Donald Marler, age 22, from St. Louis, Missouri, St. Louis county.
Service era: Afghanistan Military history: 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Date of death: Sunday, June 6, 2010 Death details: Died in in Helmand Province, Afghanistan when his armored vehicle flipped into canal. Brandon C. Bury and Derek Hernandez also drowned in the accident.
Source: Department of Defense, North County Times, Military Times
Leslie Leroy Karnes, age 33, from Sikeston, Missouri, Scott county. Sgt. Karnes died in South Vietnam February 16, 1971. He was soon to return home for his twin boys’ birthday when he was killed.
Soon Lim and Leslie Karnes on their wedding night Sept. 15, 1957 (family photo)
Spouse: Soon Lim Karnes (1936-2021) Soon Lim Karnes, formerly of Sikeston, Missouri, died July 27. She was preceded in death by her husband. She never remarried. “Sooni”, as she was often called, was a beloved mother and grandmother (Memaw), a respected landlord, businesswoman, and Christian. She loved life.
She was proud to be an American. Sooni would say, your Father died serving this country. So she would buy only American-made cars and speak only in English to her children. She earned her Certificate of Naturalization to become a citizen of the United States in September 1959. Sooni was born in 1936 in Kyungpuk, South Korea (Japan occupied Korea). These were desperate and impoverished times for Korea when many were enslaved to Japan. Life was tough and a struggle to just survive. She was the eldest of 12 children, mostly female. Sooni helped her parents by taking on responsibility for her siblings as the oldest child in a male dominant society. She would often steal rice to keep her family from starvation during the Korean war. Out of the 12 siblings, only 4 survive. After the war, Sooni met a young American MP
(Military Police), Leslie “Roy” Karnes. Several months later they were engaged to marry. During this time, Roy lived with Sooni, her Mother and, siblings. It was against US Army rules (or highly frowned upon) to marry an Asian at that time. Because of this, Roy Karnes was demoted several times, but he refused to give up his love for Sooni. They married and left for America. In 1959, while living near St. Louis, Sooni gave birth to twin boys, Mike and Mark. Seven months later they were transferred to Augsburg, Germany. They returned to America in May 1963 and were stationed at Fort Polk, Louisiana. In 1964, Sooni gave birth to a daughter, Sue Ann. Roy was a Drill Sgt, where he was a Judo instructor and taught hand-to-hand combat for soldiers heading to Vietnam. Roy was KIA 19 days before he was due home from his second tour and what would have been Mike and Mark’s 12th birthday.
Military History: Started serving in the Missouri National Guard at age 14, having lied about his age. Company A, 2nd battalion, 7th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division
Leslie Karnes, Missouri National Guard. Sue Ann Richardson said he father lied about his age to enlist.
Silver Star citiation:The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the Silver Star Medal (Posthumously) to Leslie Leroy Karnes Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action on 16 February 1971 while serving as Operations/Intelligence Advisor on Mobile Advisory Team IV-102, Kien An District, Kien Giang Province, Republic of Vietnam. On that date Sergeant Karnes was operating a Boston Whaler in which the Province Senior Advisor, Kien An District Advisor, and the Team 55 First Sergeant were passengers. The party had been inspecting the construction of outposts in the U-Minh Forrest and were returning by canal to the Kien An District Headquarters when they were ambushed by a North Vietnamese reconnaissance unit. So intense was the small arms and B-40 rocket fire that it was impossible to return immediate fire. Though mortally wounded and completely exposed to enemy fire, Sergeant Karnes continued to maneuver the boat and swung it directly into the ambush site, thereby providing his comrades with their only chance for survival. Due to Sergeant Karnes’ singularly heroic actions, his decisive and professional bearing, and complete dedication to his responsibilities in the heat of battle, the Kien An District Senior Advisor and Team First Sergeant were able to stay the Viet Cong until rescued by a hastily formed rescue squad. Sergeant First Class Karnes’ conspicuous gallantry in action was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Army and reflected great credit upon himself and the military service.
William Rothroc Edmondson from Cassville, Missouri, Barry county.
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: May 31, 1966 Death details: On May 31, 1966, a C-130 Hercules (tail number 64-0511, call sign “Radium 1”) with a crew of eight departed Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam, on a classified mission over North Vietnam. No radio communications were expected. When the aircraft failed to return to base, search and rescue efforts were initiated, but were unsuccessful. Several days later, the North Vietnamese announced that they had shot down a C-130, and that they had recovered and buried several bodies. The aircraft is believed to have been shot down in Tranh Hoa Province.
First Lieutenant William Rothrock Edmondson, who joined the U.S. Air Force from Missouri, served with the 61st Troop Carrier Squadron. He was the navigator aboard the C-130 when it disappeared on May 31, 1966, and his remains have not been recovered. Following the incident, the Air Force promoted 1st Lt Edmondson to the rank of Major (Maj). Today, Major Edmondson is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
Galen Francis Humphrey, age 38, from St. Joseph, Missouri.
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Tuesday, February 1, 1966 Death details: On February 1, 1966, a KC-130F Hercules (bureau number 149809) took off carrying six crew members on an aerial refueling mission over the Gulf of Tonkin. En route to its rendezvous point, all radio and radar contact was lost with the aircraft while over the water in the vicinity of (GC) 48Q YE 520 190. Search efforts to locate the aircraft and the six crew members were unsuccessful. Gunnery Sergeant Galen Francis Humphrey entered the U.S. Marine Corps from Missouri and was a member of the Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152, 1st Marine Air Wing. He was a crew member aboard this Hercules when it disappeared on February 1, 1966, and was lost with the aircraft. He remains unaccounted-for. Today, Gunnery Sergeant Humphrey 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
The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the Silver Star Medal (Posthumously) to Leslie Leroy Karnes Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action on 16 February 1971 while serving as Operations/Intelligence Advisor on Mobile Advisory Team IV-102, Kien An District, Kien Giang Province, Republic of Vietnam. On that date Sergeant Karnes was operating a Boston Whaler in which the Province Senior Advisor, Kien An District Advisor, and the Team 55 First Sergeant were passengers. The party had been inspecting the construction of outposts in the U-Minh Forrest and were returning by canal to the Kien An District Headquarters when they were ambushed by a North Vietnamese reconnaissance unit. So intense was the small arms and B-40 rocket fire that it was impossible to return immediate fire. Though mortally wounded and completely exposed to enemy fire, Sergeant Karnes continued to maneuver the boat and swung it directly into the ambush site, thereby providing his comrades with their only chance for survival. Due to Sergeant Karnes’ singularly heroic actions, his decisive and professional bearing, and complete dedication to his responsibilities in the heat of battle, the Kien An District Senior Advisor and Team First Sergeant were able to stay the Viet Cong until rescued by a hastily formed rescue squad. Sergeant First Class Karnes’ conspicuous gallantry in action was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Army and reflected great credit upon himself and the military service.
