Promote & Preserve stories of U.S. fallen soldiers/sailors
Raymundo P. Morales, age 34, from Dalton, Georgia, Whitfield county. Their last known residence was in Dalton.
Service era: Afghanistan
Military history: 148th Brigade Support Battalion, Cedartown, Georgia.
Date of death: Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Death details: Died in Methar Lam, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained during a vehicle roll-over.
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times
Thomas Edward Lee III, age 20, from Dalton, Georgia, Whitfield county.
Service era: Iraq
Military history: Troop A, 3D Battalion, 8Th Cavalry, 3 Bct, Fort Hood, Texas
Date of death: Friday, May 29, 2009
Death details: Hostile; Mosul, Iraq
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times
Juan Lopez, age 22, from Dalton, Georgia, Whitfield county.
Service era: Iraq
Military history: E Co, 2D Bn, 4Th Mar, 1St Mar Div, Camp Pendleton, California
Date of death: Monday, June 21, 2004
Death details: Hostile; Al Anbar Province, Iraq
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times
Marshall Lane Edgerton, age 27, from Rocky Face, Georgia, Whitfield county.
Service era: Iraq
Military history: Company A, 82Nd Signal Battalion, Fort Bragg, Nc 28310
Date of death: Thursday, December 11, 2003
Death details: Hostile; Ar Ramadi, Iraq
Cemetery: In 2019, Fort Gordon named installation barrack in his honor
Source: Department of Defense, Fox 54 News, Military Times
Harold Alfred Green, age 19, from Dalton, Georgia, Whitfield county.
Parents: Alfred F. Green
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Wednesday, June 17, 1970
Death details: Killed in action
Source: National Archives, Atlanta Constitution (1970)
Donald Barrett, age 20, from Dalton, Georgia, Whitfield county.
Spouse: Sherry A. Barrett
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Thursday, April 30, 1970
Cemetery: West Hill in Dalton
Source: National Archives, Atlanta Counstitution (1970), findagrave.com
Larron David Murphy, age 25, from Dalton, Georgia, Whitfield county.
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Thursday, April 23, 1970
Death details: On April 23, 1970, an AH-1G Cobra (tail number 67-15612) with two crew members took off as part of a four-aircraft emergency night mission to extract a long-range reconnaissance patrol in South Vietnam. While providing fire support for the patrol to allow them to break contact with the enemy, the Cobra crashed in the vicinity of (GC) ZC 180 270. Inclement weather in the area prevented an immediate search and rescue effort for the crew. A full investigation of the area was conducted the following morning; however, neither the downed aircraft nor its crew were located. Captain Larron David Murphy, who joined the U.S. Army from Georgia, was a member of Troop F, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 123rd Aviation Battalion, 16th Aviation Group. He was the aircraft commander aboard the Cobra when it went down, and was lost with the aircraft. His remains were not recovered. Today, Captain Murphy 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, findagrave.com
James P. Taylor, age 20, from Whitfield County Georgia.
Service era: Korea
Date of death: Tuesday, July 14, 1953
Death details: On July 13, 1953, the U.S. Army’s 555th Field Artillery Battalion was positioned to support the Republic of Korea (ROK) 6th Division along a stretch of line known as the Kumsong Salient, when the Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) launched a massive night attack. The 555th Field Artillery continued to fire in support of the ROK forces during the initial stage of the attack, despite coming under heavy enemy artillery fire themselves. However, early on July 14, CCF troops penetrated the ROK lines and were able to attack the 555th’s own positions. Several battery positions were overrun by the numerically superior attackers before a withdrawal order was received. By that point, few men were actually able to withdraw. Some managed to evade enemy forces and work their way back to friendly lines over the following days, but a number of the 555th Field Artillery’s men were captured by the enemy or went missing. The battlefield now lies on the North Korean side of the Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea. Corporal James Paul Taylor, who entered the U.S. Army from Georgia, served with Battery B, 555th Field Artillery Battalion, 24th Infantry Division. He was with his fellow members of Battery B at the time of the CCF attack on July 14, 1953, and was reported missing following the fighting. His remains were not recovered at the time, and subsequent search efforts have been impeded by the fact that the loss area now lies in North Korean territory. Today, Colonel Taylor is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
William Oscar Wood from Valdosta, Georgia, Whitfield county.
Service era: World War II
Military history: 328 Bombardment Squadron 93 Bombardment Group (Heavy)
Date of death: Sunday, August 1, 1943
Death details: Aboard aircraft that crashed in the area of Ploesti, Romania during Operation Tidal Wave attack. Accounted for May 12, 2022
Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency