Lance Corporal Paul Douglas Tice

Early Life

Paul Douglas Tice was born on April 28, 1946, in Buffalo, New York, to Deforest and Milvia Tice. His father was a truck driver, and his mother was a housewife. They lived on Michigan Avenue, in a predominantly German neighborhood a few blocks from Buffalo’s Fruit Belt. This neighborhood was also called Orchard or The Hill, for the fruit trees that the German settlers planted in their yards. Buffalo’s German heritage dates back to the early 1800s; by 1855, almost half of Buffalo’s population was German-speaking. 

At the start of the Second Great Migration in the 1940s, the makeup of this East Side neighborhood began to change as more African Americans and Italian Americans moved there. In 1961, the Kensington Expressway was built and cut off the Fruit Belt from the rest of the East Side, demolishing hundreds of homes, closing businesses, and starting the mass exodus of German families from the neighborhood. 

Around this time, Paul and his family moved to Rohr Street, a predominantly German and Polish neighborhood named after Mathias Rohr, who was president of the Volksfreund, a German newspaper. 

Tice attended South Park High School through his junior year in 1964. Having turned 18 that same spring, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps rather than finish high school.

Homefront

Buffalo’s Industrial Legacy

In the 1800s, Buffalo’s strategic location on Lake Erie and the Erie Canal made it a major hub for trade and industry. By the early twentieth century, Buffalo was one of the largest steel-producing cities in the United States due to its proximity to coal and iron ore and cheap hydroelectric power from Niagara Falls. Other thriving industries included automotive manufacturing, chemical processing, and textiles, all of which attracted European immigrants and Black migrants. This diversity created strong German, Polish, Italian, Irish, and African American communities in the city.

Urban Decline and Social Tensions

Buffalo’s population peaked at 580,000 in 1950. By 1960, the population was declining, but it was still the 20th largest city in the United States. During the 1950s and 1960s, urban renewal projects caused further challenges. Highway construction projects such as the Scajaquada Expressway (NY 198) destroyed historic buildings, flattened parkland in Delaware Park, and split neighborhoods by limiting access to Main Street. These changes exacerbated economic deterioration, reduced housing values, and negatively impacted quality of life.

The negative consequences of public policies like these also magnified racial tensions. In 1965, Buffalo was found to have the fourth most segregated school system in the North, but the ruling to ‘fix’ it was voluntary and ultimately did not work. 

Racial tensions boiled over in the summer of 1967 when Buffalo became one of the major U.S. cities across the country where 158 riots took place. With over 83 deaths, 17,000 arrests, and over $4 million in property damage nationwide, Buffalo escaped with only 60 injuries, 180 arrests, and $250,000 in property damage. The riots reflected the systemic inequality and frustration that had taken root in the city. 

Protests and the Vietnam War

Buffalo also became a hotspot for anti-Vietnam protests, particularly at the University of Buffalo. One high-profile protest involved a group of draft resisters seeking sanctuary in the Unitarian Universalist Church on Elmwood Avenue. Over 12 days, ministers mediated the situation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Marshals, and city police. On August 19, 1968, officers stormed the church, arresting eight men on charges of draft evasion and assaulting federal officers. A ninth man was later arrested for his involvement in the planning, and the group became known as “The Buffalo Nine.” This was only one of dozens of anti-war protests in the city throughout the years of the war. 

As the build-up to the Vietnam War increased, Buffalo’s industries played a significant role in supporting the war effort, temporarily reversing some of the city’s economic decline. Bethlehem Steel and Republic Steel, two of the largest employers in the area, supplied materials for ships, tanks, munitions, and other defense needs. During World War II, Bethlehem’s Lackawanna plant had been the world’s largest steelmaking operation, with over 20,000 workers encompassing 1,300 acres of land, and this legacy continued through the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. It was said that if a family member didn’t work in steel, you definitely knew someone who did. 

The Curtiss-Wright Corporation, once the largest combat aircraft manufacturer in the U.S., supplied the engines, propellors, and parts for military aircraft like the Curtis C-46A Commando. This aircraft was used at the beginning of the Vietnam War by the 1^st Air Commando Group. Trico Products, the inventor of windshield wipers, manufactured windshield wiper systems and related components for military vehicles. 

Economic Shifts

Buffalo was also a leading producer of flour and grain products from the 1930s to the 1960s, with its 26 massive grain elevators producing over 700 million bushels of grain yearly. However, the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1959 allowed grain to bypass Buffalo’s railways, traveling directly to seaports for export. Afterward, rail shipments of grain dropped from 7.5 million bushels in 1958 to just 73,600 in 1964, marking the beginning of the end for Buffalo’s dominance in the grain trade. Despite this decline, Buffalo remained home to food processing facilities, producing processed meats, soups, and other non-perishables contributing to its economy.

Military Experience

Becoming a Marine

Tice enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps on July 30, 1964. He attended the Marine Corps Recruit Depot boot camp in Parris Island, South Carolina. After graduating from the 12-week training program, he officially became a Marine on October 16, 1964. 

