Dudley’s
Fallen from the Vietnam War
NORMAN JOSEPH NAPIERATA
Personal
Data:
Birth
Date:
April
29, 1947
Birth
Place:
Race:
Caucasian
Religion:
Roman
Catholic
U.S.
Citizen: Yes
Father’s
Name:
Mother’s
Name:
Sibling
Names:
Eleanor A. (born 4/10/36, married Joseph Dorey 7/30/55)
Joan R. (born 4/30/40, married Joseph Yacino 4/18/ 59)
Marital
Status:
Single
Education:
Schools
Attended:
Bartlett High School, Webster, Massachusetts
(LCPL Napierata was known as "Bubbles" to his school mates according to friend Jack Chlapowski)
High School Yearbook Photo:
High
School Diploma:
College Attended: Nichols College, Dudley, Massachusetts (briefly)
College Diploma: No
Selective
Service Data:
SSS
Local Board Number:
SSS
Local Board Location:
Military
Service Record:
Entry
Date: November 5, 1964
Entry
Mode:
Entry
Location:
Home
of Record:
Dudley, Massachusetts
Service
Branch:
Marine
Corps
Service
Component:
Regular
Rank:
Lance
Corporal
Rank
Abbrev:
LCPL
Pay
Grade:
E3
MOS:
0351
MOS
Title:
Military
Education: Rocket Launcher and
Portable Flame Thrower; Operations Against Guerrilla Forces; Tactics of the
Marine Rifle Squad
Awards
Received:
Purple
Heart; National Defense Service Medal; Vietnam Service Medal; Republic of
Vietnam Campaign Ribbon
Posthumous
Promotion: No
Length
of Service:
Southeast
Asia Tour Data:
Date
Tour Commenced: not
reported
Major Command: 1st Marine Division (Reinforced) FMF
Land
Assignment:
Regiment:
7th Marines
Battalion:
3rd Battalion
Company:
M Company
Casualty
Data:
Casualty
Date:
September 22,
1966
Casualty
Age:
19
Casualty
Data 1: Hostile,
Died
Casualty
Data 2: Other
Explosive Device
Casualty
Data 3: Ground
Casualty
Casualty
Province:
Quang
Ngai
Casualty
Country:
South
Vietnam
Located
In Or Near:
From the logs of 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines in September 1966:
LCPL Napierata was killed in action by an 'other explosive device,' which is a term normally associated with booby-traps. He was the only casualty on 09/22/66. Two days prior, on 09/20/66, LCPL James M. Clark (NYC, NY) was also KIA by a booby-trap. Napierata and Clark, both members of M Company, were probably in the vicinity of BS 5691 at the time of their deaths. BS 5691 on the following map excerpt is the hamlet of Phuoc Thuan, located just north of Highway 529 and the Song Tra Bong (river).
Historians have noted that Marine Corps record keeping in 1965-66 was less than perfect, which we might observe by the fact that no friendly KIAs were reported in the logs of 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, when describing the activities of M Company in September 1966.
Side note: on 09/29/66, 3/7 got abrupt orders to head north. The entire battalion was moved to Dong Ha, just below the DMZ, and started to wage heavy battles against the highly-trained NVA for the next 5 years.
Body Recovered: Yes
Burial/Memorial:
Burial
Location:
Burial
Plot Location:
Burial
Date:
Consigned
Funeral Home:
Military
Escort Name:
Dudley’s Fallen Casualty Order: 1st and only
Local
Memorial: The top photo of LCPL Napierata in his dress uniform is
a copy of one on display at the Boys and Girls Club of Dudley,
Massachusetts
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Panel Number: 10E Line Number: 133
Many thanks to John Chlapowski (of NJ), Don Cushing, Carla Manzi, Kevin Esposito, Jay Lamy, Jeff Bourgette, and Virginia of the St. Joseph's Rectory for their thoughtful contributions.
