Promote & Preserve stories of U.S. fallen soldiers/sailors
Zachary Esparza, age 36, from Jackson, Missouri, Cape Girardeau county.
Service era: Post war on terror
Date of death: Wednesday, March 29, 2023
Death details: Among nine killed in a mid-air collision involving two Black Hawk helicopters near Fort Campbell, Kentucky during a routine training mission.
Source: CBS News
Bradley Joe Skelton, age 40, from Gordonville, Missouri, Cape Girardeau county.
Service era: Iraq
Schools: Jackson High (1985)
Military history: 1138Th Engineer Company, 107Th Battalion, 35Th Brigade, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Bronze Star, Purple Heart.
Date of death: Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Death details: Vehicle struck roadside bomb, Baghdad, Iraq
Cemetery: Christ Lutheran, Gordonville
Source: Department of Defense, Park Hills Daily Journal
Jeremy Reed Shank, age 18, from Jackson, Missouri, Cape Girardeau county.
Service era: Iraq
Military history: Company A, 2D Battalion, 27Th Infantry, 3 Bct, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
Date of death: Wednesday, September 6, 2006
Death details: Hostile; Balad, Iraq
Source: Department of Defense, findagrave.com
Robert Gene Davis, age 23, from Jackson, Missouri, Cape Girardeau county.
Service era: Iraq
Military history: Hhc, 864Th Engineer Battalion (Tf Sword), Fort Lewis, Washington
Date of death: Thursday, August 18, 2005
Death details: Hostile; Kandahar, Afghanistan. Army 1st Lt. Laura M. Walker, 24, of El Paso, Texas and Sgt. Robert G. Davis, 23, of Jackson, Missouri were in a Humvee on Aug. 18, 2005 when a bomb exploded under the vehicle.
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times
Billy Jack Jr. Hogan, age 21, from Cape Girardeau, Missouri, Cape Girardeau county.
Parents: Helen J. Hogan
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Sunday, November 29, 1970
Death details: Ten minutes after his departure from Phan Rang Air Base, the pilot started the descent to Cam Ranh Bay via a steep valley (3 km wide and 15 km long) at an altitude of 2,700 feet via heading 30°. Shortly later, ATC instructed the crew to change heading to 100° when contact was lost. The airplane struck trees with its both wings, stalled and crashed in flames in a dense wooded area located few km from Cam Ranh Bay Airport. Rescuers arrived on the scene five days later and found two men still alive while 42 other occupants were killed. At the time of the accident, the visibility was nil due to low clouds.
Source: National Archives, UPI (1970), Pensacola News (1970)
Earl Watson Jr. Tharp, age 20, from Cape Girardeau, Missouri, Cape Girardeau county.
Service era: Vietnam
Schools: Graduated from high school in Cape Girardeau in 1968
Date of death: Friday, June 26, 1970
Death details: Killed during a motar attack in South Vietnam
Source: National Archives, Kansas City Word and Way (1970)
Robert Dale McFall, age 20, from Cape Girardeau, Missouri, Cape Girardeau county.
Parents: Lloyd F. McFall
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Tuesday, March 10, 1970
Death details: Hostile in South Vietnam.
Source: National Archives, Associated Press (1970)