The WallVietnam Veterans Memorial · The Lake Norman Brief
Marines of E Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, move out on the first day of Operation Starlite, 18 August 1965.

August 18, 1965 – August 24, 1965 · names from Quảng Ngãi, Quảng Tín Provinces

Operation Starlite

Operation Starlite (18–24 August 1965), on the Van Tuong peninsula south of Chu Lai, was the first regimental-size U.S. ground battle of the war. Marines attacked the 1st Viet Cong Regiment by helicopter, amphibious landing and on foot.

Marines of E Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, move out on the first day of Operation Starlite, 18 August 1965. Photo: Sgt. Choate, USMC, public domain.

Read Chapter 4: The Ground War, 1965–1967 → All battles

This roll lists the 103 names whose official records place the death in Quảng Ngãi, Quảng Tín Provinces between August 18, 1965 and August 24, 1965. The records give the province and the date, not the exact place, so not everyone listed fell in the battle itself.

August 18, 1965 45

Rowland Joseph AdamoliCorporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · Philadelphia, PARobert Filmore BatsonSergeant · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · Houston, TXJohn Bell JRLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · Tampa, FLFrank Hufford BlankSergeant · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · Pittsburgh, PARobert George BousquetCorporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · Holyoke, MAThomas Richard BrandHospitalman Apprentice · U.S. NavyAugust 18, 1965 · Allen Park, MIJames Roy Brooks JRLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · Anderson, SCRobert Fishel Cochran JRSecond Lieutenant · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · Poplarville, MSOllie Ray CottenPrivate First Class · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · Sand Lake, MIJames Phillip DewittLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · Fruita, COFloyd Eugene DoadesPrivate First Class · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · Decatur, INRyland Whitney DrawdyPrivate First Class · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · Orlando, FLSteve Gonzales DuranHospitalman · U.S. NavyAugust 18, 1965 · Deming, NMThomas Elwood FirthLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · Little Silver, NJVictor Flores JRLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · Austin, TXVerlon HadleyLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · Bay Minette, ALBruce James HenrichPrivate First Class · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · Detroit, MICharles Earnest IannuzziCorporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · Elizabeth, NJJohn L JemisonPrivate First Class · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · Pittsburgh, PAHenry Crawley JordanPrivate First Class · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · New York, NYJames Noble KalilPrivate First Class · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · Osceola, INHarry Leonard Kaus JRPrivate First Class · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · Dunkirk, NYEdward KopecPrivate First Class · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · Chicago, ILWilliam Clive LaidlawCorporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · Cohasset, MAEddie Lee LandryLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · Gonzales, LARobert Orrie LongPrivate First Class · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · Mesa, AZMerlin Eugene MarquardtLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · Ft Wayne, INWilliam Walter NickersonCorporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · Sarasota, FLGilbert Ronald NickersonPrivate First Class · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · Racine, WIAlbert Harold RaittGunnery Sergeant · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · Neptune City, NJJames Howard SawyerPrivate First Class · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · Morgantown, WVRobert Lee ScofieldPrivate First Class · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · Bedford, INDale K ShambaughSecond Lieutenant · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · Topeka, KSMitchell Conrad ShortLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · Canoga Park, CAJames Albert SmithStaff Sergeant · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · Warsaw, KYKenneth David StankiewiczLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · Buffalo, NYLessie Keith StricklandSergeant · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · Zebulon, NCRobert TaglioneSergeant · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · Detroit, MIJohn Bernard TettePrivate First Class · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · Rochester, NYJerry Donald TharpSergeant · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · Kemp, TXDavid John ThomasCorporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · Dallas, TXPeter Clark TowneSergeant · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · Morris, CTJon David VannattaLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · Richmond, INBruce Douglas WebbCaptain · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · Wheaton, ILWilliam Neil WilsonPrivate · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 18, 1965 · Duncan, AZ

August 19, 1965 4

James Leo DieryckCorporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 19, 1965 · Duluth, MNJoe Calvin PaulLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 19, 1965 · Dayton, OHWalter Lewis SmithPrivate First Class · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 19, 1965 · Memphis, TNJames Leo WhiteLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 19, 1965 · Chicago, IL

August 20, 1965 2

Morris Olen Musick JRLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 20, 1965 · Denver, CORonald Paul PetrickCorporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 20, 1965 · Montclair, CA

August 21, 1965 1

Virgil Wayne BartonLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 21, 1965 · San Diego, CA

August 24, 1965 51

Major Arnold JRLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Ft Wayne, INDennis Donald BackenPrivate First Class · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · San Bernardino, CANarciso Bertomen JRLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Delano, CAHarold Joseph BrazenLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Allegheny, PAJoseph Emile BrunelleLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Washington, NYCecil Wayne BurtonLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Columbus, OHTerry Allen ChasePrivate First Class · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Stanley, IAJoseph Aloysious ClancyLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Chicago, ILJ C Clark JRLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Fairfield, ALThomas Monroe CrowPrivate First Class · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Greensboro, NCRonald Lee DavisLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Dallas, NCHarold Vernon Dayringer JRLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Benson, NCMaarten DegrootLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Baldwin Park, CACarroll Eugene FankhauserLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · West Branch, IAJoseph Averll Ford IIILance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Parsons, KSJames Arnold GilfordCorporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Conroe, TXFrank Allen GivenPrivate First Class · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Kansas City, MOBarry Newton HambletonPrivate First Class · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Toledo, OHDonald Deloy HansenLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Burgin, KYLonnie Dean HartsockLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Burlington, IAKelly Karl HeinzeStaff Sergeant · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Newark, NJGerald Victor JohnsonSergeant · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Chester, PARichard Lynn JossendalLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · De Kalb, ILRobert Joseph KuzmankoLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Pittsburgh, PAJohn William LakeCorporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Hobart, INDahl James LaporteSergeant · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Dunkirk, NYJack Brian LeafPrivate First Class · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Denver, CODennis Robert MartinLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Muskego, WIJames MasseySergeant · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Little Rock, ARHarry Curtis McCartneyLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Parkersburg, WVRicardo MesaPrivate · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Los Angeles, CAJohn Stephen MichelPrivate First Class · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Richfield, MNEdward James Monahan JRLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · New Fairfield, CTGrat Geleane MyersCorporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Princeton, WVDavid Charles NeyLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Schuylkill Haven, PAWarren Walter PfefferlePrivate First Class · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Camden, NJJohn Thomas PoveyCorporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Philadelphia, PARonald Louis PowellLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Royal Oak, MIFelix RodriquezLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Hays, TXJohn Paul RolandLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Austin, TXPaul Edward Rudeen JRFirst Lieutenant · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Hickory, NCRonald Lee RunkelLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · South Bend, INJerry Joseph SandersLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · St Louis, MOWilliam King ShoupLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Mexico, NYRichard SmithCorporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Philadelphia, PAOtha Theander ThompsonCorporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Ft Worth, TXJames Joseph Votava JRLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Chicago, ILRonald Lemon WaffordLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Ukiah, CARichard Frank WallaceCaptain · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Evanston, ILDonald Ray WiestLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Cerro Gordo, ILRichard Allen WillisLance Corporal · U.S. Marine CorpsAugust 24, 1965 · Bloomingdale, OH