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

John Eberwine (1967)

Hi Dean,

I should have written to you long ago. We were classmates in mechanical drawing. I was in combat in Vietnam from September 15, 1967, to September 14, 1968. I was fortunate to come home with only wounds that were non-debilitating.

About ten years ago, I discovered you had not survived your tour. I am so sorry for your parents and family. I had always hoped none of our classmates had to go to Vietnam. Being a relatively small school, I thought the odds favored us.

Since 1996, our 22nd Infantry Regiment, which served in Vietnam, has held reunions every 18 months. As one of the people who helped form our Vietnam group, it fell to me to welcome the parents, wives, children, siblings, etc., of a soldier who perished in Vietnam. 

It never got easier to meet and help them understand how their loved ones perished in Vietnam. Mostly, if we had someone at the reunion who had been a good friend, I would introduce the family to them to escort them through the weekend.

I can't tell you how deeply sorry I am that you were unable to come home and live the life you dreamed of. I am a Christian and a believer in the afterlife. I firmly hope that when my time comes, I will meet up with you and watch you shoot basketballs all over.

John Eberwine Class 1967 Partially Disabled Vietnam Veteran and friend

Thomas Callen (1967)

Thomas Callen class of 67:

            Dean and I were teamates on the 1966-67 Basketball and Baseball teams at Mastbaum. I knew Dean went to Temple on scholarship in 1967.

While serving off the coast of Viet Nam in 1970 on the aircraft carrier U.S.S. America CVA66, I had a surprise one day when walking through the mess deck area. I happen to see one of my classmates from the 1967 class, Jonas Johnson who was also on the basketball team with Dean and I. Jonas had come aboard as part of the Air-Wing deployed to Nam with our ship. As we saw each other we came together in a brief hug and hanshake. Then Jonas said to me, I'm afraid I've got bad news, "Dean's been killed over here"! I said What? but he went to Temple. Jonas said right, and then told me of the story of Dean leaving school because of an injury and being drafted into the army. Years after my Navy time, I later saw a philly paper on the phila. kids killed in Nam with the picture of Dean. He was a good friend and team mate, but most of all a good person. Thank you for your service and sacrifice Dean

                                                                                                                                                              Tommy