Bob Kalsu

Bob Kalsu
Bob Kalsu
Birth name	James Robert Kalsu
Born	April 13, 1945; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States
Died	July 21, 1970 (aged 25); FSB Ripcord, Thua Thien, South Vietnam
Allegiance	United States of America
Service / branch	United States Army
Years of service	1968–1970
Rank	First lieutenant
Unit	101st Airborne Division
Battles / wars	Vietnam War Battle of Fire Support Base Ripcord †;
Awards	Bronze Star; Purple Heart
	American football career
No. 61
Position:	Guard
Personal information
Height:	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:	235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
High school:	Del City (Del City, Oklahoma)
College:	Oklahoma
NFL draft:	1968 / round: 8 / pick: 199
Career history
	Buffalo Bills (1968);
Career highlights and awards
	Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame; First-team All-American (1967); First-team All-Big Eight (1967);
	Stats at Pro Football Reference

Kalsu's name (third row, middle) on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial

James Robert Kalsu (April 13, 1945 – July 21, 1970) was an American professional football player who was an All-American tackle at the University of Oklahoma and an eighth-round selection in the 1968 NFL/AFL draft by the Buffalo Bills of the American Football League (AFL).^[1] Kalsu joined the U.S. Army as an officer after the 1968 season and was killed in action in the Vietnam War in 1970.

Kalsu was one of two professional football players killed in the Vietnam War and the last to be killed serving as a soldier in a war until Pat Tillman in 2004.

^ Nack, William (July 23, 2001). "A Name On The Wall: Football player Bob Kalsu was the only U.S. pro athlete to die in Vietnam". Sports Illustrated. p. 60.

[nothwl-1] Nack, William (July 23, 2001). "A Name On The Wall: Football player Bob Kalsu was the only U.S. pro athlete to die in Vietnam". Sports Illustrated. p. 60.

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