Rock County Wisconsin

Neal, Benjamin H.
Army Specialist

Benjamin H. Neal, age 21, from Orfordville, Wisconsin, Rock county.

Service era: Afghanistan
Schools: Parkview High, Orfordville (2009)
Military history: 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Date of death: Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Death details: Died in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan from injuries sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.

Source: Department of Defense, Associated Press, Military Times

Kreinz, Tyler R.
Army Specialist

Tyler R. Kreinz, age 21, from Beloit, Wisconsin, Rock county.

Parents: David Kreinz

Service era: Afghanistan
Schools: Beloit Memorial High (2008)
Military history: 4th Battalion, 70th Armor Regiment, 170th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Baumholder, Germany.

Date of death: Saturday, June 18, 2011
Death details: Died in Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan of injuries suffered during a vehicle roll-over. Killed were Sgt. 1st Class Alvin A. Boatwright, Sgt. Edward F. Dixon III, Sgt. Alan L. Snyder, Spc. Tyler R. Kreinz

Source: Department of Defense, Military Times

Schneider, Sean Michael
Army Private 1st class

Sean Michael Schneider, age 22, from Janesville, Wisconsin, Rock county.

Service era: Iraq

Spouse: Denton

Parents: Kim and Ed Schneider

School: Janesville Craig High (2000)

Military history: A Co., 115Th Forward Support Battalion, (1St Cav Div), Fort Hood, Texas

Date of death: Monday, March 29, 2004
Death details: Killed in a vehicle accident in Diwaniyah, Iraq

Source: Department of Defense, Military Times

Vail, Thomas Earl
Army Specialist 4

Thomas Earl Vail, age 21, from Janesville, Wisconsin, Rock county.

Service era: Vietnam
Schools: Janesville High (1967)

Date of death: Sunday, July 19, 1970
Death details: Killed in Vietnam while driving a vehicle on a mission.

Source: National Archives, Wisconsin State Journal (1970)

Halverson, Alvin Leonard
Army Staff sergeant

Alvin Leonard Halverson, age 40, from Janesville, Wisconsin, Rock county.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Tuesday, February 10, 1970
Death details: Died in Vietnam after a heart attack.

Source: National Archives, Wisconsin State Journal (1970)

Tauschek, Leonard John
Army Private 1st class

Leonard John Tauschek, age 20, from Beloit, Wisconsin, Rock county.

Service era: Vietnam
Military history: 35th Infantry Regiment

Date of death: Thursday, September 7, 1967
Death details: Killbed by booby trap, Quang Ngai Province

Source: National Archives, 35th Infantry Regiment Association

Downing, Donald William
Air Force Lieutenant colonel

Donald William Downing, age 33, from Janesville, Wisconsin, Rock county.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Tuesday, September 5, 1967
Death details: On September 5, 1967, an F-4C Phantom II (tail number 63-7547, call sign “Sharkbait 42”) carrying two crew members took off as wingman in a flight of two on a nighttime armed reconnaissance mission against enemy targets in Quang Binh Province, North Vietnam. During the mission, the aircraft was flying in the trailing position when its pilot informed the flight leader that he would follow in an attack run. This was the last radio contact with this aircraft; it occurred in the vicinity of (GC) 48Q YE 021 007. Shortly after turning toward the target, the flight leader observed a large fireball in the air, descending towards the ground. Attempts to contact “Sharkbait 42” by radio failed, and no parachutes were seen or rescue beepers detected. Search efforts failed to locate the aircraft or its two crew members. Captain Donald William Downing entered the U.S. Air Force from Wisconsin and was a member of the 557th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 12th Tactical Fighter Wing. He was the aircraft commander aboard this Phantom when it went down, and he was lost with the aircraft. His remains were not recovered. After the incident, the U.S. Air Force promoted Capt Downing to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel (LtCol). Today, Lieutenant Colonel Downing is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Pierce, Frederick Eugene
Army Private 1st class

Frederick Eugene Pierce, age 20, from Rock County Wisconsin.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Thursday, July 20, 1950
Death details: On July 20, 1950, the 3rd Battalion of the U.S. 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, was holding a defensive line in South Korea overlooking the Taejon Airport, northeast of the city. When enemy tanks broke through the line near the airport, U.S. troops were ordered to fall back through Taejon. The 3rd Battalion was ordered to lead the convoy out of Taejon, but ran into a series of collapsed structures and roadblocks that broke up the column. U.S. forces were unable to break through these roadblocks, and to avoid capture soldiers moved off-road and began filtering through the countryside in small groups. Corporal Frederick Eugene Pierce entered the U.S. Army from Wisconsin and was a member of D Company, 1st Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He was taken as a prisoner of war (POW) on July 20, 1950, during the action near Taejon, and was part of the forced “Tiger March” to prisoner of war (POW) camps in North Korea. On November 4, 1950, while marching to a POW camp at Chungung, CPL Pierce was killed by a prison guard. His remains were left along the road where he fell. He was not identified among remains returned to U.S. custody after the war, and he is still unaccounted-for. Today, Corporal Pierce is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. His name is also inscribed on the Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC, which was updated in 2022 to include the names of the fallen.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Lenz, Robert George
Army Private 1st class

Robert George Lenz from Wisconsin, Rock county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Sunday, July 16, 1950
Death details: On the evening of July 15, 1950, the U.S. Army’s 19th Infantry Regiment held defensive positions along the south bank of the Kum River. As dusk approached, North Korean People’s Army (NKPA) tanks appeared on the opposite shore and began firing on the U.S. positions. Although U.S. troops repulsed the attacks that evening, the next morning the NKPA crossed the river and launched a major attack against the 19th Regiment. As the regiment began withdrawing south to Taejon, the North Koreans pushed deep into their defensive lines and set up a roadblock en route to Taejon. When retreating American convoys could not break through the roadblock, soldiers were forced to leave the road and attempt to make their way in small groups across the countryside. Of the 900 soldiers in the 19th Infantry when the Battle of Kum River started, only 434 made it to friendly lines. Corporal Robert G. Lenz entered the U.S. Army from Wisconsin and served with Company C, 1st Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He went missing on July 16, during the Battle of Kum River, while attempting to withdraw through an enemy roadblock outside Taejon. He could not be located after the battle and was reported as missing in action (MIA); however, after the war, his name was discovered on a list of prisoners of war (POWs) called the “Johnny Johnson” list, and his name was mentioned by two returned American POWs. The “Johnny Johnson” list also indicates he died in captivity on December 25, 1950. While this information is likely accurate, CPL Lenz’s remains have not been recovered, and he was not identified among any of the remains returned to the U.S. following the war. Today, Corporal Lenz is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

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