Tag: Cattaraugus County New York

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Johnson, Timothy L.
Army Specialist

Timothy L. Johnson, age 24, from Randolph, New York, Cattaraugus county.

Parents: Cheryl Johnson
Spouse: Brittany Johnson

Service era: Afghanistan
Military history: 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, For Carson, Colorado. Enlisted November 2007.

Date of death: Thursday, September 16, 2010
Death details: Died in Kandahar, Afghanistan of wounds suffered when insurgetns attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device at Arghandab River Valley, Afghanistan.
Cemetery: Inglewood Park Cemetery, Inglewood, California

Source: Department of Defense, Daily Breeze, Military Times

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Clemens, Shawn Michael
Army Staff Sergeant

Shawn Michael Clemens, age 28, from Allegany, New York, Cattaraugus county.

Service era: Iraq
Military history: Hhc 2D Battalion 87Th Infantry Regiment, Fort Drum, Ny 13602

Date of death: Thursday, January 29, 2004
Death details: Ghazni, Afghanistan

Source: Department of Defense, Military Times

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Bailey, Donald Gerald
Marines Corporal

Donald Gerald Bailey, age 23, from Cattaraugus County Olean, New York .

Service era: Vietnam
Military history: First Marine Division

Date of death: Tuesday, January 11, 1972
Death details: Died at Castle Point Veterans Administration Hospital from wounds received by sniper fire on August 28, 1969
Cemetery: Chestnut Hill in Portville

Source: National Archives, Buffalo News (1972)

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Talbot, Fred W
Army Specialist 4

Fred W Talbot, age 31, from Salamanca, New York, Cattaraugus county.

Spouse: Mary L. Talbot

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Friday, March 16, 1962
Death details: Among 93 soldiers aboard a transport plane on a “secret mission” to Vietnam. Wreaths Across America in 2021: “Very little is known about what happened to the plane and its passengers, and due to the circumstance surrounding this mission, the names of those lost have not yet been added to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C.”
Cemetery: A memorial honoring the lives lost was dedicated in 2021 in Columbia Falls, Maine

Source: Atlanta Counstitution (1962), MauiNow (2021), UPI (1962)

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Kingsley, John E.
Army Captain

John E. Kingsley, age 31, from Cattaraugus County Olean, New York .

Parents: Homer E. Kinglsey

Service era: Korea
Schools: Saint Bonaventure and graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic.
Military history: Served in Europe during World War II

Date of death: Tuesday, July 14, 1953
Death details: On July 13, 1953, the U.S. Army’s 555th Field Artillery Battalion was positioned to support the Republic of Korea (ROK) 6th Division along a stretch of line known as the Kumsong Salient, when the Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) launched a massive night attack. The 555th Field Artillery continued to fire in support of the ROK forces during the initial stage of the attack, despite coming under heavy enemy artillery fire themselves. However, early on July 14, CCF troops penetrated the ROK lines and were able to attack the 555th’s own positions. Several battery positions were overrun by the numerically superior attackers before a withdrawal order was received. By that point, few men were actually able to withdraw. Some managed to evade enemy forces and work their way back to friendly lines over the following days, but a number of the 555th Field Artillery’s men were captured by the enemy or went missing. The battlefield now lies on the North Korean side of the Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea. Captain John Ellsworth Kingsley, who entered the U.S. Army from New York, served with Battery B, 555th Field Artillery Battalion, 24th Infantry Division. He was with his unit when the CCF attacked on July 14, 1953, and was reported missing following the fighting. His remains were not recovered at the time, and he remains unaccounted-for. Today, Captain Kingsley is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Buffalo News (1953)

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Gayhart, William Lavern
Marines Private 1st Class

William Lavern Gayhart, age 19, from Ellicottville, New York, Cattaraugus county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Thursday, March 26, 1953
Death details: In late March 1953, elements of the 1st Marine Division manned a string of outposts along a 33-mile section of the main line of resistance on the Korean Peninsula, near the present-day Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The 1st Marine Division’s 5th Marine Regiment was responsible for three of these outposts, named Carson, Reno, and Vegas, or collectively “the Nevada Cities Complex.” On March 26, Chinese Communist Forces attacked all three outposts. Although Carson managed to stave off the assault, Reno and Vegas, which were more lightly manned, eventually succumbed to the enemy. Over 1,000 Marines were killed, wounded, or went missing during the attack on the Nevada Cities Complex. Private First Class William Lavern Gayhart joined the U.S. Marine Corps from New York and was a member of H Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division. He went missing in action during the fighting at the Nevada Cities Complex on March 26, 1953. He was never reported to be a prisoner of war, and he was not identified among remains returned to U.S. custody after the ceasefire. Today, Private First Class Gayhart is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency