Andres Hilario Perez, age 21, from Santa Cruz, California, Santa Cruz county.
Service era: Iraq
Military history: I Co, 3D Bn, 1St Mar, Rct-1, 1St Mar Div, Camp Pendleton, Ca
Date of death: Sunday, November 14, 2004
Death details: Hostile; Fallujah, Iraq
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times
Morgen Nathaniel Jacobs, age 20, from Santa Cruz, California, Santa Cruz county.
Service era: Iraq
Military history: B Company, 1St Battalion, 18Th Infantry, 1St Infantry Division, Apo Ae 09226 (Schweinfurt, Ge)
Date of death: Thursday, October 7, 2004
Death details: Hostile; Tikrit, Iraq
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times
Curtis Craig Colyear, age 20, from Santa Cruz, California, Santa Cruz county.
Parents: Charles C. Colyear
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Monday, August 17, 1970
Death details: Killed in action
Source: National Archives, San Francisco Examiner (1970)
William H III Haakinson, age 25, from Santa Cruz, California, Santa Cruz county.
Parents: Eloise R. Haakinson
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Saturday, April 18, 1970
Death details: Body recovered
Source: National Archives, UPI (1970)
Rainford Tiffin, age 26, from Santa Cruz, California, Santa Cruz county.
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Thursday, July 21, 1966
Death details:
Captain Rainford Tiffin, who joined the U.S. Air Force from California, served with the 34th Tactical Fighter Squadron. On July 21, 1966, he piloted a single-seat F-105 Thunderchief (tail number 62-4227, call sign “Portland 04”) in a flight of four on a combat mission over Yen Bai Province, North Vietnam. The flight encountered enemy anti-aircraft fire over the target area, and when it regrouped for the return flight to base, “Portland 04” was missing. The other pilots flying the mission observed no crash, and the flight leader attempted to establish contact with Capt Tiffin but was unsuccessful. Two visual and electronic searches were conducted but had no success. Capt Tiffin’s last known location was (GC) 48Q VK 914 234. While carried in the status of missing in action (MIA), the Air Force promoted Capt Tiffin to the rank of Major (Maj). Today, Maj Tiffin is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Based on all information available, DPAA assessed the individual’s case to be in the analytical category of Non-recoverable.
Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
Myrl Melvin Sauers, age 19, from Santa Cruz, California, Santa Cruz. county.
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 Myrl Melvin Sauers joined the U.S. Marine Corps from California and served with Company L, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division. PFC Sauers was killed in action on 20 November during the Battle of Tarawa. He was buried on Tarawa in Main Marine Cemetery, Cemetery #33, Grave #6, Row #3, Plot #6, but his remains could not be identified after the war. Private First Class Sauers is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency