"If playing basketball was bad, then he was bad, because that's all he ever did" said his stepfather. Wiegand was a center on the Mastbaum teams in the mid-1960's and was a Philadelphia Bulletin newspaper scholar athlete in 1966. He graduated in 1967 and enrolled at Temple University, where he played on the feshman basketball team. He took off a semester following a bad ankle sprain between his freshman and sophomore years, thinking that at 6' 7" he was too tall to be drafted. Military doctors thought otherwise and approved him for the draft in May 1959 after they measured him at 6' 6-1/4". He was sent to Vietnam in April 1970 and was a squad leader in Company A of the 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry, 196th Infantry Brigade. The 21 year old sergeant died on August 21, 1970. In addition to his stepfather, he was survived by his mother.
Arie Toole (Twiford Working) (1967)
Dean died in Vietnam in 1969. He is listed KIA, on the Vietnam Wall. I saw it there myself in 2005. Dean and his best friend Charlie Copper joined together on the buddy system and he saw Dean die in a moving pungy trap. Death was instant. Charlie told me of his death in 1976.
Stephen Uchniat (1967)
DEAN M. WIEGAND WAS A CENTER ON THE MASTBAUM`S BASKETBALL TEAM AND WAS A BULLETEN SCHOLAR ATHLETE IN 1966. DEAN GRADUATED IN 1967, AND ENROLLED AT TEMPLE, WHERE HE PLAYED ON THE FRESHMAN BASKETBALL TEAM. HE TOOK OFF A SEMESTER FOLLOWING A BAD ANKLE SPRAIN BETWEEN HIS FRESHMAN AND SOPHOMORE YEARS, THINKING THAT A 6-FOOT 7 HE WAS TOO TALL TO BE DRAFTED IN THE ARMY. DOCTORS THOUGHT OTHERWISE, AND APPROVED HIM FOR THE DRAFT IN MAY 1968 AFTER THEY MEASURED HIM AT 6-FOOT 3/4. DEAN WAS SENT TO VIETNAM IN APRIL 1970. HE WAS A SQUARD LEADER IN CO. A OF THE 3RD BATTALION, 21ST INFANTRY, 196 LIGHT INFANTRY BRIGADE. THE 21-YEAR OLD SERGEANT DIED AUG. 21, 1970. DEAN LIVED ON G STREET IN KENSINGTON, AND HE IS BURIED BEVERLY NATIONAL CEMETERY IN NEW JERSEY.
MAY HE REST IN PEACE