Posted by Doug Barr on December 4, 2023:

Eulogy for Allyn Jon Palmer: I was in the process of writing the final portions of a book about Allyn Palmer's journey from West Point and the Class of '64 to Vietnam when I learned the sad news that he had passed away. This struck me hard because I was with him when we had endured some difficult Army training together as young soldiers getting ready for war. Allyn and I took Army Airborne and Ranger Training together at Ft Benning in late 1964. We underwent the grueling Ranger Training together in the same Ranger Squad. At that time those of us in Allyn's Ranger Squad referred to him as Allyn or Al. For nine punishing weeks our 12-man Ranger Squad lived and trained together 24 - 7 in the mountains of Georgia and the swamps of Florida. All of us in that Ranger Squad endured tough times together as we learned how to be Army Rangers. For nine weeks we lived together in the mountains and swamps, we trained together, we patrolled the mountains and swamps day and night together, we ate C-Rations together when we could get them, and we slept during the few times we could. Through it all, we learned that Allyn was a strong and reliable soldier whom we could depend upon - he always remained calm, deliberate, and confident during those stressful times. From Ranger Training we both went to the 4th Infantry Division at Ft. Lewis, and later deployed together to Vietnam in separate units of the 4th ID. In Vietnam, the soldiers knew Allyn Palmer as a brave, wise, and confident leader during dangerous combat situations. His fellow soldiers respected him because he valued them and always watched out for them. They will always remember him in that way. Doug Barr USMA 1964

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