Ray Michael Fuhrmann II, age 28, from Novato, California, Marin county.
Service era: Iraq
Military history: Hhc, 3D Battalion, 69Th Armor, 3D Id, (Tf Liberty), Fort Stewart, Ga
Date of death: Thursday, August 18, 2005
Death details: Hostile; Balad, Iraq
Source: Department of Defense
John S. Bacheller, age 36, from Tiburon, California, Marin county.
Service era: Post cold war
Date of death: Friday, August 23, 1996
Death details: EA-6B “Prowler” of Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 1, Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, crashed during a training mission at Marine Corps Air Station, Yuma, Arizona.
Source: U.S. Navy, Associated Press
William Bradley Doucet, age 22, from San Anselmo, California, Marin county.
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Saturday, May 16, 1970
Death details: Body recovered
Cemetery: Holy Cross
Source: National Archives, Escanaba Daily Press (1970)
James Michael Gribbin, age 21, from Novato, California, Marin county.
Parents: Mrs. Milly Ondrasek
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Tuesday, March 17, 1970
Death details: Body recovered
Source: National Archives, San Francisco Examiner (1970)
Wim Goeree, age 21, from Woodacre, California, Marin county.
Parents: Cornelius P. Goeree
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Sunday, March 8, 1970
Death details: Died of natural casues in Vietnam
Source: National Archives, Associated Press (1970)
Albert J. Kircher from Marin County California.
Parents: A. J. Kircher
Service era: World War II
Schools: Washington High, Oregon State College graduate
Date of death: Friday, December 15, 1944
Death details: On December 13, 1944, Japanese forces in the Philippines began the transfer of 1,621 Allied prisoners of war (POWs) to Japan. The POWs were to make the journey aboard transport ships whose harsh conditions and extreme overcrowding led survivors to refer to them as “Hell Ships.” The ships also lacked markings that would distinguish them from any other military target, causing some of them to be attacked by Allied forces who could not identify them as POW transports. On December 14, 1944, Allied aircraft attacked the first ship, the Oryoku Maru, in Subic Bay in the Philippines, killing many Allied POWs who became lost in the water, sank with the ship, or were washed ashore. Survivors of the bombing were put aboard two other ships, the Enoura Maru and the Brazil Maru, to continue on to Japan. During the journey, while anchored in Takao Harbor, Formosa (present-day Taiwan), the Enoura Maru was attacked by Allied aircraft from the USS Hornet (CV-8), killing Allied POWs who were lost in the water, on board the ship, or on the nearby shore. Survivors of the Enoura Maru bombing were loaded onto the Brazil Maru, and reached Japan on January 30, 1945. As a result of these incidents, Allied POWs were lost in the Philippines, at sea between the Philippines and Taiwan, while anchored in Taiwan, at sea between Taiwan and Japan, and in Japan. The attacks on these POW transports ultimately resulted in a series of death notifications from the Japanese government through the International Red Cross (IRC), and some casualties were given up to five different dates of death at various locations during the transfer. Witness accounts from surviving POWs offer detailed information for a handful of casualties, but the specific dates of loss and/or last-known locations for many of these POWs are based on the most recent reported date of death. Major Albert J. Kircher, who joined the U.S. Army in California, served in Headquarters, Luzon Force in the Philippines during World War II. He was taken as a POW following the Japanese invasion and was interned in the islands until December 1944, when he was put aboard the Oryoku Maru for transport to Japan. Records indicate MAJ Kircher was killed several weeks later in the attack on the Enoura Maru; however, these reports often involve information solely furnished by enemy governments, with some casualties given multiple dates of death. Future research may determine that these reports were inaccurate. Attempts to locate and identify MAJ Kircher’s remains following the end of hostilities were unsuccessful. Today, Major Kircher is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.
Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Oregon Daily Journal (1945)
Charles Richard Fowler, age 18, from San Rafael, California, Marin county.
Parents: John E. Fowler
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 First Class Charles R. Fowler entered the U.S. Marine Corps from California and served with Company L, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division. He was declared missing in action during the Battle of Tarawa on November 20, 1943. His remains were not identified among those disinterred from Tarawa following the war. Today, Private First Class Fowler is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
Harvey Irvin Long, age 22, from San Anselmo, California, Marin county.
Parents: Elsa F. Long
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 Harvey Irvin Long, who entered the U.S. Marine Corps from California, served with Company L, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division. He was killed in action on November 20, during the Battle of Tarawa. He was buried in Cemetery #33, Main Marine Cemetery on Betio Island but after the war his remains were not located. Today, Private Long is memorialized in the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
Donald M. Mitchell, age 27, from Mill Valley, California, Marin county.
Parents: Helen Mitchell
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 Donald Macilwaine Mitchell, who joined the U.S. Marine Corps in California, served with Company H, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division. He was killed in action on November 20, 1943, during the Battle of Tarawa and was buried in Main Marine Cemetery #33 on the atoll. He was not identified among remains recovered from burial sites on Tarawa after the war. Today, Private Mitchell is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
Joseph P. Kappenmann, age 26, from California, Marin county.
Service era: World War II
Spouse: Orpha (Kirker)
Parent: Maurice A. Wilker
Date of death: October 2, 1943
Death details: Killed in a bomber crash while on a routine mission near Penn Yan, New York.
Source: National Archives, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle