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Staff Sergeant Victor John Pirker

A young white man wearing fatigues and an Army helmet.
  • Unit: Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 362, Marine Attack Group 36, 1st Marine Air Wing
  • Date of Birth: June 27, 1940
  • Date of Death: November 22, 1965
  • Hometown: Whitepine, Montana
  • Place of Death: over the South China Sea between Chu Lai and Quang Ngai, South Vietnam
  • Award(s): Purple Heart, Helicopter Rescue Award, Air Medal, Navy Commendation Medal
  • Cemetery: Courts of the Missing, Court A, National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaiʻi . Whitepine Cemetery, Whitepine, Montana
Contributed by Ms. Victoria Nytes
Superior Junior/Senior High School (Superior, Montana)
2024/2025

Early Life

Victor John Pirker was born on June 27, 1940, into the small rural community of Whitepine, Montana. He was the third child born to Albert and Johana Pirker, who immigrated to Montana from Europe. The Pirker children were born and raised on a small cattle ranch. 

Victor’s older brother David was five, and his sister Mary Jo was four at the time of his birth. The fourth sibling, Irene, joined the family several years later.. 

Whitepine

Whitepine was a small farming and ranching community located in Sanders County. Like most families in the area, life was hard, and you made do with what you had. Hunting was an important source of food. As his sister Irene stated, “The cows were to sell, not to eat.” 

PIrker attended Whitepine Community School, graduating in the eighth grade. It was around this time that his younger sister, Irene, was born. After eighth grade, students from Whitepint traveled to a nearby community to attend high school.

Thompson Falls High School

graduated from Thompson Falls High School in Thompson Falls, Montana, in May 1958. He, like many small-town Montana boys, played football, basketball, and ran track. He was also an avid hunter. 

According to his sister-in-law Lois, he also knew how to have a good time. Growing up near or in Thompson Falls, the river was the place to gather. Pirker owned a boat and could be found hanging out by the river with his classmates. He also attended community dances and could be found at local parties. 

After his school graduation, Pirker found work on the Noxon Dam project. The dam was fully operational by 1959, so Pirker moved to Missoula, where he worked in construction before enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1962. His brother and sister-in-law remember stopping to see him as they travelled between their home in Dillon, Montana, to their families’ homes in Whitepine and Trout Creek.

In this photograph, Victor Pirker is approximately one year old, c. 1941. Courtesy of David and Lois Pirker and Irene Jensen.
Teenage Victor is stopped and asked to pose for this photo on a dirt road in Montana, Tippy the dog is at his side, 1956. Courtesy of David and Lois Pirker and Irene Jensen.
After he graduated from high school, Victor Pirker worked construction jobs in nearby communities, c.1960. Courtesy of David and Lois Pirker and Irene Jensen.

Homefront

Whitepine, Montana, is located about 14 miles northwest of Thompson Falls, near the border between Idaho and Montana. The Lolo and Kootenai National Forests meet here. 

When the Pirker family lived there, it was a small community with a church, a store, a post office, and a school. The oldest three Pirker children walked two and a half miles to and from elementary school each day. 

Today, not much remains in the area. The school the Pirker children attended burned down when Irene was in second grade. The church and cemetery still stand as reminders of the families that worked this land and made it home. 

Thompson Falls

The largest community near Whitepine is Thompson Falls. It was and continues to be the county seat for Sanders County, with the population remaining constant throughout the last 60 years at around 1,400 people. Throughout Pirker’s upbringing, Thompson Falls was home to at least three timber mills, which provided the majority of the employment opportunities, along with logging and the U.S. National Forest Service.  

Thompson Falls was the location of the local movie theater (which still operates). Shopping was done locally as travel to cities was very rare. Visiting larger communities often made news in the weekly newspaper. Outside information was slow to reach these rural communities, and radio and television antennae were only installed in the 1950s. Most news came from neighboring Spokane, Washington. 

The Vietnam War received minimal coverage in the local Sanders County newspaper. The primary focus of the coverage revolved around which young men chose to enlist or were later drafted into the conflict.  

Kindergarten through eighth-grade students gather in front of the Whitepine School. Courtesy of David and Lois Pirker and Irene Jensen.
An image of Flod Mill, 1978. This mill operated from the 1950s through the 1970s. Courtesy of Patrick Sullivan.

Military Experience

Victor Pirker enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in April 1962. He trained at Camp Pendleton in California and completed Naval Air Technical Training at the Naval Air Technical Training Center in Memphis, Tennessee. There, he earned the credentials as an Aircraft Cryptographic Systems Technician and completed helicopter school by January 1963.

In February 1963, Pirker was assigned to the Third Marine Aircraft Wing based at the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station in Santa Ana, California. He deployed to Vietnam at the end of the summer of 1964.

Pirker flew in helicopters as a part of the 1st Marine Air Wing. He was assigned to the Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 362. This squadron was responsible for medical transport, resupplying troops, troop airlifts, and recon insertions and extractions. Pirker was directly involved in the day-to-day actions and combat of the U.S. military in Vietnam. 

