The 20-year-old private first class was a laboratory technician at Metropolitan Hospital before he joined the Marine Corps in February 1969. Small was sent to Vietnam and assigned to Company G of the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division. He was killed on Sept. 4, 1969, six weeks after arriving in the war zone, in Quang Nam Province, when a grenade from friendly forces exploded near him. Survivors included his mother and stepfather.