Personal recordPublished biographical sources
Born in Angelo, Wisconsin
Wayne Edmond Dutton was born to Walter and Pearl (Davis) Dutton. He was a younger brother of Kenneth F. Dutton.
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Vietnam War · United States Army
Wayne E. Dutton
Lieutenant Colonel
Army aviation · 13th Aviation Battalion documented in 1966
Career Army service · 1946–1970
★Family photographReserved for the archive
His story
A life remembered beyond the service record.
Wayne E. Dutton, Kenneth’s younger brother, served for twenty-four years in the United States Army and retired as a lieutenant colonel. His career included Army aviation, command and training assignments, and service in Vietnam. This profile begins with the family and published record while formal personnel and award files remain under research.
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Related collections
Long-form sources are kept in separate reading rooms so Wayne E. Dutton’s profile can remain a clear guide to his life, service, and surviving records.
At a glance
The known record.
Every statement is phrased according to the strength of the evidence currently held or identified.
- 01Born on 7 November 1928 in Angelo, Wisconsin, to Walter and Pearl (Davis) Dutton.
- 02Graduated from Sparta High School in 1946 and served in the U.S. Army from 1946 to 1970.
- 03Attained the rank of lieutenant colonel during a career that included aviation, command, staff, and training assignments.
- 04A contemporary 1966 newspaper report identifies him as operations officer of the 13th Aviation Battalion in Vietnam.
- 05The same report records his receipt of the Vietnamese Medal of Honor First Class and cites his participation in numerous helicopter operations.
Operational timeline
What we can place so far.
Personal recordPublished biographical sources
Graduation and the beginning of Army service
Wayne graduated from Sparta High School in 1946. Biographical sources place the beginning of his twenty-four-year Army career in the same year.
Family lifeObituary account
Married Arlene Jackson
Wayne married Arlene Jackson. Their family lived in numerous locations as his Army assignments changed.
Service recordPublished sources
Army aviation service in Vietnam
A later Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association profile places Wayne with A/101 Aviation during 1965–66. A contemporary April 1966 article identifies him as operations officer of the 13th Aviation Battalion. The relationship between these unit descriptions remains a subject for comparison with official personnel records.
Personal recordContemporary newspaper
Vietnamese Medal of Honor First Class
The La Crosse Tribune published a photograph of Major Wayne E. Dutton receiving the Vietnamese Medal of Honor First Class from an unidentified Vietnamese officer. The caption recognized his devotion and determination and his participation in numerous helicopter operations.
Personal recordPublished biographical sources
Retired as a lieutenant colonel
Wayne concluded twenty-four years of Army service at the rank of lieutenant colonel. Later biographical material describes assignments in Vietnam, Korea, Germany, Fort Campbell, and Fort Rucker.
Personal recordObituary account
Died in Janesville, Wisconsin
Wayne died at age seventy-seven in Janesville. Biographical sources record his burial at Angelo Cemetery.
Beyond the uniform
The person the family knew.
A military file can record a rank, unit, wound, or death—but not a laugh, a favorite story, an occupation, or the way a person was known at home. This section is reserved for photographs, letters, memories, and the details of Wayne E. Dutton’s life outside his service.
Family & homeWork & interestsLetters & photographs
Documents & evidence
Building the paper trail.
What is known, what comes from family memory, and what the archive is still seeking.
Further records
Research status
DOC 01
Known record1966 La Crosse Tribune clipping
Contemporary evidence of the medal presentation, his operations role, and helicopter service.
DOC 02
Family accountVHPA profile and obituary
Support the broad career outline and family history; some operational details remain secondary accounts.
DOC 03
Research leadOfficial personnel and award records
Needed to establish a complete assignment history and locate the formal Vietnamese award citation or order.