The only Clermont County MIA from the Vietnam War
Robert William Gumbert, Jr. To be honored at New Richmond High School Veterans Day 2015
Wednesday, November 11, at 1:30 p.m.
Former New
Richmond High School Class of 1967 graduate, Robert William Gumbert Jr., will
be honored on Veterans Day in the same gymnasium where he graduated almost 50
years ago. In attendance will be his father, Robert William Gumbert of New
Richmond, Ohio. Robert Jr’s mother is no longer living.
PFC Robert W. Gumbert Jr. was the oldest of 10
children born to Robert and Geneva Gumbert. He graduated from New Richmond High
School in 1967 and was drafted into the Army during the Vietnam War. On June
22, 1970 PFC Robert W. Gumbert was killed in action; body not recovered. He is
the only Clermont County MIA (Missing in Action) from the Vietnam War.
SYNOPSIS: At
0700 hours on June 22, 1970, PFC Robert W. Gumbert was walking point for his
squad on a combat mission in South Vietnam. The unit was operating in Quang
Ngai Province near the border of Binh Dinh Province, near the coastline of
South Vietnam about 10 miles south of the city of Mo Duc, and about 3 miles
east of Duc Pho.
While Gumbert
was moving through a hedgerow area, an explosive device detonated along the
southern edge of the hedgerow at Gumbert's position. The explosion created a
crater 4 1/2' deep and 12 feet wide. The two men, SP4 Gary L. Peat and SP4
Joseph M. Turowski Jr., were killed, with SP4 Peat, who was just behind PFC Gumbert,
being dismembered.
PFC Robert W.
Gumbert Jr. is listed on the national Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington
D.C. His name is located on Panel 09W (West), Row 79. Through the work of the
Clermont County Vietnam Veterans, Tim Roth of Roth Monuments in Newport,
Kentucky and State Representative Jean Schmidt, a monument was dedicated in
2010 at Arlington National Cemetery, Section MK, Site 320 in honor of PFC
Robert W. Gumbert Jr. of New Richmond, Ohio.
Cliff Riley,
Ohio State Commander for the Vietnam Veterans of America and recipient of the
highest national award of the Vietnam Veterans of America will be the main
speaker at this year’s event.
Tom Mitchell,
HONOR AND REMEMBER Ohio Chapter Director, will be presenting the HONOR AND
REMEMBER flag to Mr. Gumbert. The mission of HONOR AND REMEMBER is to create
and promote a nationally recognized emblem to remind all Americans of the lives
lost in defense of our national freedoms.
New Richmond
High School has a Veterans Day Program every year to honor our nation’s heroes
from all branches of service. Veterans from WWII to our current war will be in
attendance. High School Principal, Mark Bailey, believes it is important to
honor our veterans and allow students the opportunity to meet them and hear
first hand their stories. Previous speakers at the New Richmond High School
Veterans Day Program have been U. S. Representative and Army Reserve officer,
Brad Wenstrup and Staff Sergeant Paul Brondhaver, wounded Iraq Veteran from New
Richmond, Ohio.
The program is open to veterans and friends of the Gumbert Family.
For more information, contact Regina Herbolt at (513) 207-2983.
