Donald J. Trampski, Vietnam War CasualtyPorter County Data on Vietnam War Casualties . . . .
Donald Joseph Trampski
Staff Sergeant, B Company, 14th Infantry, 1st Battalion
Date of Birth: August 16, 1948
Date of Death: October 23, 1978
Cause of Death: Died While Missing (non-hostile)
Hometown: Chesterton
Vietnam Veterans Memorial: Panel 18 West, Row 98
Note Concerning Missing Status:
Private First Class Donald J. Trampski was serving as a rifleman with his unit
on an operation in central Pleiku Province, South Vietnam. In order to continue
its mission, his unit was required to cross a flimsy Montagnard bridge. At the
time there was a severe Monsoon rainstorm in progress that thoroughly drenched
everyone and everything. Furthermore, the bridge was slippery and the river was
swollen with a fast moving current. While attempting to cross the bridge,
Trampski lost his footing and fell into the river. According to surviving
platoon members, Trampski was last seen in the water, swimming about thirty
yards from the bridge. A search was immediately made by team members along both
riverbanks to locate and assist him, but they found no sign of him. At dawn the
following day a full search and rescue operation using both ground and air
assets was initiated along the banks from the bridge to 300 meters downstream.
The search continued for three weeks, but no trace of either Trampski or any of
his gear was found. At the time, formal search and rescue efforts were
terminated and Donald Trampski was immediately listed Missing in Action.
The area in which Trampski's unit was operating in at the time of his loss was a
dense double and triple canopy jungle with mountains directly to the east, a
primary road approximately one mile to the south and another major road two
miles to the northeast. The loss location was roughly eight miles north of the
town of Phu Nhan, 21 miles south-southeast of Pleiku City, and 37 miles east of
the South Vietnamese/La border.
Due to the circumstances of loss, there is no way of knowing for certain if
Donald Trampski drowned in that fast moving river, or if he safely reached shore
only to be captured by communist troops who were known to be operating in the
area.
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List of
Porter County Vietnam War Casualties
Information abstracted and transcribed by Steven R. Shook