

Honorary pallbearers were Richard Zimmerman, Jr., Leroy Sievers, Dave Schneider, Jerry Rainforth, James Taylor and Howard Andersen.

Pilot Tribune 29 March 1969

(Photo and caption: An honor guard from the U.S. Army holds the United States flag above the casket at the graveside ceremony)

(Photo and caption: A special unit from the Offutt Air Base forms the firing squad at the grave of Milo Clements.)

The military funeral of Sp 4 Milo Clements who was fatally wounded in action in Vietnam on March 8 was one of the largest ever held in Blair.

Services for Sp 4 Clements, held at the Baptist Church at 2:00 P.M. Wednesday, filled the church to capacity and many in attendance stood outside. All U.S.A. flags in the city of Blair were flown at half mast all day, and the business houses closed during the time of the funeral services, by proclamation of the city Mayor.

Following the church service, the procession went east on Washington Street from 18th Street to 10th Street, led by an escort furnished by the Washington County Sheriff’s office with traffic controlled by the Blair Police. The procession was estimated to be almost a mile in length. Nearly all available parking at the Blair Cemetery was used to park cars which brought those who attended the graveside service.

A military guard, arranged by Capt. Davis, of the U.S. Army, was present and acted as pallbearers of the casket. A special unit from the Offutt Air Base constituted the firing squad, with their bugler to sound the traditional taps. Units of the local American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars were in attendance.

The body of Sp. 4 Clements was flown from Vietnam to San Francisco, where it was met by its escort, Sp 5 John Biltoft, who accompanied the casket to Blair and remained in constant vigil from the time of its arrival at 2:00 P.M. Monday until the services. Sp 5 Biltoft, who is stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas, makes his home at Ainsworth, Nebr.

Vietnam Casualty Given Hero’s Rites From Blair

Another Obituary:

Blair – The first Blair youth to lose his life in Vietnam was given a hero’s welcome home here yesterday as services were held for Milo D. Clements, 20.

Stores closed, flags flew at half-mast, and the funeral procession moved slowly down main street.

Young Clements’ parents, Mr. and Mrs. Eugene D. Clements, were notified by the military on March 10 that their son had been killed in action.

He was born here Sept. 30, 1948, was graduated from Blair High School and had attended Dana College a year before volunteering for military service.

Services were at the First Baptist Church with Rev. John Bauserman officiating. Burial was in Blair Cemetery.

An honor guard from Offutt Air Base was present and active pallbearers were from the military.

Honorary pallbearers were Richard Zimmerman Jr., Jerry Rainsforth, Leroy Sievers, Dave Schneider, James Taylor and Howard Andersen.

Vocal music was by Mr. and Mrs. Kermit Dol. Organist was David Musick.

Young Clements is the sixth member of his High School graduating class to die. Two were in the service but not in Vietnam; one was killed in an automobile accident and one died while swimming.

Bendorf Funeral Home was in charge.

Casualty Record for Milo Dean Clements

General/Personal

Home Blair, Nebraska

Birth Date 1948-09-30

Sex Male

Race Caucasian

Married/Single Single

Religion Baptist – Other Groups

Citizen Yes

Military

Service Army

Rank SP4

Serial Number 56545025

Component Selective Service

Grade E4

MOS 11C20

Length of Service 01

Start of Tour 1968-07-16

Casualty

Casualty Date 1969-03-09

Casualty Type Hostile, Died Wounds

Reason Other Explosive Device

Air or Ground Ground Casualty

Country South Vietnam

Province Kien Hoa

Posthumous Promotion No change

Body Recovered Body recovered

Location on The Wall Panel 30W-Row 086 ~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~