Rodger Hyler Mitchell, age 19, from Danville, Virginia, Danville county.
Parents: Edna Hyler Mitchell and Rayford Mitchell
Spouse: None
Children: None
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Wednesday, April 14, 1971
Death details: Died in Vietnam from injuries receiv ed while with a demolition team destroying ammunition at an abandoned air strip.
Source: National Archives, Danville Register (1971)
Haylen Foster Glenn, age 21, from Danville, Virginia, Danville county.
Spouse: Alice B. Glenn
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Friday, October 30, 1970
Death details: Non-hostile death
Source: National Archives, The Bee (1970)
Joseph Wayne Thompson, age 19, from Danville, Virginia, Danville county.
Service era: Vietnam
Military history: 35th Infantry Regiment
Date of death: Saturday, September 2, 1967
Death details: Bronze Star citation: For meritorious service in connection with military operations against an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam. Private First Class Thompson distinguished himself as a Rifleman while serving in D, 1/35th Infantry. He was noted from the very beginning of his tour for the professional and conscientious manner in which he applied himself to everything he did. Private First Class Joseph W Thompson quickly earned the respect of his fellow soldiers, sharing the hardships and danger they faced with determination and perseverance. He participated wholeheartedly in all phases of his unit’s operations; working with a willingness indicative of his realization of the importance of his company’s mission in Vietnam. He was mortally wounded by shrapnel from an exploding mine on 2 September 1967. Private First Class Joseph W Thompson’s conduct and performance are in keeping with the finest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
Cemetery: Floral Hills Memory Garden, Danville
Source: National Archives, Danville Register (1967), 35th Infantry Regiment Association
Lee Dufford Harley, age 26, from Danville County Danville, Virginia .
Service era: Vietnam
Military history: Silver Star
Date of death: Wednesday, May 18, 1966
Death details: On May 18, 1966, an 0-1F Bird Dog (tail number 57-2877, call sign “Gombey 19”) departed Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base on a two-plane visual reconnaissance mission over Laos. Once airborne, “Gombey 19” was called in for a forward air control mission and directed air strikes for approximately two hours. “Gombey19 ” was radioing back assessments of air strike damage when its transmission abruptly stopped. The other aircraft on the mission flew to its last known position and saw burning wreckage below. The enemy fire prevented further observation, and the second aircraft returned to base. A search and rescue effort hampered by intense enemy ground fire. Captain Lee Dufford Harley, who joined the U.S. Air Force from Virginia, served with the 505th Tactical Reconnaissance Group. He was the pilot of “Gombey 19” when the aircraft was shot down on May 18, 1966, and his remains were not recovered. While carried in the status of missing in action, the U.S. Air Force promoted Capt Harley to the rank of Major (Maj). Today, Major Harley is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. His name is also inscribed along with all his fallen comrades on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC.
Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
Erie A. Jr. Martin, age 39, from Danville County Danville, Virginia .
Parents: Erie A. and Edna Jones Martin
Spouse: Martha (Palozewski)
Children: Dorothy, Dean, Donna, Dennis
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Tuesday, July 20, 1965
Death details: World War II veteran
Cemetery: Killed in Vietnam
Source: National Archives, The Bee (1965)
Leslie Taylor Hurrell, age 24, from Danville County Danville, Virginia .
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.
Source: National Arvhies, USSHouston.org, The Bee (1946)