Robert L. Asmuth, Jr. was born on October 29, 1948, to Mr. and Mrs. Robert Asmuth. His home of record is Montclair, NJ. Robert had one brother, William.
He entered the US Army and attained the rank of First Lieutenant (1LT). His tour began on December 29, 1969. Robert was a member of Alpha Company, First Battalion, 46th Infantry, 196th Infantry Brigade, Americal Division.
The Professionals of the 1/46 came in-country via the USS Upshar on October 4, 1967 as part of the 198th Light Infantry Brigade. The 198th became part of the Americal Division. After one month of orientation at Duc Pho, the battalion was deployed north of Chu Lai and patrolled from Hill 54, Hill 69, LZ Young and LZ Baldy in Quang Tin Province. In March of 1969, the battalion moved to LZ Professional, in the mountains southwest of Tien Phuoc, Quang Tin Province, to relieve a battered 1/52 Infantry of the 198th. In July of 1969, 1/46, which had been operating under operational control of the 196th LIB of the Americal, became a permanent member of the brigade. The battalion operated from LZ Professional until August of 1970. In February of 1970, the battalion established a temporary firebase at LZ Mary Ann, at a remote mountain site near Hau Duc, Quang Tin Province. The battalion returned to Mary Ann in the summer of 1970 and operated from there and LZ Young, which was between Tien Phuoc and Tam Ky, during 1970 and 1971. The battalion left Mary Ann in April of 1971 when the Americal Division was deactivated and the 196th Brigade reverted to its status as an independent brigade and deployed at Danang, to provide security for the port. In June 1972, 1/46 left Vietnam. Of the names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, 233 of them, close to half of the battalion’s actual field strength at any given time in Vietnam, were members of 1/46, or died while deployed with us.
Asmuth was killed in action on July 26, 1970 in Quang Tin, South Vietnam.
Source: NJVVMF and various websites, photo VVMF 12/17/2024
