Moises J. Gonzalez, age 29, from Huntington, California, Orange county.
Service era: Afghanistan
Military history: 509th Combat Service Support Company, 504th Battlefield Survelliance Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas.
Date of death: Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Death details: Died in Balkh Province, Afghanistan of injuries sustained when his vehilce rolled over.
Source: Department of Defense. Los Angeles Times
Lawrence Bradford Forrester, age 20, from Huntington, California, Orange county.
Parents: Lawrence C. Forrester
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Monday, September 20, 1971
Death details: Killed in action
Source: National Archives, Los Angeles Times (1971)
Warren Dale Holeman, age 20, from Huntington, California, Orange county.
Parents: Warren Graves Holeman (1925 – 2012)
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Wednesday, August 25, 1971
Death details: Body recovered
Cemetery: Westminster Memorial Park
Source: National Archives, Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, findagrave.com, Associated Press (1971)
Dale Frank Jr. Fleischmann from Huntington, California, Orange county.
Parents: Dale Fleischmann
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Saturday, June 6, 1970
Death details: Killed in action
Source: National Archives, Los Angeles Times (1970)
Richard Frank Collins from Huntington, California, Los Angeles county.
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Saturday, November 22, 1969
Death details: On November 22, 1969, an A-6A Intruder (bureau number 155607, call sign Milestone 507) took off from the USS Ranger (CVA-61) carrying two crew members on a nighttime armed reconnaissance mission with one other aircraft, seeking targets of opportunity on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Savannakhet Province, Laos. The Intruder was flying in the lead position, ahead of its wingman aircraft. On approach to the target area, the wingman observed smoke from an explosion, and unsuccessfully attempted to make radio contact with the lead Intruder. Since the lead Intruder should have been well ahead and out of radio range by this time, the wingman decided the smoke was possibly from a secondary explosion in the target area. The lead Intruder was discovered to be missing only when the wingman aircraft returned to the ship. Aerial and electronic searches of the area failed to locate a crash site or the two missing crew members.
Commander Richard Frank Collins entered the U.S. Navy from California and was a member of Attack Squadron One Nine Six (ATKRON 196), Carrier Air Wing Two, embarked aboard the USS Ranger. He was the pilot of this Intruder and was lost with the aircraft. His remains were not recovered. Today, Commander Collins is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
Charles David Hom from Huntington, California, Los Angeles county.
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Thursday, August 17, 1967
Death details: On August 17, 1967, an RA-5C Vigilante (bureau number 149302, call sign “Speartip 122”) launched from the USS Constellation (CVA 64) on a side-looking radar mission off the coast of North Vietnam. En route to the carrier following the mission, the aircraft’s crew reported its position. Shortly thereafter, a mayday call was heard from “Speartip 122” followed by an “eject” transmission. Within moments, pilots from other aircraft flying in the area reported seeing a large splash and an oil slick, with a dye marker a short distance south of the slick. Search and rescue craft failed to locate the two crew members.
Lieutenant Junior Grade Charles David Hom entered the U.S. Navy from California and was a member of Reconnaissance Attack (Heavy) Squadron 12, embarked aboard the Constellation. He was the navigator aboard “Speartip 122” when it disappeared, and was lost with the aircraft. Today, Lieutenant Junior Grade Charles Hom 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
Navy Lieutenant
Dennis William Peterson, age 28, from Huntington, California, Los Angeles county.
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Wednesday, July 19, 1967
Death details: Navy Lt. Dennis W. Peterson of Huntington Park, Calif., was the pilot of a SH-3A helicopter that crashed in Ha Nam Province, North Vietnam. Peterson was accounted for on March 30, 2012. Also, aboard the aircraft was Ensign Donald P. Frye of Los Angeles, Calif.; Aviation Antisubmarine Warfare Technicians William B. Jackson of Stockdale, Texas; and Donald P. McGrane of Waverly, Iowa. The crew were buried, as a group, on May 2, 2013 at Arlington National Cemetery. On July 19, 1967, the four servicemen took off from the USS Hornet aboard an SH-3A Sea King helicopter, on a search and rescue mission looking for a downed pilot in Ha Nam Province, North Vietnam. During the mission, an enemy concealed 37mm gun position targeted the helicopter as it flew in. The helicopter was hit by the anti-aircraft gunfire, causing the aircraft to lose control, catch fire and crash, killing all four servicemen. In October 1982, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.) repatriated five boxes of remains to U.S. officials. In 2009, the remains within the boxes were identified as Frye, Jackson, and McGrane. In 1993, a joint U.S./S.R.V. team, investigated a loss in Ha Nam Province. The team interviewed local villagers who identified possible burial sites linked to the loss. One local claimed to have buried two of the crewmen near the wreckage, but indicated that both graves had subsequently been exhumed. Between 1994 and 2000, three joint U.S./S.R.V. teams excavated the previous site and recovered human remains and aircraft wreckage that correlated to the crew’s SH-3A helicopter. In 2000, U.S. personnel excavated the crash site recovering additional remains. Analysis from the Joint POW/MIA Command Central Identification Laboratory subsequently designated these additional remains as the co-mingled remains of all four crewmen, including Peterson.
Cemetery: Arlington National
Source: National Archives, Department of Defense