While it is hard to determine exactly which missions Pirker’s team completed, it is likely that he participated in Operation Shufly. In this operation, Marine helicopter units, including  Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 362, provided air support to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) forces on the ground. Operation Shufly continued until December of 1964. 

On this tour, Pirker was shot in the shoulder. He had a picture taken of his bloody shirt and mailed that home to his mother. His sister Irene recalled that his mother was not too pleased to see that image, but was happy to know her son was well enough to write and share the story. That bullet today is attached to the Purple Heart Victor Pirker received while serving his country. 

In September 1964, Pirker returned home from his first tour in Vietnam

Following his leave, Pirker returned to  El Toro Marine Corps Air Station in Santa Ana, California, for additional training. In July 1965, Pirker was promoted to lance corporal, and his unit deployed to Vietnam for Pirker’s second tour. 

Lost at Sea

On November 22, 1965, Victor Pirker, along with three other crew members, flew a mission to bring a group of Marines to Trach Tru. When the helicopter was returning to base, they faced heavy fire from the ground and bad weather, forcing them to fly over the water. The helicopter crew made contact with controllers at Chi Lai but failed to land. It is believed that they were lost over the South China Sea. The helicopter and the men on board were never recovered.

Victor Pirker leaning against a Sikorsky UH-34D Seahorse helicopter. Courtesy of David and Lois Pirker and Irene Jensen.
Victor Pirker manning one of the door gunner positions while on duty in Vietnam. Courtesy of David and Lois Pirker and Irene Jensen.
Victor Pirker, sitting in his new car he purchased between his tours of duty in Vietnam, September 26, 1964. When Pirker did not return, his younger sister Irene inherited the car. Courtesy of David and Lois Pirker and Irene Jensen.
Caption: Victor Pirker sent his sister Irene a letter for her birthday, just weeks before his helicopter was reported missing, November 3, 1965. Courtesy of Irene Jensen. 

Commemoration

The Pirker family was gathered at the family home in Whitepine the day before Thanksgiving, including older brother David and his wife Lois, who were visiting from out of town. A Marine knocked on the front door. The family clearly remembered that day as there had been a big snowfall and no one ever used the front door. When Marine Major A.C. Ledbetter walked through the unshoveled front yard to knock on their front door, they knew that it would be bad news. Major Ledbetter shared that Victor and the rest of his crew were declared Missing in Action. 

Pirker’s younger sister, Irene, remembered waiting and expecting news any day about her brother. She never imagined that questions would remain decades later. Victor’s brother David served in the U.S. Air Force and received training for what to do if captured as a Prisoner of War (POW). This made the news of his brother even more difficult to bear. The family hoped that when the list of POWs was released, he would be on it. Irene and her parents were adamant that his name would be on that list. Unfortunately, that was not the case. 

The news of Pirker’s disappearance was reported in the local newspaper on December 2, 1965.

Memorialization

Victor John Pirker is honored at the Honolulu Memorial at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, and on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., on panel 3E, line 108. 

Locally, Victor Pirker is remembered through the Veterans Memorial in Helena, Montana, the Thompson Falls Veterans Memorial, and with a memorial marker in the Whitepine Cemetery in Whitepine, Montana.

Victor Pirker was posthumously promoted to staff sergeant and received the Navy Commendation Medal. 

The Veterans Memorial in Thompson Falls was dedicated on Memorial Day in 2009. Irene remembered the beautiful blue sky with a downpour and no clouds in sight. The rain stopped, and the sun continued to shine. On May 29, 2011, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post in Trout Creek, Montana, was created and named the Victor J. Pirker Post.

In early 2020, an MIA/KIA bracelet engraved with Victor Pirker’s name was mailed to the elementary school in Trout Creek, Montana. The school had a ceremony to honor Pirker. 

While many other local service members from Sanders County served in Vietnam, Victor Pirker is the only known servicemember to die in combat during this war. 

His community and family carry his stories and his legacy with them. 

A collection of medals received by Victor Pirker. His Purple Heart is attached to the bullet that injured him. Courtesy of David and Lois Pirker and Irene Jensen.
Irene Jensen wearing her brother’s POW/MIA bracelet, March 16, 2025. These bracelets were created and kept by Americans to honor those who served during the Vietnam War. Courtesy of Irene Jensen.
Victor Pirker’s name is engraved on the Honolulu Memorial at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. American Battle Monuments Commission.
The Thompson Falls Veterans Memorial honors Victor Pirker and other Veterans who served and died in conflicts across the world. Courtesy of David and Lois Pirker and Irene Jensen.

Bibliography

Primary Sources

“16 1958 Graduates to Attend College, Others Married or Working.” Sanders County Ledger [Thompson Falls, MT], September 18, 1958. Newspapers.com (964988728).

“Economic Outlook for 1968 Looks Encouraging in County.” Sanders County Ledger [Thompson Falls, MT], Jan 25, 1968. Newspapers.com (967704776).

“Eighth Grade Diplomas in 1-2 & 3 Room Schools.” The Camas Hot Springs Exchange [Camas, MT], May 27, 1954. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85053223/1954-05-27/ed-1/seq-3/. 

“Falls to Observe Holiday Monday.” Sanders County Ledger [Thompson Falls, MT], August 28, 1969. Newspapers.com (967672522).

