The last American soldier to die in Vietnam was from Marshalltown, Iowa

I heard a story on the radio Monday about the last soldier to die in Vietnam. That brave soldier was a United States Marine from Marshalltown, Iowa. I am a little surprised and disappointed that I did not know this story. 

I did research and wanted to share the story of Darwin Lee Judge, the last American soldier to die in Vietnam.

Darwin Judge was born on February 16, 1956. He grew up in Marshalltown, Iowa and graduated high school in 1974. He was an Eagle Scout and well known for his carpentry skills.

After graduation Judge joined the United States Marine Corp and completed boot camp at Camp Pendleton in San Diego, California.

Judge achieved the rank of Lance Corporal (LCPL) while stationed in Virginia as a security guard. He arrived in Vietnam in March of 1975 and was assigned to a Marine Security Battalion in Saigon.

From Iowa Veterans Remembrance Project:

The following month, on April 29, 1975, the capitol of South Vietnam, Saigon, was surrounded by the North Vietnamese Army. As the enemy forces advanced on the city, Marine troops attempted to evacuate the remaining Americans and thousands of South Vietnamese refugees. During the Fall of Saigon LCPL Judge, and fellow Marine Charles McMahon of Woburn Massachusetts, were killed in a rocket attack on the Tan Son Nhut International Airport outside of Saigon. LCPL Judge’s body was not returned to the United States until the following year. The 19-year-old’s remains were laid to rest at the Rose Hill Memorial Gardens in Marshalltown.

From http://iowaalmanac.weebly.com/april-2024.html

As thousands tried to flee Saigon, Marine Doug Potratz was unable to evacuate his three-year-old daughter Becky. Judge intervened, picking her up, putting her on his back, and running to a waiting plane. That little girl made it to America, where she went on to graduate with honors from the University of Southern California.

The word hero is overused in today’s society. LCPL Judge saving that little girl’s life before losing his own – that is a hero.

When I first saw the picture of LCPL Judge, my first reaction was that he looked so young. He was only 18 when he graduated from boot camp when the picture was taken and he was killed only two months after his nineteenth birthday. That is young.

There is a memorial plaque of LCPL Judge at the entrance of Marshalltown High School. I hope to stop in and see it one day.

Up until now whenever I heard of Marshalltown I thought of wrestling. That town has put out some tough wrestlers for decades. From here on out when I hear of Marshalltown, I will think of LCPL Judge. The last American soldier to die in Vietnam

Thank you LCPL Judge and God Bless.