Alex F. Domion, age 21, from Richfield Springs, New York, Otsego county.
Service era: Afghanistan
Military history: 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
Date of death: Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Death details: Died as a result of a non-combat related incident in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times
Michael Lee Mayne, age 21, from Burlington Flats, New York, Otsego county.
Service era: Iraq
Military history: Troop A, 5Th Squadron, 1St Cavalry, Fort Wainwright, Ak
Date of death: Monday, February 23, 2009
Death details: Killed by small arms fire at Balad, Iraq
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times
James Dennis Mcnaughton, age 27, from Middle Village, New York, Otsego county.
Parents: William and Michele
Service era: Iraq
Military history: Hhd, 306Th Military Police Battalion, Uniondale, New York
Date of death: Tuesday, August 2, 2005
Death details: Hostile; Baghdad, Iraq
Cemetery: Calverton National
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times, Newsday
Isaac Michael Nieves, age 20, from Unadilla, New York, Otsego county.
Service era: Iraq
Military history: A Company, 82Nd Engineer Battalion (1St Id), Apo Ae 09139 (Bamberg, Ge)
Date of death: Thursday, April 8, 2004
Death details: Hostile; Bani Saad, Iraq
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times
David R. Ames, age 30, from Schuyler Lake, New York, Otsego county.
Parents: Robert and Dorothy (Gott) Ames
Spouse: Cynthia (Smith)
Children: Nicholas and Crystal
Service era: Gulf War
Schools: Richfield Central Springs (1979)
Date of death: Friday, February 22, 1991
Death details: Died non-battle
Source: White House Commission on Remembrance, Department of Defense, Binghamton Press and Sun Belletin (1991)
Jeffrey Lawrence Calkins, age 20, from Richfield Springs, New York, Otsego county.
Service era: Cold War
Schools: Richfield High
Date of death: Sunday, May 17, 1987
Death details: Died aboard the USS Stark. While in the Persian Gulf on May 17, 1987, she was struck by two Iraqi Exocet missiles, killing 37 sailors and wounding 21. Brought under control, the frigate sailed to Bahrain and was successfully repaired at Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Mississippi. Following repairs and subsequent tours in the Atlantic and Middle East, Stark was decommissioned on May 7, 1999, and was scrapped in 2006.
Source: Associated Press, National Museum of the U.S. Navy
Jack Edwin Taylor, age 22, from Schuyler Lake, New York, Otsego county.
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Saturday, July 25, 1970
Death details: Non-hostile, South Vietnam
Source: National Archives
Ronald Jay Crandall, age 20, from Mt. Vision, New York, Otsego county.
Service era: Vietnam
Parents: Harry O. Crandall
School: Laurens Central
Military History: 34th Armored Division
Date of death: Friday, June 23, 1967
Death details: Killed by lightning in South Vietnam while operating a switchboard.
Source: National Archives, Syracuse Herald Journal (1967), Oneonta Star (1967)
George Gregory Jr. Gierak from Springfield, New York, Otsego county.
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Tuesday, June 14, 1966
Death details:
On June 14, 1966, an RA-3B Skywarrior (bureau number 144842) with three crew members took off from the USS Hancock (CV 19) on a night photo reconnaissance mission over Ha Tinh Province, North Vietnam, along with an escort aircraft. The escort plane’s pilot reported seeing a bright flash following the Skywarrior’s photo run over the target but did not see the Skywarrior again nor could he establish radio contact with the Skywarrior. Search and rescue aircraft were launched over the missing Skywarrior’s flight path but were unsuccessful in locating the aircraft or its three crew members.
Lieutenant Junior Grade George Gregory Gierak Jr., who joined the U.S. Navy from New York, was a member of Heavy Photographic Squadron 61. He was the copilot of the Skywarrior when it went missing, and was lost with the aircraft. His remains have not been recovered. Today, Lieutenant Junior Grade Gierak is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
Richard Charles Heath from New York, Otsego county.
Service era: Korea
Date of death: Sunday, March 18, 1951
Death details: On July 11, 1950, the U.S. Army’s 21st Infantry Regiment, which had arrived in Korea six days earlier, was placed in defensive positions near the town of Chochiwon, South Korea. The regiment was not at full strength and lacked artillery and anti-tank weapons. That day, they were attacked by North Korean forces and were forced to withdraw to avoid being surrounded, as well as to buy time until they could be reinforced and resupplied. Master Sergeant Richard Charles Heath, who joined the U.S. Army from New York, served with Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He was captured by enemy forces on July 12 near Chochiwon, and was forced to march north to the Apex prison camps in North Korea. He died of exhaustion and pneumonia at the camp near Hanjang-ni on March 18, 1951. He was buried near the camp; however, his remains were not identified among those returned to U.S. custody after the ceasefire. Today, Master Sergeant Heath is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency