Promote & Preserve stories of U.S. fallen soldiers/sailors
James T. Grotjan from Waterford, Connecticut.
Service era: Afghanistan
Military history: 4th Civil Engineer Squadron at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina
Date of death: Thursday, July 12, 2018
Death details: Died at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany of injuries sustained in a non-combat related incident at Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times
Edwin Rivera, age 28, from Waterford, Connecticut, New London county.
Spouse: Married
Children: Two children
Service era: Afghanistan
Military history: 1st Battalion, 102nd Infantry, Norwalk, Connecticut
Date of death: Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Death details: Died at National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland of wounds sustained May 20 when his unit was attacked by enemy forces using indirect fire at Contingency Outpost Xio Haq, Afghanistan.
Cemetery: Jordan, Waterford
Source: Department of Defense, Norwich Bulletin, Neilan Funeral Homes, Military Times
Kemaphoom Ahn Chanawongse, age 22, from Waterford, Connecticut, New London county.
Service era: Iraq
Military history: 2D Aabn, 2D Mardiv, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina
Date of death: Sunday, March 23, 2003
Death details: Hostile; An Nasiriyah, Iraq
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times
William T. Butts, age 30, from Waterford, Connecticut, New London county.
Spouse: Lisa Butts, later Lisa Spain
Children: Shannon and Lindsey
Service era: Gulf War
Date of death: Wednesday, February 27, 1991
Death details: Died during an aerial mission to rescue an Air Force F-16 pilot whose jet had crashed in Iraq. The UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter was shot down by Iraqi forces.
Source: White House Commission on Remembrance, Gulf War Chronicles, Department of Defense
Arnold Edward Jr. Holm, age 18, from Waterford, Connecticut, New London county.
Spouse: Margarete Holm
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Sunday, June 11, 1972
Death details: Army Capt. Arnold E. Holm Jr. of Waterford, Conn.; Spc. Robin R. Yeakley of South Bend, Ind.; and Pfc. Wayne Bibbs of Chicago, were buried as a group, in a single casket representing the entire crew, on Nov. 9, 2011 in Arlington National Cemetery. On June 11, 1972, Holm was the pilot of an OH-6A Cayuse helicopter flying a reconnaissance mission in Thua Thien-Hue Province, South Vietnam. Also on board were his observer, Yeakley, and his door gunner, Bibbs. The aircraft made a second pass over a ridge, where enemy bunkers had been sighted, exploded and crashed, exploding again upon impact. Crews of other U.S. aircraft, involved in the mission, reported receiving enemy ground fire as they overflew the crash site looking for survivors.
Cemetery: Arlington National, hometown park area named in his honor
Source: National Archives, Department of Defense, Associated Press
James Howard MacDougal, age 39, from Waterford, Connecticut, New London county.
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Wednesday, April 14, 1971
Death details: Non-hostile, South Vietnam
Cemetery: South Park in Roswell, New Mexico
Source: National Archives
Sheldon Silverman, age 23, from Waterford, Connecticut, New London county.
Parents: Raymond Silverman
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Monday, August 24, 1970
Death details: Hostile, South Vietnam
Source: National Archives, Hartofrd Courant (1970)
David Alan Rogers, age 23, from Waterford, Connecticut, New London county.
Parents: Wilfred C. Rogers
Spouse: Sheryl
Service era: Vietnam
Schools: Waterford High (1964)
Military history: Silver Star
Date of death: Friday, February 20, 1970
Death details: Hostile, South Vietnam
Source: National Archives, Hartford Courant (1970)