This Military Service Page was created/owned by
Nicole Summers, MMFN
to remember
Ashton, Curtis Morris (Butch), AE1.
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Casualty Info
Home Town Sweetwater
Last Address Sweetwater
Casualty Date Dec 27, 1969
Cause KIA-Killed in Action
Reason Multiple Fragmentation Wounds
Location Bien Hoa (Vietnam)
Conflict Vietnam War
Location of Interment Garden of Memories Cemetery - Sweetwater, Texas
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Bronze Star Medal with Combat "V" to Aviation Electrician Second Class Curtis Morris Ashton, United States Navy, for meritorious achievement in connection with operations against the enemy while serving with SEAL Team TWO, Detachment ALFA in the Republic of Vietnam, on the night of 13 March 1968. As machine gunner with a SEAL combat patrol, Petty Officer Ashton's patrol penetrated 4,000 yards into an enemy base camp occupied by a Viet Cong battalion. The patrol discovered a large barracks complex containing approximately 30 well armed insurgents. Petty Officer Ashton volunteered to act as rear security during his patrol's withdrawal through 1,000 yards occupied by a large Viet Cong force. Petty Officer Ashton held off a Viet Cong attempt to cut off and encircle his patrol, continually exposing himself to a hail of automatic weapons fire to insure his patrol's safe extraction. Petty Officer Ashton's courage and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. (Petty Officer Ashton is authorized the Combat "V".)
4 Dec 2004 Curtis was a West Texas guy. He was born in Rotan, Texas. He lived his early life there and in Colorado City, Texas. He attended Colorado City schools. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy within months after high school from Sweetwater, Texas. He was trained in electronics, but then applied for and was accepted as a Navy Seal. He did 2 tours in Vietnam, the first in 1967-68 with Seal Team 7 and then he returned in 1969 with Seal Team 2 and was killed on a mission on December 27, 1969. According to his Seal Team buddies, he would go any where at any time and perform any job. He is reported to have completed some 150 Seal missions before his death. He was also reported to be deadly with the Stoner Machine gun. He was awarded the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, along with many awards for valor. He is remembered by the Permian Basin Vietnam Memorial in Midland, Texas.
Petty Officer Ashton receiving the Distinguished Service Medal and other awards following his first tour in Vietnam. His wife, Stephanie Jo Huddleston Ashton, looks on.
22 Sep 2006
When the Permian Basin Vietnam Veteran's Memorial was dedicated in 1994, Curtis was listed with Mitchell County, Texas and his name appears that way at the Memorial Site near the Midland International Airport. That is in error. He was from Nolan County, Texas. His family moved to Sweetwater when he was seven. He attended Sweetwater High School his sophomore year and then Tye High School in Tye, Texas, his junior year. He dropped out before his senior year and joined the Navy from Sweetwater.
He was known as Butch to his family and friends. Butch is a first cousin to Johnnye Ashton Blakeley, the widow of Major Roy J. Blakeley, U.S. Air Force, of Rotan who also perished in Vietnam.
