More detail on this person: After a lengthly
illnessRonald William Dostal died in Phoenix,
Arizona on July 11, 2004, after a lengthy illness.
He was 61 years old. Ron, as he was known to
his buddies, attended Hinsdale High School in
Hinsdale, Illinois. He was commissioned from
OCS in Field Artillery at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma and
graduated from Army flight school in Class 66-22,
receiving his flight wings in January, 1967. He
and two of his classmates, Jim Higgins and Ed
Busic, were assigned to Troop A, 3/17 Air Cavalry,
which was forming at Ft. Knox and which shipped
out to Vietnam in October of 1967. All three were
members of the original troop, and all three
became scout pilots in the new OH-6A helicopters.
Dostal saw much action in Vietnam with this unit,
to include the TET Offensive of 1968. Among other
awards, he received a Distinguished Flying Cross
and multiple Air Medals. Also serving with him
in the same troop as crew chiefs were two of his
younger brothers, Jim Dostal of Savannah, Georgia
and John Dostal of Richmond, Virginia, who now
survive Ron. Also surviving is a daughter, Julie
Buturla, of Englewood, Florida. This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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Date posted on this site:
03/10/2024
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