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Hansen, Justin M.
Marines Sergeant

Justin M. Hansen, age 26, from Traverse City, Michigan, Grand Traverse county.

Service era: Afghanistan
Military history: 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Date of death: Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Death details: Died while conducting combat operations in Badghis Province, Afghanistan.

Source: Department of Defense, Military Times

Schwartz, Matthew S.
Air Force Technician sergeant

Matthew S. Schwartz, age 34, from Traverse City, Michigan, Grand Traverse county.

Spouse: Jenny Schwartz
Children: Three children

Service era: Afghanistan
Schools: Traverse City Central High (1996)
Military history: 90th Civil Engineer Squadron, Fort Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming

Date of death: Thursday, January 5, 2012
Death details: Died in Shir ghazi, Helmand Province, Afghanistan when his vechile was struck by an improvised explosive device. Killed were Senior Airman Bryan R. Bell, Tech. Sgt. Matthew S. Schwartz, and Airman 1st class Matthew R. Seidler.

Source: Department of Defense, TV 7 & 4, Military Times

Foxx, Dillon B.
Army Sergeant

Dillon B. Foxx, age 22, from Traverse City, Michigan, Grand Traverse county.

Parents: Trina Pfua and Robert Lentz
Child: Kaiden Levi

Service era: Afghanistan
Military history: 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Date of death: Friday, February 5, 2010
Death details: Died in Bala Murghab, Afghanistan of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Enlisted May 2006.

Source: Department of Defense, WOOD TV,, U.S. Air Force, Mlive

Akers, Spencer Clark
Army Sergeant

Spencer Clark Akers, age 35, from Traverse City, Michigan, Grand Traverse county.

Service era: Iraq
Military history: Company B, 1St Battalion, 125Th Infantry (Ii Mef), Saginaw, Mi

Date of death: Thursday, December 8, 2005
Death details: died Dec. 8 at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, of injuries sustained Nov. 21 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during combat operations in Habbaniyah, Iraq.

Source: Department of Defense, Military Times

Bousum, David R.
Marines Corporal

David R. Bousum, age 21, from Grand Traverse County Fife Lake, Michigan .

Parents: Gerald and Joanna Bousum

Service era: Beirut bombings
Schools: Kalkaska High (1980)

Date of death: Sunday, October 23, 1983
Death details: Among more than 200 military personnel killed in the terroist bombing of Marine headquarters in Beirut.

Source: White House Commission on Remembrance, Detroit Free Press (1983)

Defer, Richard Henry
Air Force Major

Richard Henry Defer, age 40, from Grand Traverse County Traverse City, Michigan .

Parents: Leo DeFer
Spouse: Mary
Children: Connie, Richard Jr., Martin, Mitchell

Service era: Vietnam
Schools: Michigan State University graduate

Date of death: Monday, October 18, 1971
Death details: Hostile, killed, Laos

Source: National Archives, Arizona Republic (1971)

VonDerHoff, Ralph Henry
Army Private 1st class

Ralph Henry VonDerHoff, age 22, from Traverse City, Michigan, Grand Traverse county.

Parents: Madelyn F. VonDerHOff

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Friday, August 28, 1970
Death details: Hostile, killed, South Vietnam

Source: National Archives, UPI (1970)

Burgess, John Lawrence
Army Specialist 5

John Lawrence Burgess from Kingsley, Michigan, Grand Traverse county.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Tuesday, June 30, 1970
Death details: Hostile, died while missing, body not recovered, South Vietnam; Army Spc. 5 John L. Burgess, of Sutton Bay, Mich., was the crew chief of a UH-1H Iroquois helicopter that crashed in Binh Phuoc Province, South Vietnam. Also, killed in the crash were 1st Lt. Leslie F. Douglas Jr., of Verona, Miss.; lst Lt. Richard Dyer, of Central Falls, R.I.; and Sgt. 1st Class Juan Colon-Diaz, of Comerio, Puerto Rico. Another crew member, Pfc. John Goosman, survived the crash and was rescued. Remains representing Dyer, Colon-Diaz, and Burgess, were buried as a group in a single casket, on July 2, 2013 at Arlington National Cemetery. On June 30, 1970, while on a command and control mission, the helicopter was struck by enemy fire, causing it to crash. Shortly thereafter, friendly forces recovered remains of Douglas, Colon-Diaz, and Dyer. The three men were individually identified and buried with full military honors. At that time, no remains were attributed to Burgess.From 1992 to 2012, more than a dozen joint U.S./Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.) teams investigated the case, in Binh Phuoc Province, recovering human remains, personal effects, military equipment, and aircraft wreckage associated with this loss.Burgess was accounted for using forensic and circumstantial evidence.
Cemetery: Arlington National

Source: National Archives, Department of Defense

Tomlinson, Gerald Douglas
Army Corporal

Gerald Douglas Tomlinson, age 20, from Traverse City, Michigan, Grand Traverse county.

Parents: Carl L. Tomlinson

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Wednesday, February 4, 1970
Death details: Hostile, killed, South Vietnam

Source: National Archives, UPI (1970)

Yagle, Thomas Neil
Marines Lance corporal

Thomas Neil Yagle, age 22, from Grand Traverse County Traverse City, Michigan .

Spouse: Betty Fay

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Saturday, April 16, 1966
Death details: Hostile, killed, South Vietnam

Source: National Archives, Associated Press (1966)

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