Gregg County Texas

Gaudet, Bradley J.
Army Chief warrant officer

Bradley J. Gaudet, age 31, from Gladewater, Texas, Gregg county.

Service era: Afghanistan
Military history: 1st Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, New York

Date of death: Sunday, June 5, 2011
Death details: Died in Khost Province, Afghanistan of injuries suffered as the result of a helicopter crash. CWO Kenneth R. White also died.

Source: Department of Defense, Military Times

May, Kenneth B. Jr.
Marines Sergeant

Kenneth B. May Jr., age 26, from Kilgore, Texas, Gregg county.

Parents: Kenneth May and Karen May
Spouse: Krystal May

Service era: Afghanistan
Schools: Kilgore High graduate
Military history: 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, California.

Date of death: Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Death details: Died while supporting combat operations in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
Cemetery: Danville, Kilgore

Source: Department of Defense, Orange County Register, KLTV, Military Times

Stock, John Christian
Marines Staff sergeant

John Christian Stock, age 26, from Longview, Texas, Gregg county.

Service era: Iraq
Military history: B Co, 3D Aa Bn, (Tf 1/3, Rct-2, Ii Mef Fwd), 1St Mar Div, Camp Pendleton, Ca

Date of death: Thursday, September 6, 2007
Death details: Hostile; Albu Hyatt, Iraq

Source: Department of Defense

Summers, Franklin Dallas
Army Captain

Franklin Dallas Summers, age 27, from Longview, Texas, Gregg county.

Parents: Frances Tingle Summers
Spouse: Willow Katherine Summers
Children: Stepfather of Richard and Johnny Pashman

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Sunday, April 12, 1970
Cemetery: Zachary Taylor National

Source: National Archives, Lousiville Courier Journal (1970), grave marker

Mitcheltree, Robert G. Jr.
Army Private 1st class

Robert G. Jr. Mitcheltree, age 21, from Longview, Texas, Gregg county.

Parents: Mrs. Clifford Click

Service era: Vietnam
Schools: Kilgore High (1966), Kilgore College

Date of death: Monday, January 19, 1970
Death details: Killed in action in Vietnam

Source: National Archives, Kilgore News Herald (1970)

Campbell, Clyde William
Air Force Captain

Clyde William Campbell, age 24, from Longview, Texas, Gregg county.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Saturday, March 1, 1969
Death details: On March 1, 1969, Campbell was a pilot aboard an A-1J Skyraider aircraft that crashed while carrying out a close air-support mission in Houaphan Province, Laos. American forward air controllers directing the mission in the area reported hearing an explosion that they believed to be Campbell’s bombs, but later learned Campbell’s aircraft had crashed. No parachutes were seen in the area. In 1997, a joint United States – Lao People’s Democratic Republic (L.P.D.R.) team investigated a crash site in Houaphan Province, Laos, within 330 feet of the last known location of Campbell. In addition to human remains, the team located aircraft wreckage and military equipment, which correlated with Campbell’s aircraft. From 2009 to 2010, additional joint U.S.-L.P.D.R. recovery teams investigated and excavated the crash site three times. Teams recovered additional human remains, military equipment — including an aircraft data plate — and a .38-caliber pistol matching the serial number issued to Campbell.
Cemetery: Arlington National, buried June 21, 2012.

Source: National Archives, Department of Defense

Whitworth, James Alan
Marines Reserves Aviation machinist’s mate 3rd class

James Alan Whitworth, age 17, from Longview, Texas, Gregg county.

Service era: World War II

Date of death: Saturday, November 20, 1943
Death details: From November 20 through 23, 1943, the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy conducted a large-scale amphibious assault on the Japanese-held atoll of Tarawa as part of Operation Galvanic, the Allied capture of the Gilbert Islands. Located 2,500 miles southwest of Hawaii, Tarawa was a crucial stepping stone in the planned U.S. offensive across the central Pacific toward Japan. The Japanese garrison on Tarawa’s main island of Betio was well-entrenched with hundreds of bunkers and gun positions behind formidable beach obstacles. The first wave of Marines approaching the shore encountered lower-than-expected tides, forcing them to leave their landing craft on the reef and wade the hundreds of yards to the beach under intense enemy fire. The heaviest number of U.S. casualties were suffered during this phase of the landing. Eventually, rising tides allowed U.S. warships to maneuver closer to shore and support the troops with effective naval gunfire. More Marines landed on the second day, launching attacks inland from the beaches and seizing the Japanese airfield on the island. However, the enemy launched vicious counterattacks and two more days of intense fighting were needed to secure Betio. The last enemy strongpoints were taken on the morning of November 23. The fighting on Betio cost the Marines nearly 3,000 casualties but enabled U.S. forces to press further across the Pacific and yielded valuable tactical lessons that reduced U.S. losses in future amphibious landings. Private James Alan Whitworth entered the U.S. Marine Corps from Texas and served in Company A, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division. He was killed in action on November 20, 1943, during the Battle of Tarawa and was buried in Cemetery #26; however, after the war his remains were not located, and he is still unaccounted-for. Today, Private Whitworth is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Back To Top