Lownds, COL. David E.

COL. DAVID E. LOWNDS

October 4, 1920 – August 31, 2011

David E. Lownds of Naples, FL, born October 4, 1920, passed away peacefully on August 31, 2011. As all good Marines do, the “Lion of Khe Sanh”, Colonel David E. Lownds, USMC (Ret) reported for duty on “heaven’s scene.” A veteran of three wars, Dave Lownds was wounded on Saipan and again on Iwo Jima; braved the enemy and elements in Korea; operated behind enemy lines in the Dominican Republic Expedition; and commanded the Twenty-Sixth Marine Regiment at the Battle of Khe Sanh during the infamous Tet Offensive of 1968 in Vietnam. For his actions at Khe Sanh, he was awarded the Navy Cross, our nation’s second highest award for valor.