In
Memory of U.S. Army Private First Class
Ft. Thompson, South Dakota, Buffalo County
Alvin Richard “Dickie” Spider was born on September 6,
1940, in Sisseton, South Dakota, to Rev. Stephen and Ethel
(His Gun) Spider. His siblings were Lydia, Amos, Dorothy,
Ralph, Faith, Mary, Robert, Marilyn, Irene, Steve, Jr.
(Rocky) and Yvonne Spider. Their hometown was Ft. Thompson
in Buffalo County. Alvin went to high school in Brockton,
Montana, until 1958, where Algebra was his best subject.
Alvin married Jewell A. Bad Moccasin on June 27, 1960, on the Crow
Creek Reservation. They had four kids: Doremis, Richard,
Lila, and Germaine. He worked as a sandblaster for six years
before he entered the service. Alvin is remembered as
enjoying hunting, fishing, and carpentry. He made stables
and chicken coops for his father.
Alvin Richard Spider entered the service on November 10,
1965, at Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and did his basic
training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Alvin was assigned
to Company B, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry, 1st Brigade,
101st Airborne Ranger Division, the "Screaming Eagles". Richard was quite young when his
dad left for the service, but remembers him coming home
twice and thought he “seemed serious and different” in his
last visit. He remembers taking his dad back to Sioux Falls,
and from there Alvin went overseas on June 28, 1966. He
served overseas with a friend, Carson Walks Over Ice, from
the Crow Agency in Montana. While he was overseas, he wrote
home a lot; in a last letter he said hoped to be back in the
States in 3 weeks and wanted to move the family to Seattle,
Washington.
Army Private First Class Spider was killed in action in
Vietnam on May 18, 1967, as he carried a wounded man to
cover. In a letter to Jewel Spider, Alvin’s wife, the
Commanding Officer said:
Alvin was one of the most outstanding
young men that I have been associated with. He was hard
working and conscientious in all that he did and his
personal courage on the battlefield won him the respect
of all the officers and men in the company. Alvin died
fighting for the ideals we all dearly cherish in the
United States. I hope the knowledge that your grief is
shared by the entire company will be of some consolation
to you.
The body of Alvin Spider was returned to the United
States and he was buried
with full military honors at Ft. Thompson. He was also honored
with a three-jet flyover from Ellsworth Air Force Base, when
the jets tipped their wings to salute him.
Alvin Spider received many medals and awards, including
the Purple Heart, the Parachutist’s Badge, Vietnam Service
Medal, Rifleman’s Expert Badge, National Defense Service
Medal, Combat Infantryman’s Badge, and the Vietnam Campaign
Medal. Another was the Bronze Star for Heroism. The
following is his citation:
For heroism in connection with
military operations against a hostile force: Private
Spider distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous
actions on 18 May 1967 in the Republic of Viet Nam.
While on a search and destroy mission the second platoon
suddenly came under a tremendous volume of enemy fire
from well fortified enemy positions. Private Spider
observed that one of his comrades had been wounded and
lay in an area exposed to the
withering enemy fire. With complete disregard for his
own safety, he charged through the withering enemy fire
to the aid of his wounded comrade. Upon reaching his
wounded comrade Private Spider placed himself between
the wounded man and the enemy position. Private Spider
picked his comrade up and began to carry him to a safe
position. As Private Spider neared the friendly
positions he was struck by enemy fire and mortally
wounded. Private Spider’s devotion to duty and personal
courage were in keeping with the highest traditions of
the military service, and reflect great credit upon
himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
On the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund website, William
Strickland, who was in the hospital with Alvin Spider at
CamRhan Bay in March and April of 1967, said, “We became
friends there and I enjoyed his friendship; we talked a lot
of homes, of course. He was a good friend for a short time.
...He was a great fighter and an American. May God reward
him…”
Alvin is currently survived by one son, Richard J.
Spider, of Pierre; two daughters, Doremis Traversie and
Germaine McGhee of Sioux Falls; three brothers: Ralph,
Steven (Rocky) and Amos of Ft. Thompson, and six sisters:
Marilyn Dorer, Minneapolis; Irene Langdeau, Watertown; and
Dorothy Farmer, Mary Jones, Faith Alvarado, and Lydia Marks,
all of Ft. Thompson. Another daughter, Lila Spider, Ft.
Thompson, passed away on April 30, 2006.
Alvin Spider is also survived by 10 grandchildren and 19
great-grandchildren.
This entry was respectfully submitted by Megan Simbeck,
8th grade, Spearfish Middle School, Spearfish, South Dakota,
on October 11, 2005. Information for this entry was provided
by Richard Spider, Pierre, son of Alvin; the South Dakota
Vietnam Veteran’s bonus application, Alvin’s Military
Personnel Records, and www.vvmf.org. Profile approval by
Richard Spider, son.
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