John Benjamin Abbatemarco, age 21, from Hackensack, New Jersey, Bergen county.
Parents: Charles Abbatemarco (died 1959) and Ann S. Abbatemarco
Service era: Vietnam
Schools: Hackensack High (1968)
Date of death: Wednesday, May 13, 1970
Death details: Hostile, killed in Cambodia
Source: National Archives, Passaic Herald News (1970)
David Michael Kozak, age 23, from Hackensack, New Jersey, Bergen county.
Parents: Leon M. Kozak
Service era: Vietnam
Schools: Saint Peter’s College graduate, Jersey Preparatory School in Patterson
Date of death: Monday, May 11, 1970
Death details: Killed in South Vietnam while helping defend three bridges.
Source: National Archives, Hackensack Record (1970)
Peter Louis Procopio, age 22, from Cliffside Park, New Jersey, Bergen county.
Parents: Louis and Georgiana
Spouse: Margaret
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Wednesday, March 11, 1970
Death details: Non-hostile death in South Vietnam
Cemetery: Crest Haven
Source: National Archives, Jersey Journal (1970)
John Patrick Henry, age 20, from Paramus, New Jersey, Bergen county.
Parents: James F. Henry
Spouse: Lonny (Larsson)
Service era: Vietnam
Schools: Paramus High graduate
Military history: 11th Armored Cavalry
Date of death: Tuesday, March 10, 1970
Death details: Hostile, killed in South Vietnam
Cemetery: George Washington Memorial Park
Source: National Archives, The Record (1970)
John Arthur Griner, age 26, from Wyckoff, New Jersey, Bergen county.
Parents: Arthur J. Griner
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Monday, February 9, 1970
Death details: Non-hostile death in South Vietnam. Killed when an unexpended bomb exploded while he made an emergency landing in Vietnam.
Source: National Archives, Sunday News (1970)
Anthony Brian Battel, age 22, from Oradell, New Jersey, Bergen county.
Parents: Alton D. Carter
Service era: Vietnam
Military history: 3rd Virginia Infantry
Date of death: Wednesday, January 28, 1970
Death details: Hostile, killed in South Vietnam
Source: National Archives, UPI (1970)
Bruce Carlton Fryar, age 25, from Ridgewood, New Jersey.
Date of death: Janaury 2, 1970
Death details: On January 2, 1970, an A-6A Intruder (bureau number 152937) with two crew members launched from the USS Ranger (CVA-61) as the wingman aircraft in a flight of two on a strike mission over the Mu Gia pass in Laos. During this Intruder’s second attack run against targets in the Mu Gia Pass area, the Forward Air Controller (FAC) aircraft and the flight leader reported that it had caught fire, exploded, and crashed, possibly due to a hit from enemy ground fire. They also observed both crew members successfully eject. A short time later, a search and rescue helicopter spotted one of the two crew men unconscious on the ground, but was unable to attach a recovery line before being driven off by heavy enemy fire. Although search and recovery ran operations for several more days, they failed to recover either crew member. The navigator’s remains were eventually returned to U.S. custody, but the remains of the pilot are still unaccounted for.
Lieutenant Bruce Carlton Fryar entered the U.S. Navy from New Jersey and was a member of Attack Squadron 196, Carrier Air Wing 2, embarked aboard the Ranger. He was the pilot of this Intruder when it was shot down. He was able to parachute from the aircraft but was not seen following the incident, and his remains have not been recovered. Today, Lieutenant Fryar is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Sources: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
Albert Stephen Graf, age 24, from Bogota, New Jersey, Bergen County
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Friday, August 29, 1969
Death details: On August 29, 1969, an F-4B Phantom II (bureau number 153041) with a crew of two took off as the lead aircraft on a two-plane strike mission over Quang Nam Province, South Vietnam. The mission’s objective was to prepare a landing zone for a reconnaissance team by clearing enemy forces there. As this F-4B made its run over the target area, it crashed nearby. Neither crew member was observed to eject from the aircraft before it went down. Search efforts were unable to locate the crew or their remains.
First Lieutenant Albert Stephen Graf, who joined the U.S. Marine Corps from New Jersey, was a member of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 542, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 1st Marine Air Wing. He was the radar intercept officer and was lost when the aircraft went down. He remains unaccounted for. Today, First Lieutenant Graf is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Cemetery: Memorialized at Arlington National
Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, findagrave.com
Joseph Kandrayy, age 22, from Garfield, New Jersey, Bergen county.
Spouse: Elaine Derco Kandravy
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Wednesday, November 8, 1961
Death details: Among 77 killed in Richmond, Virginia when the engines aboard their plane failed and it crashed into marshland. The crew and passengers died from carbon monoxide poisoning. The flight was enroute from Baltimore to Columbia, South Carolina.
Cemetery: Peter & Paul in Lodi
Source: Associated Press (1961), Passaic Herald News (1961)
Willis H. Jr. VanEss, age 22, from Rutherford, New Jersey, Bergen county.
Spouse: Eleanor, married one month
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Wednesday, November 8, 1961
Death details: Among 77 killed in Richmond, Virginia when the engines aboard their plane failed and it crashed into marshland. The crew and passengers died from carbon monoxide poisoning. The flight was enroute from Baltimore to Columbia, South Carolina.
Source: Associated Press (1961), New York Daily News (1961)