Soldier honored with gravestone 50 years after his death in Vietnam

For decades after his death in the Vietnam War, Allan Altieri’s resting place lay bare, with no grave marker.

But on Friday, exactly half a century after he was killed, his family, friends and fellow soldiers gathered at the San Fernando Mission Cemetery to commemorate the installation of a new bronze headstone.

An Army private first class, Altieri had graduated from Glendale High School. His family was so distraught after his death that they moved to the East Coast and intentionally left his grave unmarked, said childhood friend and classmate David Persson.

It wasn’t until last year that Persson found out there was no marker and told Altieri’s sister, who lives in North Carolina. She gave him her blessings to order one, courtesy of the Veterans Administration.

Persson said the effort wasn’t about closure, but rather survivor’s guilt.

“It’s the duty of all of us who return to remember our fallen heroes who served their country so valiantly and gave the ultimate sacrifice,” he said. He was surrounded by other veterans, including those of the 35th Infantry Regiment, Altieri’s outfit.

Altieri was given many honors after his death, including the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star for valor, both of which are noted on his marker.

Richard Hunter, who served with Altieri, remembered the day he died.

He said Altieri was part of a battle in Pleiku Province, where his party was greatly outnumbered, but continued to fight. When his body was found, Altieri’s finger was still on the trigger of his machine gun, Hunter said.

Hunter spoke of how young he and many others were at the time.

“Allan and I were the same age,” he said. “I graduated high school in 1964; I was 19 years old when this happened. We were children. I don’t wish that upon anybody.”

arin.mikailian@latimes.com

Mikailian writes for Times Community News