In
Memory of U.S. Army Specialist Fifth Class
William Dennis Biever was born in Osceola, South Dakota,
on August 5, 1945. His family liked to call him Bill. His
parents’ names were Louis and Vina (Rhoten) Biever. He grew
up with three sisters: Janice, Alice, and Shirley. He also
had five brothers: Robert, Eugene, Lawrence, John, and
Jerry. William attended Bancroft High School. After he
graduated, he went to South Dakota State in Brookings to
attend college. He liked to hunt, fish, dance, and play all
kinds of sports. His sister, Jan, also remembers that he was
a fun person to be around.
William Biever entered the service at age 21, on April
11, 1966, and became an Army Specialist Fifth Class. He was
awarded the Distinguished Trainee Award and the Certificate
of Merit at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Then on August 10,
1966, he completed an aircraft maintenance entry course and
on September 23, 1966, he completed a single rotor turbine
utility helicopter repair course, both at Fort Rucker,
Alabama. On January 8, 1967, SP/5 Biever was sent overseas
and was stationed in South Vietnam as a member of Company A,
5th Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team.
On July 19, 1967, SP/5 William Dennis Biever was crew
chief aboard a helicopter, attending as a door gunner; he
was killed when the helicopter was shot down and caught on
fire as it crashed. The body of SP/5 Biever was recovered a
day or two later and returned to the United States and
buried with military honors at St. William’s Cemetery at
Yale, South Dakota. In November of that year, the Biever
family was notified that at Camp Enari in the Central
Highlands of Vietnam, a street was named for William to
“perpetuate William’s deeds of valor in the hearts and minds
of his fellow soldiers throughout the division.”
William Biever was awarded the Air Medal for “meritorious
achievement while participating in aerial flight in the
Republic of Vietnam during the period 19 January 1967 to 15
February 1967.”
According to the citation for the award:
During this time he actively participated
in more than twenty-five aerial missions
over hostile territory in support of counterinsurgency
operations. During all of these missions he displayed the
highest order of air discipline and acted in accordance with
the best traditions of the service. By his determination to
accomplish his mission in spite of the hazards inherent in
repeated aerial flights over hostile territory and by his
outstanding degree of professionalism and devotion to duty,
he has brought credit upon himself, his organization, and
the military service.
Surviving family members were Louis Biever, father; Vina
Biever, mother; Shirley Salter, Janice Lentz, and Alice
Ellis, sisters; Robert, Lawrence, Eugene, and Jerry Biever,
brothers. Another brother of William, John Biever,
pre-deceased him in 1961.
This entry was submitted by Camarae Brink, 8th grade
student, Spearfish Middle School, October 13, 2005.
Information for this project was collected from Vietnam
Veterans Bonus Application and a Kingsbury County newspaper
clipping. Additional information and profile approval by Jan
Lentz, sister, Huron, SD.
View
Dedication Promotional Video
