Promote & Preserve stories of U.S. fallen soldiers/sailors
Mark R. Cronquist, age 20, from Columbia Falls, Montana, Flathead county.
Parents: Mike Cronquist
Spouse: None
Children: None
Service era: Gulf War
Schools: Columbia Falls High (1988)
Date of death: Monday, March 11, 1991
Death details: Killed in Saudi Arabia when a weapon accidentally discharged while another soldiers cleaned it.
Source: White House Commission on Remembrance, Department of Defense, The Missoulian (1991), Great Falls Tribune (1991)
James Jacob Byszek, age 42, from North Brookfield, Massachusetts, Worcester county.
Parents: Margaret Byszek
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Thursday, October 18, 1990
Death details: The “date of casualty” stated by the military is July 1, 1970. That’s when James was hit by friendly fire. However, he survived and returned to Massachusets as a paraplegic. He lived with family for decades.
Source: National Archives, Boston Globe (1993)
Robert Allen Sterling, age 23, from Creston, Iowa, Union county.
Parents: Ivan Sterling
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Sunday, April 16, 1972
Death details: Killed when the U.S. missile ship Worden was hit by missles accidentally fired from American planes in the Gulf of Tonkin.
Cemetery: Graceland in Creston
Source: National Archives, Des Moines Tribune (1972), findagrave.com