Alpha Battery, 2/11^th Artillery was on Ripcord throughout the siege. Its 155mm howitzers had a general support mission and were not tied directly to the 2/506^th Infantry, as were the 105mm howitzers in B/2-319^th Artillery. Four men from the battery lost their lives during the siege, including 1^st Lt. James R. Kalsu, the only professional athlete to die in Vietnam. Kalsu attended Oklahoma State, where he played football and was a member of ROTC. He had played is rookie year with the Buffalo Bills before donning his officer's uniform and answering his country's call to duty.