Promote & Preserve stories of U.S. fallen soldiers/sailors
Herbert Elbridg Armstrong, age 41, from LaGrange, Maine, Penobscot county.
Parents: Fred and Mary (Wing) Armstrong
Spouse: Carol (Barker) Armstrong
Children: Marie E. Marie, Diane E.
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Monday, September 27, 1971
Death details: Died in a Fort Reilly, Kansas hospital after a short illness.
Cemetery: Millinocket
Source: National Archives
Robert Lee Baker, age 40, from East Lebanon, Maine, York county.
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Friday, November 27, 1970
Death details: Non-hostile; died in South Vietnam
Source: National Archives
Richard Clair Dority, age 19, from Dover-Foxcroft, Maine, Piscataquis county.
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Monday, November 2, 1970
Death details: On November 2, 1970, the landing craft utility (LCU) 63 departed Da Nang carrying a crew of eleven on a cargo mission to Tan My, South Vietnam. On November 3, helicopter pilots saw the craft capsized, south of Tan My port. An initial search of the craft found no sign of any if its crew. On November 6, the remains of one of LCU 63’s crew members were found in a life jacket near Cu Lao Island. Further attempts to salvage LCU 63 and locate its crew failed to locate any survivors or remains. Eventually, the remains of another member of the LCU 63’s crew were located and identified; however, the other nine men are still unaccounted for. Sergeant Richard Clair Dority, who joined the U.S. Army from Maine, was a member of 329th Transportation Company (Heavy Boat), 5th Transportation Command. He was a crew member aboard LCU 63 when it capsized, and was lost with during the incident. His remains were not recovered. Today, Sergeant Dority 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
Edward William Sr. Withee, age 29, from Madison, Maine, Somerset county. Their last known residence was in Therese Nancy and Patricia Ann.
Spouse: Delores Dobbins Withee
Children: Therese Nancy and Patrcia Ann
Service era: Vietnam
Military history: 12 year veteran of the Navy on his third assignment to Vietnam. His brother Clyde Withee was killed in Vietnam in 1966
Date of death: Tuesday, October 6, 1970
Death details: Killed in South Vietnam when the Navy river patrol boat he was aboard struck an underwater mine.
Source: National Archives, Morning Sentinel (1970)
Joseph Dennis Gagnon, age 27, from Fort Kent, Maine, Aroostook county.
Parents: Elmer Gagnon
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Saturday, August 22, 1970
Death details: Died in South Vietnam when a tractor he was operating overturned
Source: National Archives, Portland Press Herald (1970)
Rodney George Johndro, age 25, from Farmington, Maine, Franklin county.
Parents: Alice and George Johndro
Spouse: Leslie Sargent Johndro
Children: Veronica and Rhonda
Service era: Vietnam
Schools: Farmington High graduate
Date of death: Thursday, August 6, 1970
Death details: Died in Vietnam from an explosion
Source: National Archives, Portland Press Herald (1970)
Dale Ryan Buxton, age 18, from Rangeley, Maine, Franklin county.
Parents: Ella Wilbur
Service era: Vietnam
Schools: Rangeley High
Date of death: Saturday, August 1, 1970
Death details: Hostile; died in South Vietnam
Source: National Archives, Portland Press Herald (1970)
John Norman Huntley, age 18, from Eastport, Maine, Washington county.
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Saturday, September 27, 1969
Death details: On September 26, 1969, a UH-1H Iroquois (tail number 68-15558, call sign “Gladiator 558”) with four crew members took off on an extraction mission for a long range reconnaissance patrol team in Laos. As the aircraft departed the extraction zone in the vicinity of (GC) YB 458 318, with four patrol members attached by rope and rigs, it came under heavy enemy fire, descended, crashed, and burned. The crew chief was able to get the pilot and copilot to safety; however, his attempts to retrieve the body of the door gunner failed due to continuing enemy fire. No further attempts were made to recover the remains of the gunner and he remains unaccounted for.
Private First Class John Norman Huntley entered the U.S. Army from Maine and was a member of the 57th Aviation Company, 17th Aviation Group, 1st Aviation Brigade. He was the was the door gunner aboard this Iroquois when it crashed, and he was killed in the incident. His remains could not be recovered. Today, Private First Class Huntley is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Portland Press Herald (1969)
David Littlehale Farley, age 22, from Brunswick, Maine, Cumberland county.
Service era: Vietnam
Schools: Brunswick High gradauate and Atlantic Union College graduate
Military history: 35th Infantry Regiment
Date of death: Monday, October 9, 1967
Death details: Killed by small arms fire, Quang Tin Province
Cemetery: Varney Cemnetery
Source: National Archives, Brunswick Times Record, 35th Infantry Regiment Association
Milan Elmer Whitten, age 21, from Hollis Center, Maine, York county.
Service era: Vietnam
Schools: Bonny Eagle High (1965)
Military history: 35th Infantry Regiment
Date of death: Saturday, October 29, 1966
Death details: Killed by small arms fire, Pleiku Province
Cemetery: Buxton Lower Corner Cemetery
Source: National Archives, Portland Press Herald, 35th Infantry Regiment Association