Albert Edwin Carlson (1941 - 1999)

Col. Ed Carlson was was a Prisoner of War in Cambodia during the Vietnam War.

Biography

Col. Ed Carlson served in the United States Army in the Vietnam War
Service started: 1963
Unit(s): 9th Infantry Regiment; 83rd Field Artillery Regiment
Service ended: 1992

Birth

Col. Albert Edwin Carlson was born on 6 July 1941 in San Lorenzo, Alameda, California, United States to Mr. Carlson and wife with maiden name Coy. ^[1]

Education

He obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business and Industrial Management from San Jose State College, San Jose, California, in 1963.

In 1971 he returned to school and received a Masters Degree in Business Administration at the same College.

He attended Army Command and General Staff College from August 1974 to June 1975.

Ed was assigned to Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania from August 1983 to June 1984.

Marriage

Ed married his high school sweetheart, Nancy J. Byrd (9 June 1943-19 August 2013) while he was a senior in San Jose State College on 1 September 1962 in Alameda County, California.^{[2] [3]}

Known Child of the Carlson-Byrd Marriage

1. Eric Allen Carlson born about 1968. ^[4]

Military Service

Ed enlisted in the United States Army ROTC at San Jose State in June 1963 and received his commission as an Army 2nd Lieutenant on 9 July 1963. Active duty began on that date. He first attended Field Artillery Officer Basic Course and Airborne School. LT Carlson served as a Reconnaissance and Survey Officer, Assistant Executive Officer and as a Battery Commander with the 2nd Battalion, 5th Artillery Regiment in West Germany from November 1963 until August 1966.

From there he went to Fort Sill, Oklahoma from October 1966 to August 1967 where he served as Battalion S-3 and Survey Officer for the 3rd Target Acquisition Battalion, 26th Artillery Regiment.

He completed additional Field Artillery training before October 1967 when he became a Liaison Officer with Headquarters II Field Force Vietnam Artillery in South Vietnam until March 1968. He was next the Commander of Battery C, 2nd Battalion, 35th Artillery Regiment in South Vietnam until October 1968.

Major Carlson returned from Southeast Asia in December 1968 to serve at Fort Sill, Oklahoma as an Action Officer and Instructor with the Field Artillery School. He was in the position until January 1970 when he was assigned to San Jose State College to complete his Master's Degree, which was complete in July 1971.

Prisoner of War from 7 April 1972 to 12 February 1973. ^{[5] [6]}

He was sent back to South Vietnam as an advisor to the South Vietnamese Army with the United States Military Assistance Command in July 1971 until he was captured by enemy troops during the battle for Loc Ninh on 7 April 1972. His status was Missing in Action from 7 April 1972 until 28 June 1972 when the United States Casualty division changed his status from missing to captured.

He was captured at Loc Ninh, Bin Phuoc, South Vietnam while serving as an advisor to the South Vietnamese Army with the United States Military Assistance Command in South Vietnam. Most of his time as a Prisoner of War was spent being held in Cambodia. He was released at Loc Ninh during Operation Homecoming. Ed was hospitalized to recover from injuries at Letterman General Hospital in the Presidio at San Francisco, California.^[7]

After he returned from incarceration, he served as a Project Officer and War Gamer with the War Games Division of the Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Leavenworth, Kansas from June 1973 to August 1974. He was sent to Army Command and General Staff College until June 1975.

His next assignment was with the 2nd Battalion, 4th Field Artillery at Fort Lewis, Washington as the Battalion S-3 from June 1975 until October 1976. From October 1976 to June 1980, still at Fort Lewis, he was the Chief of the Training Management Development Office.

After Fort Lewis, he was assigned to serve as Commander of the 2nd Battalion, 83rd Field Artillery Regiment in West Germany until July 1983. From there he went back to the USA to attend Army War College. Upon return from that assignment, he served at Fort Lewis until his retirement from the Army.

Honors

His Silver Star Citation:

Major Albert E. Carlson, Field Artillery, distinguished himself by gallantry in action during the period of 5 to 7 April 1972 while serving as the Deputy Senior Advisor to the 9th Infantry Regiment, 5th Infantry Division, Army of the Republic of Vietnam. On 5 April 1972, North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces launched a major offensive with the objective of capturing Binh Long Province in Military Region 3. The 5th Viet Cong Division was targeted against Loc Ninh, the capital of Loc Ninh District in Northern Binh Long Province. The 5th Viet Cong Division launched a massive ground attack against Loc Ninh beginning early in the morning of 5 April 1972. The attack was supported by artillery and tanks. Major Carlson skillfully directed tactical airstrikes and helicopter gunships in support of the 9th Infantry Regimental and other South Vietnamese Forces in the area. During the battle Major Carlson fought magnificently. Time and time again he directed the fighters, bombers, gunships and artillery fire on top of his own position to drive off the attacking enemy. The combination of Major Carlson's courage and professional skill coupled with all available firepower kept the numerically superior enemy at bay for more than two days. Despite the valiant efforts of the defenders, the city of Loc Ninh was completely overrun by the enemy on 7 April 1972, but Major Carlson through his courageous actions extracted a horrendous price from the enemy for their tactical accomplishment. Major Carlson's conspicuous gallantry in action was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Army and reflects great credit upon himself and the military service.

1. Silver Star Medal.
2. Legion of Merit.
3. Bronze Star Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters.
4. Purple Heart with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters.
5. Meritorious Service Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters.
6. Air Medal.
7. Army Commendation Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster.

The full ribbon set is available here.

Retirement

Colonel Carlson retired from the United States Army on 30 September 1992 at the age of 51.

Death and Burial

He died on 7 August 1999 in Fort Leavenworth, Leavenworth, Kansas, United States at the age of 58. He was buried in the Tahoma National Cemetery, Kent, King, Washington. ^[8] Plot: Section 25, Site 1627 Find A Grave: Memorial #464550

Sources

• California Birth Index.
• California Marriage Index for Albert E. Carlson and Nancy J. Byrd on 1 September 1961 in Alameda County, California.
• 1989 US Public Records Index, Vol. 1, in Pleasanton, Alameda, California.
• 1993 U.S. Public Records Index, Vol. 1, in Gig Harbor, Pierce, Washington.
• U.S. Military Registers, 1902-1985.. Salem, Oregon: Oregon State Library. Date & place of birth, military enlistment data. 1966, Volume 1, page 91.
• Vietnam War, Casualties Returned Alive, 1962-1979.
• U.S. Veterans Gravesites, ca. 1775-2006.
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010.
• Find A Grave Index.
• Obituary.
• U.S. Social Security Death Index.
• P.O.W. Network [1] ^[9]
• Social Security Administration Death Index, Master File for Nancy J. Byrd born 9 June 1943 and died on 19 August 2013.

Footnotes

1. ↑ CA Birth Rec
2. ↑ POW Network statement by Ed
3. ↑ CA Marr Rec
4. ↑ POW Network statement by Ed
5. ↑ NAM POW list
6. ↑ Vet Trib
7. ↑ Many of the details of actual incident are still held as classified. The other military personnel who were involved in the Loc Ninh struggle with Carlson were Howard B. Lull, Richard S. Schott, Mark A. Smith and Kenneth Wallingford.
8. ↑ There is no mention of his spouse on his military headstone or in the cemetery.
9. ↑ P.O.W. Network: There are several major errors on his bio page here, which we are attempting to have corrected. The information on this Wiki profile is all backed by actual sources.

Acknowledgements