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Kenneth was born on Christmas Day in 1946 and died in Vietnam on April 4, 1967. He along with 9 other Pacific High School and 2 San Leandro High School Alumni gave their lives for our country. Everyone is welcome to visit the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in the main lobby of San Leandro High School.
You will always be remembered and will always be in our thoughts and hearts..
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Sue Ferreira (Nunes) (1967)
I just came across two newspaper articles about Ken's passing.LETTER OF HOPE-
A WIRE OF DEATH (Printed 4-8-67)
Pvt. Kenneth E. Byers, 20, wrote home often about "getting back to the good things in life."
To the graduate of Pacific High School in San Leandro, this meant seeing a good baseball game or -- simply, being back home.
His letter written last Sunday to his mother, Mrs. Arthur N. Adams, arrived yesterday morning.
In it your Byers wrote of just returning from a month "in the jungle" and had enclosed a photograph of himself and two buddies taken at the opening of a new enlisted men's club at their base camp in South Vietnam.
He promised his grandmother, Mrs Esma Adams, to catch up on baseball with her and asked his family to keep mailing him cookies and canned goods, and possibly some tape recordings of their voices.
He said he had to head back in the jungle with his outfit, Company A. 2nd Battalion, 39th Infantry, but that he was making plans for a leave in Tokyo and looked forward to resuming a career at home in electronics. Drafted last May (1966), he was shipped to the war front early last December.
Last Tuesday, according to a telgram yesterday from the Pentagon, young Byers was killed in combat when a round of "Friendly" mortar fire fell short..
RITES SET FOR SL SOLDIER (printed 4-10-67)
Last rites will be held tomorrow for Private First Class Kenneth E Byers, 20-year-old San Leandro soldier killed in action April 4 in Vietnam.
Services are scheduled for 10 a.m. in Santos-Robinson Mortuary, 160 Estudillo, to be followed by burial with full military honors at Golden National Cemetery, San Bruno
The young infantryman, who was killed when a "friendly" mortar shell fell into his unit during jungle fighting, was the son of Mr. & Mrs. Arthur N. Adams of San Leandro. He also leaves his sisters, Nina Ruth and Katherine Marie Adams, of San Leandro; and grandparents, Mrs. Esna Adams of San Leandro and Mr. & Mrs. G. B. Byers of New Albany, Miss.
A native of Los Angeles, he had lived in San Leandro most of his life and was a graduate of Pacific High School. He entered the Army a year ago and was sent to Vietnam last December
His body arrived home Saturday at Oakland Army Terminal.
Sue Ferreira (Nunes) (1967)
Kenneth Edward ByersPrivate
PERSONAL DATA
Home of Record: San Leandro, CA
Date of birth: 12/25/1946
MILITARY DATA
Service: Army of the United States
Grade at loss: E2
Rank: Private
ID No: 56425393
MOS: 11B10: Infantryman
Length Service: 00
Unit: A CO, 2ND BN, 39TH INFANTRY, 9TH INF DIV, USARV
CASUALTY DATA
Start Tour: 12/13/1966
Casualty Date: 04/04/1967
Incident Date: 04/04/1967
Age at Loss: 20
Location: Phuoc Tuy Province, South Vietnam
Remains: Body recovered
Casualty Type: Hostile, died outright
Casualty Reason: Ground casualty
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Paul Quinlan (1967)
why?