David William Atherton
April 4, 1951 - May 24, 2025
David William Atherton was born in Illinois and spent much of his childhood in Mindanao and Manila, an international upbringing that shaped his adventurous spirit and lifelong curiosity. In his late teens, he returned to the United States and, as he often stated, promptly “won the only lottery I ever won”—which happened to be a round-trip ticket to Vietnam. He arrived in Saigon during the waning chapters of the war, marking the start of a distinguished 20-year career in the U.S. Army.
David William Atherton
April 4, 1951 - May 24, 2025
David William Atherton was born in Illinois and spent much of his childhood in Mindanao and Manila, an international upbringing that shaped his adventurous spirit and lifelong curiosity. In his late teens, he returned to the United States and, as he often stated, promptly “won the only lottery I ever won”—which happened to be a round-trip ticket to Vietnam. He arrived in Saigon during the waning chapters of the war, marking the start of a distinguished 20-year career in the U.S. Army.