Robert Richard Sandstrom

Robert Richard Sandstrom was a member of the Fall Class of 1962 at Abraham Lincoln High School in San Francisco.

        He and his twin brother, James Joseph, were born on May 3, 1945, to Albert Oskar and Margaret Alberta Sandstrom in San Francisco. His father was born in Mora, Sweden, on September 29, 1907, and died on February 10, 1992, in Sonoma County, California. His mother was born in Kansas on September 26, 1906, and died in San Joaquin County, California, on June 14, 1992.

        Robert had a sister, Astrid Joann, born on March 25, 1942, in San Francisco. She graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School in the Fall Class of 1959. Astrid married Edward Cox and three children were born to this marriage: Jeffrey, David, and Karen.

        Robert entered Abraham Lincoln High School in 1959 and graduated in the Forty-third Commencement Class on January 30, 1963.

        After Bob graduated from Lincoln, he attended San Francisco City College and worked for the United Parcel Service. He married Helen Rock who later became a teacher at Lincoln.

        He entered the military service with the United States Army. After basic and advanced training, he was assigned a Military Occupational Specialty Code of mortarman. Following this training, he was ordered to the Vietnam Theatre of Operations. He started his tour of duty in Vietnam with the 9th Infantry Division on September 20, 1967. While in hostile action in Vinh Long Province, he became a casualty from friendly fire. At the time of his death, he was 22 yers old.

        He is listed in the Record of the Secretary of Defense, Vietnam, Combat Area Casualty List, 1957-1986, as being a private first class and being killed in action on October 5, 1967.

        Robert R. Sandstrom's name is etched on Panel 27E, Row 56, on the Vietnam War Memorial Wall in Washington, D. C.

        His remains were returned to the United States and interred on October 11, 1967, at Woodlawn Memorial Park, Colma, San Mateo, California, in Section D, Lot 341D, Grave #1.