Remember...
Dencil Ray Blankenship
1942-1970
"When you set a good example to the world, you become a flag waving on the skies of the entire world."
Mehmet Murat Ildan
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Remember...Dencil Ray Blankenship
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Dencil Ray Blankenship was born on May 17, 1942, in Panther, McDowell County, West Virginia. His father, Mose Blankenship, was a coal miner for 25 years and a Navy veteran of World War II. His mother, Wadie Justice, married Mose in 1936. Dencil had six brothers: Herbert, Eddie, Tommy, Jackie, Freddie Gene, and Okey, who was the first of all the brothers to enter military service. Okey had an extensive military career including tours in Korea, Indochina, and Vietnam, where he earned two Purple Hearts, two Bronze Stars, and the Distinguished Service Cross. Dencil's third brother, Jackie, passed away before reaching the age of one in 1948.
During the time Dencil was growing up in the 1950s, the United States was experiencing a large boom in population and economic growth. The Great Depression was becoming a faint memory, victory during World War II solidified America's place as a world power, and families were moving out ot the suburbs due to a fast-moving economy. Employment in most of the country was easy to attain as America became the world's largest manufacturer of goods and services. The man of the household became the sole breadwinner, and the median family income was $3,300 a year when milk was still delivered to the doorstep.
Panther, West Virginia, is a small unincorporated community that got its name from a creek where legend has it a pioneer had killed a panther. It is located in the Southwest region of the state about a mile from the Virginia border. The major employment at the time was coal mining, which was primarily dug by hand. Mechanization of the mines would require fewer workers and people to seek work elsewhere. The loss of coal jobs and the lack of economic diversification brought hard times to McDowell County. By the end of the 20th century, McDowell County was the poorest county in West Virginia. In 1999, 47.5 percent of McDowell County families with children lived in poverty. The primary employers included several small coal mines, state employment, and the county school board. (Mark S. Myers, "McDowell County," e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia, 10 March 2014, accessed 18 February 2022, https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/articles/1631.)
| Dencil enlisted in the Army shortly after high school as an infantry man (11B). He earned his Combat Infantry Badge (CIB) during a tour of Vietnam prior to becoming a drill sergeant. After completing his time as a drill instructor, he would transfer to Fort Lewis, Washington, as a member of the 1st Cavalry Division. The 1st Cavalry Division, no longer a conventional infantry unit, had become an air assault division, commonly referred to as the 1st Air Cavalry Division. This was the first time the U.S. Army implemented the use of helicopters on such large scale as troop carriers, cargo lift ships, MEDEVACS (medical evacuations), and as rocket artillery. By doing so, it freed the infantry from the tyranny of the terrain to attack the enemy at the time and place of its choosing. In 1965, colors and subordinate unit designations of the Division were transferred from Korea to Fort Benning, Georgia, where they were used, along with separate elements of what had been the 2nd Infantry Division, to reflag the existing unit into the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). Concurrently, the personnel and units of the 1st Cavalry Division, which remained in Korea, were used to reflag the Division into a new 2nd Infantry Division. |  |
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On May 1, 1970, the First Team (1st Cavalry Division) was "First into Cambodia," hitting what was previously a Communist sanctuary. President Nixon had given the go-ahead for the surprise mission. Pushing into the "Fishhook" region of the border and occupying the towns of Mimot and Snuol, Troopers scattered the enemy forces, depriving them of much needed supplies and ammunition. On May 8, the Troopers of the 2nd Brigade found an enemy munitions base that they dubbed "Rock Island East." Ending on June 30, the mission to Cambodia far exceeded all expectations and proved to be one of the most successful operations of the First Team. All aspects of ground and air combat had been utilized. The enemy had lost enough men to field three North Vietnamese Army (NVA) divisions and enough weapons to equip two divisions. A year's supply of rice and corn had been seized. The Troopers and the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) soldiers had found uncommonly large quantities of ammunition, including 1.5 million rounds for small arms; 200,000 antiaircraft rounds; and 143,000 rockets, mortar rounds, and recoilless rifle rounds. The campaign had severe political repercussions in the United States for the Nixon administration. Pressure was mounting to remove America's fighting men from the Vietnam War. Although there would be further assault operations, the war was beginning to wind down for many Troopers. |
As part of the 1st Cavalry Division, 2-8th Cavalry was sent ot Vietnam in September 1965. The Mustangs saw some of the fiercest battles. B Company was the first unit in the 1st Cavalry Division to receive the Valorous Unit Citation in 1966. The 2-8th Cavalry actively patrolled the jungles of Vietnam to the north and south of Highway 1, east of Ben Hoa, until it stood down in June 1972. (More about the 1st Cavalry Division's role in Vietnam can be found at: "1st Cavalry Division Book of Honor," 1st Cavalry Division website, accessed 18 February 2022, https://1cda.org/history/book-of-honor/vietnam-war-book-of-honor/.)
Dencil began his tour in Vietnam on August 30, 1970, as a member of A Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry, which deployed to Binh Thuy Province. Dencil had achieved the rank of sergeant first class (SFC) and was a platoon sergeant. His military occupation specialty (MOS) was 11C4B, which is an Indirect Fire Infantryman, also known as a "Mortar Man."
| SFC Dencil Ray Blankenship was killed when a hostile force was encountered on October 19, 1970, while on a combat operation. No known details are available other than what is listed on the DA Form 2496 filed on November 2, 1970. He was 28 years old at the time of this death. His remains were shipped back to Virginia, where he was laid to rest with his parents. Two of his brothers eventually would be buried along with Dencil and his parents at the Howard Justus Cemetery in Hurley, Buchanan County, Virginia. (Note that the spelling of the cemetery name differs from the spelling of his mother's maiden name.) His name is listed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Panel 6 West, Line 8, located in Washington, D.C. He is also memorialized on the West Virginia Veterans Memorial in Charleston, West Virginia. |  |
Article prepared by SFC (Ret.) Johnathan Normand, Caroline Kuhn, and Samantha Harrison, George Washington High School JROTC
February 2022
West Virginia Archives and History welcomes any additional information that can be provided about these veterans, including photographs, family names, letters and other relevant personal history.