From East High to the Eight Infantry
By Rachael Stephany
Michael Steven Lyle
April 18, 1946 - May 26, 1967
Michael Steven Lyle was born on April 18, 1946, to his parents, Nellie Richie and William Lyle.[1] Growing up in Denver, Colorado, Michael was surrounded by a large family; he especially loved spending time with his four brothers. Denver had started to grow after World War II, but the city was not always welcoming to African-American families like the Lyle family. Although Denver was not deeply rooted in the Jim Crow South, the city maintained a form of segregation through redlining. Neighborhoods had covenants that limited Black and Hispanic families to specific areas of Denver. Michael attended East High School, a predominantly Black and Hispanic High School, which would later be the center of a Supreme Court Case, Keyes v. School District No. 1. Keyes, the petitioner, proved that Denver, Colorado, had operated segregated schools for over ten years since 1960.[2] The case would be decided in the Summer of 1973, almost a decade after Michael had graduated.[3] Michael would graduate from East High School in 1964 and continue to pursue a great mission.
Michael was drafted along with 382,010 young men to serve in Vietnam in 1966.[4] Conscription played a major role throughout the Vietnam War to gain the necessary troops to sustain the conflict. Michael was deployed to Vietnam on September 15, 1966, to serve his first tour.[5] He was assigned the role of an Infantryman in the 8th Infantry Regiment.[6] As an Infantryman, Michael’s daily tasks included engaging enemy forces in close range with small arms weapons or working with a heavy anti-armor crew for both offensive and defensive operations.[7] On May 24, 1967, Michael would be killed in action in the province of Quang Nam, South Vietnam. [8]
Today, Michael’s name can be found engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC.[9] The Wall honors those who served in Vietnam who were killed in action or those declared missing.[10] His name stands as a testament to his sacrifice and the cost of service.
Footnotes ↓
[1] Ancestry, “Lyle Richie Family Tree, Michael Steven Lyle,” ancestry.com, accessed August 7, 2025, https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/family-tree/person/tree/15682572/person/481373386/facts?_phsrc=MJn222&_phstart=successSource.
[2] Oyez, Keyes v. School District No. 1. Keyes, Denver, CO, oyez.com, accessed August 20, 2025, https://www.oyez.org/cases/1972/71-507.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Selective Service System, Induction Statistics, Selective Service System, accessed August 28, 2025, https://www.sss.gov/history-and-records/induction-statistics/.
[5] Honor States, “Michael Steven Lyle: Private from Colorado, Vietnam War Casualty, HonorStates.org, accessed August 8, 2025, https://www.honorstates.org/profiles/285134/#:~:text=Michael%20Steven%20Lyle%20was%20serving,the%20service%20via%20Selective%20Service.
[6] Ibid.
[7] ARMY COOL, 11B-Infanryman MOS, ARMY COOL, accessed August 8,2025, https://www.cool.osd.mil/army/moc/index.html?moc=11b&tab=overview.
[8] Honor States, “Michael Steven Lyle: Private from Colorado, Vietnam War Casualty.
[9] Ibid.
[10] Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, “About the Wall”, Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, accessed September 2, 2025, https://www.vvmf.org/About-The-Wall/#:~:text=According%20to%20current%20DoD%20guidelines,defined%20combat%20zone%20of%20Vietnam.
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