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In Memory of Army Cpl.

Lawrence Dean Brownotter

Bullhead, South Dakota, Corson County

December 9, 1944 - November 18, 1967

        Killed in Action by Fragmentation Wounds in Dinh Tuong Province, South Vietnam

Lawrence (Larry) Dean Brownotter was born in Fort Yates, North Dakota on December 9, 1944 to Clayton and Cecilia Brownotter, Sr. He had six brothers: Quentin, Clayton Jr., Percy, Ivan, Courtney, and Ronald, and four sisters: Judie, Jolene, and Janet, and Mary Jo. Lawrence married Margaret Agard on June 28, 1965 in McIntosh, South Dakota. He had three children: Anna Lisa Agard, Anthony Allen Agard, and Loren Archambault.

Lawrence D. Brownotter entered the Army on August 24, 1966 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Cpl. Brownotter arrived in Vietnam attached to the 5th Battalion, 60th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division.

Cpl. Lawrence Dean Brownotter was killed in hostile ground action on November 18, 1967 in Vietnam. In a letter to the family dated December 19, 1967, Major General G.G. O’Conner wrote:

I wish to convey my personal sympathy to you. Your son was mortally wounded by fragments from an enemy explosive device while on a search and destroy operation. As a member of this command, Lawrence was well liked by all his associates. He was an excellent soldier who per- formed his tasks in a cheerful and efficient manner. His death came as a great shock to all who knew him.

On November 26, 1967, at the wake of his son, Clayton Brownotter, Sr. said:

We are congregating here tonight to pay our last respect to our comrade Larry Brownotter who has made the supreme sacrifice for our country. This sacrifice is based mainly towards the preservation of human rights and dignity. You and I will never find words that will express our appreciation. We know from actual experience that losing an indispensable element in a family is one of the greatest losses. The Bible specifies that a human body is composed of two elements: the body and the soul, when the body is extinct, the soul departs answering to the highest command. God, Wakan Tanka.

Judie Brownotter, sister to Corporal Brownotter, wrote:

My big brother Larry was an enthusiastic individual. He was a cowboy at heart. He loved his horse, Sugar. Larry loved to tease. In my opinion he was the kindest and handsomest person I know and I’m proud to be the keeper of his flag.

At the annual Bullhead pow-wow we celebrate victory over Japan, as we have a Dough Boy in our community. At this time a designated person (someone who has an immediate member of their family killed in action) puts a smudge of black face paint on whoever will take part in the dance. The color black symbolizes Victory. It’s an honor to have this done. At the present time, because of her age, our mother (Larry and mine) has passed the victory smudging onto me.

From my understanding, in our Native Lakota culture this has probably been done even before any of our Lakota warriors entered into the white men’s wars.

Funeral services for Army Corporal Lawrence Dean Brownotter were held on November 27, 1967 at the St. Aloysius Catholic Church in Bullhead, South Dakota. Members from many American Legion Posts were in attendance. The name of Corporal Lawrence Dean Brownotter can be found on Panel 30E, Line 013 of the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C.

James Hare, 8th grade, Stanley County Middle School, Fort Pierre, South Dakota, January 5, 2006, respectfully submitted this entry. Information was provided by Judie M. Brownotter, McLaughlin, South Dakota, sister to Corporal Lawrence Dean Brownotter.