About
Vietnam War (1955-1975)
Claude Charles DeNardis was born in Amsterdam, New York, on November 3, 1948. When he was younger, his family moved to Schenectady, New York. Claude graduated from Mont Pleasant High School in 1967. During his time there, he played for the tennis team his sophomore, junior, and senior years. Following his graduation from Fulton Montgomery Community College, he spent a number of months working in the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory's drafting division.
In 1968, Claude enlisted in the United States Army. He was a private first class serving with Company A, 2nd Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division. On May 28, 1969, he started his tour of duty in Vietnam. While taking part in an airmobile operation with his unit, they came under hostile fire; Claude offered to get close enough to the emplacement to throw a grenade inside. He accomplished his mission and saved his squad leader's life; however, immediately after throwing the grenade, he was struck by enemy fire and died on June 27, 1969, in the South Vietnamese province of Kien Tuong. He is buried in Evergreen Memorial Park, Colonie, New York.
Sources: The Schenectady Gazette, Find A Grave, Ancestry
