Ruben Estrella-Soto, age 18, from El Paso, Texas, El Paso county.
Service era: Iraq
School: Mountain View High graduate
Military history: 507Th Ordnance Maintenance Company (Patriot), Fort Bliss, Texas
Date of death: Sunday, March 23, 2003
Death details: Killed when his convoy took a wrong turn and was ambushed near An Nasiriyah, Iraq
Source: Department of Defense, KTSM
Lorenzo M. Ruiz, age 27, from El Paso, Texas, El Paso county.
Spouse: Married
Children: Daughter
Service era: Operation Restore Hope (Somalia)
Military history: 3rd Battalion, 75h Ranger Regiment in Fort Benning
Date of death: Sunday, October 3, 1993
Death details: Killed during a 16 hour fight with supporters of Somali warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid. Two U.S. Blackhawk helicopters were brought down
Cemetery: Ft. Bliss National, Texas
Source: White House Commission on Remembrance, Department of Veterans Affairs, Tulsa World
Rodolfo Hernandez from El Paso, Texas, El Paso county.
Service era: Beirut bombings
Date of death: Monday, January 30, 1984
Source: White House Commission on Remembrance
Michael John Shea from El Paso, Texas, El Paso county.
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Tuesday, April 29, 1975
Death details:
On April 29, 1975, a CH-46D Sea Knight with a crew of four took off from the aircraft carrier USS Hancock (CVA-19) in the South China Sea. After returning from its mission, while attempting to land on the Hancock, the Sea Knight crashed into the sea. The pilot and copilot could not be recovered; the two other crew members, both seriously injured, were rescued.
First Lieutenant Michael John Shea entered the U.S. Marine Corps from Texas and was a member of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 165, Marine Air Group 36, 1st Marine Air Wing. He was the copilot of this Sea Knight when it crashed, and he was lost with the aircraft. His remains were not recovered. Today, First Lieutenant Shea is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Based on all information available, DPAA assessed the individual’s case to be in the analytical category of Non-recoverable.
Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
Raul Losoya, age 24, from El Paso County El Paso, Texas .
Parents: Ramona P. Losoya
Spouse: None
Children: None
Service era: Vietnam
Schools: Ysleta High graduate
Military history: Company C, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry, 196th Infantry Brigade
Date of death: Thursday, January 6, 1972
Death details: Died from wounds received the same day from a mortar round fired by friendly forces in Quant Nam Province
Cemetery: Fort Bliss National
Source: National Archives, El Paso Times (1972)
Lawrence Wilkerson, age 37, from El Paso, Texas, El Paso county.
Parents: R. T. Wilkerson
Children: Lawrence Jr., 13; Katherine Wilkerson, 11
Service era: Vietnam
Schools: El Psao Technical High
Date of death: Monday, July 5, 1971
Death details: Killed in South Vietnam when a rocket struck his barracks
Source: National Archives, El Paso Times (1971)
Ronald Leonard Watson, age 26, from El Paso, Texas, El Paso county.
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Thursday, February 18, 1971
Death details: On February 18, 1971, a UH-1H Iroquois (tail number 68-15255) with four crew members took off as one of four helicopters on an emergency extraction mission for soldiers from a Special Forces camp located on the west side of A Shau Valley in Thua Thien Province, South Vietnam. Enemy troops fired on the Iroquois as it attempted to rescue the ground troops using a stable extraction rig, forcing the pilot to leave the area with three men still attached to the rigs. One of the troops on the extraction rigs fell off into the jungle and was eventually rescued. A short time after he fell, the helicopter was hit by enemy anti-aircraft fire, which caused it to crash and burn with the four crew members and two rescued ground troops still inside. Captain Ronald Leonard Watson entered the U.S. Army from Texas and was a member of Command and Control North, 5th Special Forces Group. He was being extracted by this Iroquois when it was shot down, and he was lost in the incident. His remains were not recovered. Today, Captain Watson is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, findagrave.com
Fernando Villasana, age 20, from El Paso, Texas, El Paso county.
Parents: Dolores Placencia and Frank Villasana
Service era: Vietnam
Schools: Jefferson High graduate
Date of death: Wednesday, November 18, 1970
Cemetery: Fort Bliss National
Source: National Archives, El Paso Times
Kevin C. Jr. McElhannon, age 18, from El Paso, Texas, El Paso county.
Parents: Kevin C. McElhannon
Service era: Vietnam
Schools: El Paso High
Military history: Company B, 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Americal Division
Date of death: Tuesday, September 15, 1970
Source: National Archives, El Paso Times (1970)
Rafael Albert Chavez, age 23, from El Paso, Texas, El Paso county.
Parents: Rafael Chavez
Service era: Vietnam
Military history: Troop B, 2nd Squadron, 17th Cavalry, 101st Airborne Division
Date of death: Thursday, June 18, 1970
Death details: Killed in Vietnam
Source: National Archives, El Pso Herald Post (1970)