Cape Girardeau Missouri

Hogan, Billy Jack Jr.
Air Force Sergeant

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)

Tharp, Earl Watson Jr.
Army Specialist 5

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)

McFall, Robert Dale
Army Sergeant

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)

Gregory, Robert Raymond
Air Force Lieutenant colonel

Robert Raymond Gregory from Cape Girardeau, Missouri, Cape Girardeau county.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: July 19, 1966
Death details: On May 27, 1988, the Central Identification Lab-Hawaii (CILHI, now DPAA) identified the remains of Lieutenant Colonel Robert Raymond Gregory, missing from the Vietnam War.

Lieutenant Colonel Gregory, who joined the U.S. Air Force from Missouri, served with the 11th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron. On July 19, 1966, he piloted an RF-4C Phantom (serial number 65-0829) on a reconnaissance mission over North Vietnam. During the mission, the Phantom was shot down. Lieutenant Colonel Gregory survived the crash and was taken prisoner by the North Vietnamese. Shortly after the crash, he died in a North Vietnamese prisoner of war camp near Hanoi. In 1988, the Vietnamese government repatriated remains, which were later identified as those of Lt Col Gregory.
Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Schemel, Gary Leroy
Marines Private 1st class

Gary Leroy Schemel, age 19, from Cape Girardeau County Cape Girardeau, Missouri .

Parents: Anna M. Schemel

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Sunday, September 26, 1965
Death details: Non-hostile in South Vietnam.

Source: National Archives, Associated Press (1965)

Button, Charles James
Navy Seaman 2nd class

Charles James Button from Cape Girardeau County Cape Girardeau, Missouri .

Parents: William H. Button

Service era: World War II

Date of death: Sunday, March 1, 1942
Death details: Killed aboard the USS Houston when the ship was attacked traveling from Batavia to Java.
Cemetery: Manila American Cemetery

Source: National Archives, American Battle Monuments Commission, USSHouston.org, Charleston Democrat (1942)

Back To Top