Promote & Preserve stories of U.S. fallen soldiers/sailors
Theodore Louis Perreault, age 33, from Webster, Massachusetts, Worcester county.
Service era: Iraq
Military history: Company B 1St Battalion 181St Infantry Regiment, Garner, Massachusetts
Date of death: Tuesday, December 23, 2003
Death details: Camp Bulkeley, Cuba
Source: Department of Defense
Allen M. Auger, age 22, from West Boyleston, Massachusetts, Worcester county.
Service era: Gulf War
Date of death: Tuesday, March 12, 1991
Death details: Died from non-combat cuase
Source: White House Commission on Remembrance, Department of Defense, Boston Globe (1991), Associated Press (1991)
James Jacob Byszek, age 42, from North Brookfield, Massachusetts, Worcester county.
Parents: Margaret Byszek
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Thursday, October 18, 1990
Death details: The “date of casualty” stated by the military is July 1, 1970. That’s when James was hit by friendly fire. However, he survived and returned to Massachusets as a paraplegic. He lived with family for decades.
Source: National Archives, Boston Globe (1993)
Philip S. Grenier from Worcester, Massachusetts, Worcester county.
Service era: Grenada
Schools: St. Johns High, Worcester graduate.
Date of death: Thursday, October 27, 1983
Death details: Died when the helicopter he was in was struck by small arms fire and crashed.
Source: White House Commission on Remembrance, U.S. Mountain Ranger Association
Thomas S. Perron, age 19, from Worcester County Whitinsville, Massachusetts .
Service era: Beirut bombings
Date of death: Sunday, October 23, 1983
Death details: Among more than 200 military personnel killed in the terroist bombing of Marine headquarters in Beirut.
Cemetery: Arlington National
Source: White House Commission on Remembrance, findagrave.com
Richard Roland Arsenault, age 28, from Southbridge, Massachusetts, Worcester county.
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Friday, May 26, 1972
Death details: Staff Sergeant Arsenault distinguished himself on 26 May 1972 while serving as the Operations/Intelligence advisor on a combat operation with the 12th Regional Force Group in Duc Hue District, Hau Nghia Province, Republic of Vietnam. As the 12th Group moved to link up with a friendly unit, an entrenched company size enemy force prepared to initiate an ambush. At the last moment Sergeant Arsenault sensed the ambush and saw a B-40 rocket being fired. He shouted a warning, knocked another American advisor aside and blocked the B-40 round with his body, deliberately sacrificing his life to save the lives of those around him. His heroic and selfless action unquestionably saved the life of the other American advisor and their interpreter and also preserved the 12th Group command element. By saving the command structure from destruction, he made a swift reaction to the ambush possible and prevented it from becoming a disaster. Staff Sergeant Arsenault’s extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty, at the cost of his life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
Source: National Archives, Distinguished Service Cross citation
Allen Jones Avery from Auburn, Massachusetts, Worcester county.
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Thursday, April 6, 1972
Death details: On April 6, 1972, six airmen were flying a combat search and rescue mission in their HH-53C Super Jolly Green Giant helicopter over Quang Tri Province in South Vietnam when they were hit by enemy ground fire and crashed. In 1988, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV) turned over remains they attributed to an American serviceman; however, the name provided by the SRV did not match anyone lost or missing from the Vietnam War. The remains were held by JPAC pending improved technology to facilitate a later identification. From 1989 to 1992, Joint U.S./SRV field investigations, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), found evidence leading to an aircraft crash site as well as two reported burial sites. Team members recovered human remains and personal effects as well as aircraft debris. As a result, the crew was accounted-for in 1997 and buried as a group at Arlington National Cemetery. Three airmen were also individually identified at that time. In the mid-2000s, JPAC’s laboratory’s improved scientific capability enabled them to match the 1988 remains to the correct loss. The Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) tested these remains against all servicemen who were MIA from the Vietnam War with negative results. Later AFDIL expanded its search to make comparisons with previously-identified individuals. In 2010, as a result of mitochondrial DNA testing, the remains were matched with four of the six airmen from the 1972 crash, including Avery.
Cemetery: Arlington National
Source: National Archives, Department of Defense
Addison William Jr. Page, age 21, from Worcester County Worcester, Massachusetts .
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Thursday, October 7, 1971
Death details: Non-hostile, South Vietnam
Source: National Archives
Peter Joseph Gauvin, age 19, from Athol, Massachusetts, Worcester county.
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Wednesday, August 11, 1971
Death details: Non-hostile, South Vietnam
Source: National Archives, UPI (1971)
Edward Joseph Cavanaugh, age 47, from Worcester, Massachusetts, Worcester county.
Spouse: Terry
Children: Katherine, Sharon, Eileen , Sheila, Cacilia
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Thursday, July 29, 1971
Death details: Army Col. Edward J. Cavanaugh, 47, of Worchester, Mass. was visiting a South Vietnamese regimental headquarters July 29, 1971 to say goodbye to troops he advised. His second tour would end the next day. Enemy rockets hit the area during that visit, killing him.
Source: National Archives, Associated Press (1971)