Promote & Preserve stories of U.S. fallen soldiers/sailors
Daniel Steven Walko, age 21, from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Luzerne county.
Parents: Stephen V. Walko and Helen (Rudawsky)
Service era: Vietnam
Schools: Coughlin High (1967), Penn State University (1969)
Date of death: Saturday, August 8, 1970
Death details: Hostile, killed in South Vietnam.
Source: National Archives, Wilkes Barre Times Leader (9170)
Joseph John Chisko, age 22, from Dallas, Pennsylvania, Luzerne county.
Parents: Joseph Chisko
Spouse: Charlene (Tyrrell)
Service era: Vietnam
Schools: Dallas High (1965)
Date of death: Tuesday, June 9, 1970
Death details: Hostile, killed in Cambodia.
Source: National Archives, Wilkes Barre Times Leader (1970)
Walter Mark Novak, age 22, from Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, Luzerne county.
Parents: Henry C. Novak
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Wednesday, May 13, 1970
Death details: Hostile, killed in Cambodia.
Source: National Archives, UPI (1970)
Donald Garth Fisher, age 19, from Hazleton, Pennsylvania, Luzerne county.
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: April 22, 1970
Death details: On September 1, 1995, Joint Task Force-Full Accounting (JTF-FA, now DPAA) identified the remains of Colonel Donald Garth Fisher, missing from the Vietnam War.
Colonel Fisher joined the U.S. Air Force from Pennsylvania and was a member of the 16th Special Operations Squadron. On April 22, 1970, he was a crew member aboard an AC-130 gunship (serial number 54-1625) on an armed reconnaissance mission over enemy targets in Saravane Province, Laos. The AC-130 was downed by anti-aircraft fire during the mission, and Col Fisher was killed in the crash. Search and rescue efforts were unable to locate Col Fisher’s body immediately following the incident. In November 1993, a joint U.S. and Laotian investigative team recovered remains from a crash site associated with this AC-130. In 1995, forensic analysis identified some of the recovered remains as those of Col Fisher.
Source: National Archives., Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
Richard Michael Rovinsky, age 27, from Kingston, Pennsylvania, Luzerne county.
Parents: Michael J. Royinsky
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Friday, March 27, 1970
Death details: Hostile, killed in South Vietnam.
Source: National Archives, Wilkes Barre Times Leader (1970)
Thomas Albert Williams, age 19, from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Luzerne county.
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Wednesday, February 18, 1970
Death details: Hostile, died in South Vietnam.
Source: National Archives
Ronald James Chapman, age 24, from Hazleton, Pennsylvania, Luzerne county.
Parents: Luke C. and preceded in death by Martha (Trefsger) Chapman
Spouse: Elaine (Wackley)
Children: Patricia Marie and Michele Elaine
Service era: Vietnam
Schools: Saint Gabriel’s High graduate
Military history: 2nd Company, 3rd Marine Amphibious Force
Date of death: Friday, February 6, 1970
Death details: Died in South Vietnam from multiple wounds after undergoing surgery.
Source: National Archives, Standard Speaker (1970)
Dale Richard Forsythe, age 19, from Nescopeck, Pennsylvania, Luzerne county.
Service era: Vietnam
Military history: 35th Infantry Regiment
Date of death: Monday, January 19, 1970
Death details: Killed by small arms fire, Binh Dinh Province
Source: National Archives., 35th Infantry Regiment Association
Wayne Benjamin Wolfkeil, age 36, from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Luzerne county.
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Friday, August 9, 1968
Death details: Major Wayne Benjamin Wolfkeil, who joined the U.S. Air Force from Pennsylvania, was a member of the 6th Special Operations Squadron, 633rd Special Operations Wing. On August 9, 1968, he piloted an A-1H Skyraider (tail number 52-135326, call sign Spad 36) as part of a four-plane combat mission over western Laos. Witnesses in other aircraft reported that while making his pass over the target, Maj Wolfkeil’s Skyraider made a sharp turn and then crashed, and he was not seen to bail out before it went down. The other aircraft on the mission flew over the crash site but saw no evidence that Maj Wolfkeil survived the incident. Enemy presence in the area prevented ground teams from inspecting the crash site until a few weeks later, but no remains were found. While carried in the status of missing in action (MIA), the Air Force promoted Maj Wolfkeil to the rank of Colonel (Col). Today, Col Wolfkeil is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Source: National Archives.
Richard Evancho, age 20, from Freeland, Pennsylvania, Luzerne county.
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Tuesday, March 26, 1968
Death details: On March 26, 1968, a UH-34D Choctaw (bureau number 144654, call sign “Murry Medevac Chase”) was the wingman aircraft in a flight of two on an emergency medical evacuation mission from Hue-Phu Bai to Da Nang, South Vietnam. The helicopter four crew members and three passengers. During the flight, this Choctaw’s pilot lost sight of the lead aircraft due to weather conditions, and put the aircraft on instruments while continuing to locate the lead helicopter. It was while flying under instrument control that the Choctaw nose-dived into the water. Search and rescue teams responded to the crash site and rescued the pilot and the copilot, but were unable to locate the other two crew members or the three passengers. Lance Corporal (LCpl) Richard (nmn) Evancho, who joined the U.S. Marine Corps from Pennsylvania, served with Marine Air Base Squadron 36, Marine Air Group 36, 1st Marine Air Wing. He was a patient being evacuated aboard the helicopter on a medical evacuation mission when it crashed, and his remains were not recovered. Today, LCpl Evancho 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