Byron G. Highland
Byron G. Highland (February 8, 1934 – February 21, 1967) was a United States Marine Corps combat photographer during the Vietnam War who was killed by a landmine[1][2] alongside the war correspondent and historian Bernard B. Fall while observing Operation Chinook II on the Street Without Joy, Thừa Thiên Province on 21 February 1967, leaving behind his wife, and two sons and a daughter from a previous marriage.[3]
Byron G. Highland | |
|---|---|
 Byron G. Highland during Operation Chinook II | |
| Born | February 18, 1934 Detroit, Michigan |
| Died | February 21, 1967 (aged 33) Street Without Joy, Thừa Thiên Province, South Vietnam |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/ |  United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1953–1967 |
| Rank | Gunnery sergeant |
| Battles/wars | Korean War Vietnam War † |
The last few minutes which the two spent together are documented in Fall's posthumously published book Last Reflections on a War, via a tape recorder Fall was dictating into just prior to the explosion.[4]
Born in Detroit, he entered the Marines in 1953, and also served in the Korean War.
His eldest son, Kenneth E. Highland, later recorded a song with the punk band Johnny and the Jumper Cables, entitled "Landmine", about his father's death.[5]
References
- Bernard B. Fall: Vietnam War Author Archived 2007-10-11 at the Wayback Machine, by Charles E. Kirkpatrick, TheHistoryNet
- Tagliaferri, Alivia C. (2007-03-01). Still the Monkey: What Happens to Warriors After War?. Ironcutter Media. p. 116. ISBN 978-0-9788417-3-7.
- "GSGT Byron Grant Highland". The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. Archived from the original on 2012-03-26.
- Fall, Bernard B., Last Reflections On a War: Bernard B. Fall's Last Comments on Viet-nam, Doubleday, Garden City: 1967
- "Johnny And The Jumper Cables* – Death Squad Of The Mind / Landmine". Discogs. 1988. Retrieved 2015-10-05.