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Honoring Our Vietnam War and Vietnam Era Veterans February 28, 1961 - May 7, 1975 Town of West Seneca, New York Name: KRONTHALER Hometown: WEST SENECA PAUL J. Address: 139 ALLENDALE ROAD Vietnam Era Vietnam War Veteran Year Entered: 1968 Service Branch: ARMY Rank: PFC Year Discharged: KIA Unit / Squadron: E COMPANY, 2ND BATTALION, 8TH AIR CALVARY, 1ST CAVALRY DIVISION Medals / Citations: BRONZE STAR MEDAL PURPLE HEART VIETNAM SERVICE MEDAL REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM CAMPAIGN MEDAL COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE MARKSMANSHIP BADGE ARMY PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION VIETNAM GALLANTRY CROSS NATIONAL DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL Served in War Zone Theater of Operations / Assignment: VIETNAM Service Notes: Private First Class Paul John Kronthaler honorably served in the United States Army / PFC Paul Kronthaler was deployed to Vietnam on 31 March 1969 and was Killed In Action on 6 May 1969 from bullet wounds sustained from enemy gunfire at Firebase Carolyn, Tay Ninh Province, South Vietnam In the early morning hours of 6 May 1969, Firebase Carolyn, was attacked by an estimated 300 North Vietnamese Army regulars who charged out of the bamboo forest surrounding the camp in a desperate attempt to overrun the position / The NVA broke through the barbed wire defenses at two points and occupied and held six of the perimeter bunkers and one of the gun positions for nearly two hours / The assault was preceded by a heavy barrage of rocket and mortar fire / After penetrating the perimeter, the enemy ran at the American bunkers, hurling grenades and satchel charges and firing their AK-47’s / The force of the attack drove out the U.S. soldiers, and the dugouts were immediately occupied by the NVA / The charge was stopped when the Americans shot holes into the fuel drums near the bunkers and ignited flowing rivers of gas to create a flaming barrier, which effectively blocked further enemy penetration From that point, PFC Paul Kronthaler and his fellow soldiers counterattacked with all available personnel, with the officers involved being killed at the head of their troops / Artillerymen, supply and signal personnel, and engineers fought and died, serving as emergency infantry reserves / Their counterattacks were hurled against both enemy penetrations, but the most violent fighting occurred on the northern side of Carolyn, where a 2016 WWW.WSVET.ORG