The training included close order drill, manual of arms (movement and position of your rifle), marksmanship, and judo. It also covered rifle training, guard duty, and bayonet techniques. After graduation, Tice went to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina for four weeks of Individual Combat Training. The Marines then received 15 days of leave before deployment. 

Deployment to Vietnam

As a Lance Corporal, Tice joined Company F of the 2^nd Battalion, 7^th Marines, 1^st Marine Division. In May 1965, the unit was ordered to Vietnam. Their motto was “Ready for Anything, Counting on Nothing.” While Marines signed on for a two-year contract, they were expected to complete a 13-month tour overseas. In the chaos of the opening years of this war, those tours were often extended. 

Tice’s journey to Vietnam began aboard Navy ships to Camp Schwab in Okinawa, Japan. The trip took four months, with continued training onboard. They arrived in June 1965 to unload supplies and reorganize. On July 7, 1965, they landed at Qui Nhon, Vietnam. 

Adapting to Harsh Conditions

When the Marines disembarked, they faced multiple challenges for which their training had not prepared them. Giant lizards stole their food at night, and poisonous snakes were everywhere. Persistent mosquitos could bite right through their clothing. They could not use bug repellent on patrol or security duty for fear of the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) literally sniffing them out. 

In addition to these creatures, there were intestinal issues caused by the old rations, leading to unsafe weight loss. Additionally, the uniforms they were issued were made of a cotton sateen material, which literally rotted off of them in the sun. 

The weather added to their struggles. Temperatures routinely clocked around 100℉, not ideal while wearing the notorious cotton sateen, and it was against policy to roll their sleeves up. Monsoon season brought on flooding, washed out bridges, bogged down vehicles, and spread diseases with even more mosquitos. Jungle rot and immersion foot from constant wetness became common problems.

In addition to these natural challenges, the Marines were on constant high alert for guerilla warfare tactics. All of these conditions created a scenario where many Marines were sleep-deprived, sick, and malnourished.

Challenges on the Front Lines

The 2^nd Battalion, 7^th Marines were ordered to provide security for the U.S. Army from July to October 1965. From the fall of 1965 to the spring of 1966, they were back under the command of the U.S. Marine Corps, conducting search and destroy missions for the region’s security. In the spring of 1966, Company F was ordered to establish security at Chu Lai Airfield. The men hated this assignment. 

The airfield had little cover, leaving them exposed to attacks. They also had minimal shelter for sleep, paired with the noise made by aircraft taking off and landing at all hours. Then, there was the radiating heat from the white sand that surrounded the airbase. One day, the temperature was measured at 137℉. The airfield was also surrounded by civilians, making firefights riskier. 

Combat and Daily Struggles

Tice’s job as a rifleman came with unique challenges. He often spent long hours in foxholes, waiting for the NVA to appear. Riflemen also patrolled dangerous terrain, searching for the NVA and the Viet Cong (VC), the guerrilla force that had infiltrated South Vietnam. This required absolute silence and high vigilance. 

The VC were experts in the terrain, which the Marines found almost impossible to traverse. The VC used ambushes, booby traps, and underground tunnels to attack. Riflemen had to adapt to these tactics while staying on high alert. The mental and emotional toll was immense. 

Commemoration 

Operation Prairie

In August 1966, Operation Prairie was launched to stop NVA infiltration from Laos across the Demilitarized Zone (DMV). The goal was to prevent them from gaining control near Dong Ha. After several days of treacherous fighting in the Quang Tri Province, the Marines intercepted NVA radio communications. They learned that the NVA planned to destroy the battalion on September 25. 

The Marines had to disperse because of air strikes and artillery concentrations. On September 22, F Company went on patrol and found numerous bunkers and tunnels to clear. Company G was also on patrol but soon came under heavy fire. By September 24, Company F was called in to assist and faced intense resistance. 

Sacrifice Amidst the Chaos

The NVA had fortified positions with trenches and bunkers. They used small arms fire, mortars, and anti-aircraft weapons. On September 25, Tice was hit by a mortar explosion. According to the official records, his body “completely disintegrated,” and his remains were not recoverable.

Initially, his death was reported as occurring on September 24, but a later review of documentation corrected the date to the September 25. Operation Prairie continued until January 1967, taking the lives of 226 Marines. Tice was listed as “Unaccounted For” since his remains could not be recovered. 

A Medal, a Mystery, and a Hero’s Memory

A memorial service was held for Tice at the Christ Lutheran Church in Buffalo. His parents, two brothers, and three sisters attended. He has a grave marker at the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Delaware Park, only a few miles from his home. He is also memorialized on Court A of the Courts of the Missing in Honolulu, Hawaii, and on panel 11E, line 18 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

In 1967, Tice received the Conspicuous Service Cross from New York state. This medal honors New York citizens who served in the armed forces and received a federal decoration for valor or exceptional service during wartime. In 1993, the government attempted to investigate Tice’s death further to see if any remains could be located. They searched for witnesses to the event and surveyed the location from the official records. No clues were found. 

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