William Justin Byler, age 23, from Ballinger, Texas, Runnels county.
Service era: Iraq
Military history: A Company, 2D Battalion, 502D Infantry (Tf Baghdad), Fort Campbell, Ky
Date of death: Monday, October 31, 2005
Death details: Hostile; Baghdad, Iraq
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times
Gary Lynn Spieker, age 24, from Ballinger, Texas, Runnels county.
Parents: Fritz W. Spieker
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Friday, May 29, 1970
Source: National Archives, Vernon Daily Record (1970)
Robert Eugene Afflerbach, age 23, from Winters, Texas, Runnels county.
Parents: Albert Afflerbach
Service era: Korea
Military history: 987 Field Artillery
Date of death: Friday, June 12, 1953
Death details: During the last two years of the Korean War, the opposing forces were arrayed across the 38th Parallel, with neither side able to make much progress into the other’s territory. Both sides maintained forward observer outposts, and these often proved to be targets of opportunity to the opposing force. On June 12, 1953, Battery A of the 987th Armored Field Artillery Battalion was manning an outpost southeast of Kumsong-ni when Chinese Communist Forces began bombarding the outpost with heavy mortar fire. The outpost collapsed, killing the three soldiers inside. Second Lieutenant Robert Eugene Afflerbach, who joined the U.S. Army from Texas, served with Battery A, 987th Armored Field Artillery Battalion, 40th Infantry Division. He was manning the outpost near Kumsong-ni and went missing following the engagement. He was not seen to fall in battle, and he was not reported to be a prisoner of war. His remains were not identified among those returned to U.S. custody following the war, and he is still unaccounted-for. Today, Second Lieutenant Afflerbach is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, San Angelo Standard Times (1953)
Leroy Kurtz, age 20, from Runnels County Rowena, Texas .
Parents: J. H. Kurtz
Spouse: Lillie Kurtz
Service era: World War II
Date of death: Friday, March 2, 1945
Death details: Killed in action in Europe
Source: National Archives, San Angelo Evening Standard (1945)
Arvel L. Bushong, age 22, from Runnels County Texas.
Service era: World War II
Date of death: Saturday, January 27, 1945
Death details: Killed in action
Source: National Archives, San Angelo Evening Standard (1945)
Roy Brandon Welch, age 20, from Runnels County Ballinger, Texas .
Service era: World War II
Date of death: Wednesday, October 25, 1944
Cemetery: Unaccounted For
Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, San Angelo Evening Standard (1945)
Homer Gannaway, age 24, from Wingate, Texas, Runnels county.
Service era: World War I
Date of death: Tuesday, October 15, 1918
Death details: Died of Disease
Source: Soldiers of the Great War, findagrave.com