Decatur Illinois

Tilton, Jesse R.
Army Sergeant

Jesse R. Tilton, age 23, from Decatur, Illinois, Macon county.

Parents: Julie Magana

Service era: Afghanistan
Military history: 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Enlisted April 7, 2006. Bronze Star, Purple Heart.

Date of death: Friday, July 16, 2010
Death details: Died at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Landstuhl, Germany, of wounds sustained July 13, 2010 when insurgents attacked his unit in Kandahar City, Afghanistan with rifle, rocket propelled grenade, and small arms fire. Was mortally wounded while treating fellow paratrooper.

Source: Department of Defense, Fayetteville Observor, Military Times

Gifford, Jonathan Lee Marines Private

Jonathan Lee Gifford, age 30, from Decatur, Illinois, Macon county.

Service era: Iraq
Military history: Hqsvcco, 1St Bn, 2D Mar, 2D Meb, Det A, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

Date of death: Sunday, March 23, 2003
Death details: Hostile; An Nasiriyah, Iraq

Source: Department of Defense

Wiley, Richard Dennis
Army Specialist 4

Richard Dennis Wiley from Decatur, Illinois, Macon county.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Monday, June 12, 1972
Death details: Specialist 4 (SP4) Richard Dennis Wiley entered the U.S. Army from Illinois and served in Troop F, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 11th Aviation Group. On June 12, 1972, he was a gunner aboard an OH-6A Cayuse (tail number 68-17338) on a visual reconnaissance mission over a landing zone. The helicopter was shot down during the mission, and SP4 Wiley was lost during the incident. Attempts to locate his remains following his loss were unsuccessful. Today, Specialist 4 Wiley is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Ashenfelter, Alan Wayne
Marines Lance corporal

Alan Wayne Ashenfelter, age 20, from Decatur, Illinois, Macon county.

Parents: H. Wayne and Mildred Louis Bowers Ashenfelter

Service era: Vietnam
Schools: MacArthur High (1968)

Date of death: Wednesday, August 12, 1970
Death details: Hostile, killed in South Vietnam

Source: National Archives, Decatur Daily Review (1970)

Baum, Michael Edward
Army Private 1st class

Michael Edward Baum, age 21, from Decatur, Illinois, Macon county.

Parents: Bryant J. Baum

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Saturday, July 18, 1970
Death details: Died in South Vietnam from wounds suffered while returning from a combat mission when the personnel carrier he was riding in struck a land mine. He died the following day at a U.S. Army hospital

Source: National Archives, Decatur Daily Review (1970)

Johnson, Marlin James
Army Chief warrant officer

Marlin James Johnson, age 22, from Decatur, Illinois, Macon county.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Monday, April 20, 1970
Death details: Hostile, died while missing in Cambodia
Cemetery: Graceland

Source: National Archives, Decatur Daily Review (1970)

Whitney, Harley Dairrel
Army Specialist 4

Harley Dairrel Whitney, age 20, from Decatur, Illinois, Macon county.

Parents: James and Nadleain Parker Whitney
Spouse: Married

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Monday, March 2, 1970
Death details: Non-hostile in South Vietnam

Source: Library of Virginia, Richmond; Dacatur Review (1970)

Shelton, Ronald Thomas
Army Captain

Ronald Thomas Shelton, age 29, from Macon County Decatur, Illinois .

Parents: Marvin C. Shelton Sr.
Spouse: Carol
Children: Michael Douglas, Victoria Lynn, Elizabeth Ann

Service era: Vietnam
Schools: United States Military Academy (1959)
Military history: 7th Special Forces Group

Date of death: Sunday, April 10, 1966
Death details: Hostile, died from wounds in South Vietnam

Source: National Archives, The News Tribune (1966)

White, James Darrell Jr.
Army Private 1st class

James Darrell Jr. White, age 19, from Macon County Decatur, Illinois .

Parents: James D. White

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Saturday, January 29, 1966
Death details: Killed by a sniper in South Vietnam.

Source: National Archives, Dacatur Daily Review (1966)

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