VAN ARTSDALEN, CLIFFORD

Name: Clifford Van Artsdalen
Rank/Branch: E4/US Army
Unit: Company D, 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry, 23rd Infantry Division
Date of Birth: 25 December 1949 (Boylestown PA)
Home City of Record: Plumsheadville PA
Date of Loss: 09 May 1968
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 153359N 1081618E (BT074227)
Status (in 1973): Killed/Body Not Recovered
Category: 2
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: Ground
Refno: 1165
Other Personnel in Incident: (none missing)

Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 01 September 1990 from one or more
of the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources,
correspondence with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews. Updated
by the P.O.W. NETWORK 2020.

REMARKS:

SYNOPSIS: SP4 Clifford Van Artsdalen was on a combat operation with his unit
in Quang Tin Province, South Vietnam on May 9, 1968. The unit was operating
about 20 miles west of the city of Tam Ky. At 1300 hours, the weapons
platoon assumed a front-firing position, and Van Artsdalen and two others
were sent to a position to provide a base of fire.

At that time, the enemy returned a heavy volume of fire and an explosion was
seen from their position, and a helmet was seen flying through the air. The
weapons platoon sergeant near the position saw that Van Artsdalen had been
hit in the head. Two men who attempted to recover his body were also
wounded. Because of heavy fire, Van Artsdalen's remains could not be
recovered. Searches of the battle area were conducted as well as could be in
view of the hostility in the area.

Clifford Van Artsdalen was listed as killed, body not recovered. He is among
nearly 2500 Americans who remain unaccounted for from the Vietnam war. The
cases of some, like Van Artsdalen, seem clear - that they perished and
cannot be recovered. Unfortunately, mounting evidence indicates that
hundreds of Americans are still captive, waiting for the country they
proudly served to secure their freedom.

In our haste to leave an unpopular war, it now appears we abandoned some of
our best men. In our haste to heal the wounds of this same war, will we sign
their death warrants? Or will we do what we can to bring them home?
 

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02/2020

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000KY6JEAW

• Conflict
• Service
• Status

• VIETNAM WAR
• UNITED STATES ARMY
• Unaccounted For

 

Specialist 4 (SP4) Clifford Dale Van Artsdalen entered the U.S. Army from Pennsylvania and was a member of Company D, 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 23rd Infantry Division. On May 9, 1968, he was a member of a three-man weapons platoon sent to a forward position in Quang Tin Province, South Vietnam, to provide supporting fire for units in the area. His team came under heavy return fire and an explosion was seen coming from their position. Soon after, the platoon sergeant noticed that SP4 Van Artsdalen had been shot and killed. He ordered other men on the mission to recover SP4 Van Artsdalen's body; however, the other troops had also been wounded. Their condition, as well as the heavy enemy fire, prevented the recovery of SP4 Van Artsdalen's remains. Further attempts to recover or locate him was unsuccessful. Today, Specialist 4 Van Artsdalen is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Based on all information available, DPAA assessed the individual's case to be in the analytical category of Active Pursuit.

If you are a family member of this serviceman, DPAA can provide you with additional information and analysis of your case. Please contact your casualty office representative.

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SP4 CLIFFORD DALE VAN ARTSDALEN

• Unit CO D 1 BN 20 INF AMERICAL DIV
• Historical Country of Loss
  South Vietnam
• Current Country of Loss
  VIETNAM
• Home of Record PA