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Dean Wilbur Krueger
DEAN WILBUR KRUEGER
Birth Oct. 13, 1945
Hometown Reedsville, Wisconsin
Parents Wilbur L. and Edith Grace (Goldie) Kreuger
Military branch Air Force
Early Life
Dean Krueger was born on Oct. 13, 1945 in Reedsville, Wisconsin, to Wilbur L. and Edith Grace (Goldie) Kreuger. He had two brothers, Joseph and Russell, and a sister, Grace.
Krueger graduated from Valders High School in 1963, where he was active in 4-H, Future Farmers of America, and was on the Science and Industrial Arts honor rolls.
University of Wisconsin-Platteville
While attending UW-Platteville from 1963–1967, he was a residence hall counselor, a member of Phi Eta Sigma National Men’s Honor Society, Kappa Delta Pi National Honor Society in Education, and the Collegiate Agriculture Association. He was on the Dean’s List each semester and was among 34 seniors nominated by the student governing board to be included in “Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges.” He graduated in 1967 with high honors with a Bachelor of Science, Smith-Hughes Comprehensive Agriculture.
In the summer of 1967, he was an assistant county supervisor for the Farmers Home Administration in Juneau, Wisconsin. He was one of three UW-Platteville students to receive an assistantship in agriculture economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison with the goal earning a master’s degree.
Military
In May 1968, Krueger enlisted in the United States Air Force and attended basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. After basic training, then Staff Sergeant Krueger volunteered to participate in a research project in the field of aerospace medicine. Following that assignment, he attended Officer Training School, was a distinguished graduate, and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant on March 31, 1969. Second Lieutenant Krueger completed 53 weeks of flight training at Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio, Texas and received his wings with honors on April 11, 1970. He trained on the A-37 Dragonfly at England Air Force Base, Alexandria, Louisiana and was promoted to First Lieutenant on Sept. 1, 1970.
First Lieutenant Krueger went to Vietnam on Jan. 18, 1971. There he was assigned to the 8th Special Operations Squadron, 35th Tactical Fighter Wing, 7th Air Force at the Bien Hoa Air Base. The following details of the deadly incident on March 26 were provided to Lieutenant Krueger’s parents by the Commander of the 35th Tactical Fighter Wing. "Dean had taken off from the Bien Hoa Air Base on March 26th in his A-37 aircraft as number two man in a flight of two. His assignment was a combat mission in Cambodia. It was a day mission and the weather was scattered clouds with visibility approximately 10 miles. The lead aircraft made his first delivery as Dean circled for an approach from a different direction. This technique we employ to preclude the enemy from barrage firing and hitting the second aircraft if he follows the same flight path as the lead aircraft. Dean made a normal call and was cleared by the Forward Air Controller (FAC) for his first attack. The FAC states that the attack appeared to be normal with a 20 degree dive angle. The aircraft then began a slight right turn and went into the ground about one quarter mile short of his intended target. There were no transmissions received from Dean concerning any aircraft malfunctions and a ground team verified that he was still in the aircraft at impact and death was instantaneous. There had not been any reported enemy ground fire in the area on this date; however, enemy reactions had been intense on previous strikes. It is my opinion that Dean was hit by ground fire and was unable to recover or eject prior to impact."
The following details of an earlier incident are provided in the citation which accompanied the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross (Posthumous). "First Lieutenant Dean W. Krueger distinguished himself by extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as an A-37 pilot in Southeast Asia on 26 February 1971. On that date Lieutenant Krueger’s flight attached a hostile builtup area. Despite the constant threat of ground fire and poor weather conditions, Lieutenant Krueger made repeated passes on the hostile positions, placing ordnance exactly on the Forward Air Controllers’ marks. Because of Lieutenant Krueger’s aggressiveness and accuracy, the hostile location was completely destroyed."
Funeral services were conducted on April 3, 1971 at the First Presbyterian Church in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, with burial in the Evergreen Cemetery.
Lieutenant Krueger’s name appears on the University of Wisconsin-Madison Gold Star Honor Roll.
Lieutenant Krueger’s awards include the Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart, Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with “V”, Air Force Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with one service star, Small Arms Expert Marksmanship ribbon, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross (Unit Citation), and Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.
Dean Krueger’s name appears on the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C., on panel W4, line 80.
