More Than a Lieutenant
First Lieutenant Robert Allen Lulla is remembered not only for leading his men, but for the music, friendship, and humanity he shared with them.
August 17, 2026
First Lieutenant Robert Allen Lulla was more than an officer to the soldiers who served beside him. He was the lieutenant who played guitar in base camp, talked about home, shared stories, and made sure his men were taken care of.
“I spent several months in Lt. Lulla’s mortar platoon,” recalled Richard Schmidt. “My favorite memories of him were the fun times we had playing guitars together. He loved the Kingsmen, and we even had a pet mongoose. He talked about his wife and growing up in Ohio.”
Born on November 13, 1944, in Steubenville, Ohio, Lulla served with A Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division—the Big Red One. The quiet moments in base camp offered brief relief from a war that was never far away.
On April 1, 1968, during hostile action in Bình Dương Province, Lieutenant Lulla was killed by multiple fragmentation wounds.
“He took care of his soldiers, and we respected him.”
That is how Robert Allen Lulla is remembered—not only as a leader, but as a man and a friend. Someone who shared music, laughter, and memories of home, yet still stepped forward to lead when it mattered most.
We remember First Lieutenant Robert Allen Lulla.