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Louis Lloyd Zittergruen
LOUIS LLOYD ZITTERGRUEN
Birth March 30, 1949
Hometown Guttenberg, Iowa
Parents Marvin W. and Ariel (Mueller) Zittergruen
Military branch Army
Early Life
Louis “Louie” Zittergruen was born on March 30, 1949 in Guttenberg, Iowa, to Marvin W. and Ariel (Mueller) Zittergruen. He had two brothers, Sheryl and Duane. Duane perished in a house fire in 1951 when he was 18 months old. Sheryl served in the Army including a tour in Vietnam. He had two sisters, Shirley and Linda.
Zittergruen and his siblings grew up on the family farm near Monona, Iowa. He attended the Monona Farmersburg Luana High School, where he was an outstanding football player and member of the track team. He earned a trip to the state track meet by excelling at the longer distances. He was a talented musician, playing the contrabass clarinet and also played the bass drum in the marching band. He was chosen to travel in Europe with the Band of America. He was known for his singing abilities and was a member of the choir at the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Monona, where he was an active participant in the youth program.
University of Wisconsin-Platteville
After graduation from high school, class of 1967, he matriculated at UW-Platteville for one year and was pursuing an engineering degree. The next year, he attended the Area 10 Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Military
On July 8, 1969, Zittergruen entered service with the Army and attended basic training and advanced individual training at Fort Polk, Louisiana, where he was assigned the military occupational specialty of 11B10 Infantryman.
In January 1970, he was ordered to Vietnam where he received additional training at the Americal Combat Center. He was assigned to 2d Platoon, B Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Infantry, 11th Light Infantry Brigade, 23rd (Americal) Division.
PFC Zittergruen was supposed to have been on R&R in Japan, however he remained in Vietnam. On July 17, 1970, an M113 Armored Personnel Carrier from E Troop 1st Cavalry, 11th Infantry was on a search and clear mission about seven and a half miles northwest of the Quang Ngai Airfield when it detonated a concealed 250-pound bomb. Private First Class Zittergruen was among the six soldiers who were killed with nine more soldiers being wounded.
Zittergruen was awarded the Bronze Star, posthumously. The citation provides the following: “For distinguishing himself [Private First Class Zittergruen] by outstanding meritorious service in connection with ground operations against a hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam during the period of 12 January 1970 to 17 July 1970. Through his untiring efforts and professional ability, he consistently obtained outstanding results. He was quick to grasp the implications of new problems with which he was faced as a result of the ever changing situations inherent in a counterinsurgency operation and to find ways and means to solve those problems. The energetic application of his extensive knowledge has materially contributed to the efforts of the United States mission to the Republic of Vietnam to assist that country in ridding itself of the communist threat to its freedom. His initiative, zeal, sound judgement and devotion to duty have been in the highest tradition of the United States Army and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the military service.”
Services for Private First Class Zittergruen were held on July 27, 1970 at the St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church in Monona. Burial was in the Monona Cemetery.
Among Private First Class Zittergruen’s awards are the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with three service stars, Vietnam Military Merit Medal, the Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm and the Vietnam Campaign Medal. Additional awards include the Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation, the Sharpshooter Badge with automatic rifle bar, and the Combat Infantry Badge.
Louis Zittergruen’s name appears on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. on panel W8, line 26.