“Heater Issues ‘Call to Worship’ for VFW Sunday.” Sanders County Ledger [Thompson Falls, MT], November 13, 1969. Newspapers.com (967644950). 

Jensen, Irene. Interview with the author. March 16, 2025. 

“Job Placements Show Increase.” Sanders County Ledger [Thompson Falls, MT], April 13, 1961. Newspapers.com (967705279).

Montana. Sanders County. 1950 U.S. Census. Digital images. https://ancestryclassroom.com.

“Montanans Recognize Vietnam Obligation.” Sanders County Ledger. [Thompson Falls, MT], July 4, 1968. Newspapers.com (967524976).

“New TC Mill in Operation.” Sanders County Ledger. [Thompson Falls, MT], April 27, 1961. Newspapers.com (967657604).

“Pirker Assigned to Marine Wing.” Sanders County Ledger [Thompson Falls, MT], February 14, 1963. Newspapers.com   (967655198).

Pirker, David. Interview with the author. March 16, 2025.

“Pirker Home From Viet Nam.” Sanders County Ledger [Thompson Falls, MT], September 17, 1964. Newspapers.com  (967636319).

Pirker Family Photographs. Courtesy of David and Lois Pirker and Irene Jensen.

Pirker Family Records. Courtesy of David and Lois Pirker and Irene Jensen. 

Pirker, Lois. Interview with the author. March 16, 2025. 

“Pirker Serving In ‘Copter Unit.” Sanders County Ledger [Thompson Falls, MT], July 8, 1965. Newspapers.com (967548315).

“Rites Set for 11 MIAs.” Sanders County Ledger [Thompson Falls, MT], May 31, 1973. Newspapers.com (967636137).

“Rural Area Development on the Move in Western Montana.” The People’s Voice [Helena, MT], July 6, 1962. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86075189/1962-07-06/ed-1/seq-7/.

“Seniors to Receive Diplomas Monday.” Sanders County Ledger [Thompson Falls, MT], May 22, 1958. Newspapers.com (965063001).

“Ssgt Victor John Pirker.” Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. Accessed April 18, 2025. https://dpaa-mil.sites.crmforce.mil/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt00000001UA8EAM. 

“SSgt. Victor John Pirker.” Find a Grave. Updated December 15, 2010. Accessed December 30, 2024. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/62949806/victor-john-pirker.

Sullivan, Patrick. Email correspondence with the author. January 18, 2025. 

“Thompson Falls Edges Mission.” The Daily Inter Lake [Kalispell, MT], September 22, 1957. Newspapers.com (951146986).

“Thompson Falls Star ‘Burns’ Brightly.” The Daily Inter Lake [Kalispell, MT], February 25, 1958. Newspapers.com (951097498).

Thompson Falls High School. Thompson Falls: Thompson Falls Public Schools, 1955. https://ancestryclassroom.com.

“Trio Fined for Elk Violations.” Sanders County Ledger [Thompson Falls, MT], November 13, 1958. Newspapers.com (965066217).

U.S. Forest Service Interactive Maps. Maps. U.S. Forest Service. https://www.fs.usda.gov/ivm/.

Victor Pirker. U.S., Vietnam War Military Casualties, 1956-1998. https://www.ancestryclassroom.com.

Victor John Pirker. “Defense Casualty Analysis Systems, 1950-2006.” National Archives and Records Administration. Accessed February 21, 2025. https://aad.archives.gov/.

Secondary Sources

“1st Marine Aircraft Wing.” U.S. Marine Corps. Accessed February 15, 2025.  https://www.1stmaw.marines.mil/Subordinate-Units/Marine-Aircraft-Group-36/About/.

Carroll, Andrew. War Letters. Scribner, 2001.

Farber, David. The Age of Great Dreams: America in the 1960s. Hill and Wang, 1994.

Gutzman, Philip. Vietnam: A Visual Encyclopedia. PRC Publishing, 2002.  

Malone, Michael P., et al. Montana: A History of Two Centuries. University of Washington Press, 1991.

“Marine Corps: Communication/Navigation/Cryptographic/Countermeasures Systems Technician, IMA.” Careers in the Military. Accessed February 15, 2025. https://www.careersinthemilitary.com/career/detail-service/marine-corps/avionics-technicians/communication-navigation-cryptographic-countermeasures-systems-technician–ima. 

“Sikorksy UH-34D Seahorse.” American Helicopter Museum and Education Center. Accessed February 15, 2025. https://americanhelicopter.museum/aircraft/sikorsky-uh-34d-seahorse/. 

“SSGT Victor John Pirker.” Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. Accessed February 21, 2025. https://dpaa-mil.sites.crmforce.mil/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt00000001UA8EAM.  

“Victor John Pirker.” American Battle Monuments Commission. Accessed November 5, 2024. https://www.abmc.gov/decedent-search/pirker%3Dvictor.

“Victor John Pirker.” Honor States. Accessed February 21, 2025. https://www.honorstates.org/profiles/292744/. 

This profile was researched and created through the Researching Silent Heroes program, sponsored by the American Battle Monuments Commission.