The Wall › Panel 12W › Michigan › Alexander Frank Potas
ALEXANDER FRANK POTAS
Sergeant · U.S. Army
September 30, 1949 – March 17, 1970
Service recordAlexander Frank Potas, of Detroit, Michigan, served as a Sergeant in the U.S. Army. He died on March 17, 1970, in Binh Duong Province, South Vietnam, at age 20. His name is inscribed on Panel 12W, Line 14 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 12W · Line 14
Names are inscribed in the order of loss, starting at Panel 1E at the apex and ending at Panel 1W. At the Memorial, find the panel number at the base and count down from the top line.
Remember
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Service
- Branch
- U.S. Army
- Rank
- Sergeant (SGT)
- Service
- Drafted (Selective Service)
- Occupation
- Infantryman (11B)
- Unit (as recorded)
- 25 INF DIV
- Born
- September 30, 1949
- Home of record
- Detroit, Michigan (Wayne County)
Casualty
- Date of death
- March 17, 1970
- Age
- 20
- Province
- Binh Duong
- Country
- South Vietnam
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Killed in Action
- Circumstance
- Small Arms Fire
Context · from the records
What was happening
22 names on the Wall carry the date March 17, 1970; he was the only one lost in Bình Dương Province that day. In March 1970, 625 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
The 25th Infantry Division, his unit in the record, lost 53 of its members that month.
Also on Panel 12W, Line 14
- RICHARD ALLEN MOHRSergeant · March 17, 1970
- RAY MURPHYSpecialist Four · March 17, 1970
- TRUMAN DENNIS NORRISChief Warrant Officer 2 · March 17, 1970
- THOMAS LAWRENCE RYANSpecialist Four · March 17, 1970
Same unit, same day
- DAVID RUSSEL KRUEGERCorporal · Panel 12W, Line 13
- LESTER KEITH TAYLOR JRSergeant · Panel 12W, Line 15
- RODNEY RAY UBERMANFirst Lieutenant · Panel 12W, Line 15
- CHARLES ALLEN WALTERSCorporal · Panel 12W, Line 15
- RICHARD HERBERT WILSONSergeant · Panel 12W, Line 16
From Detroit
- SAMUEL EUGENE HURDAirman Third Class · January 3, 1964
- LEO BERT ABRAMOSKICaptain · July 28, 1964
- GEORGE PAUL ZUPANCICCorporal · June 26, 1965
- MARSHALL DANIEL HOLMANPrivate First Class · July 9, 1965
- ELIAS BELL JRCorporal · July 13, 1965
- ARTHUR F HAMMARSTROM JRLieutenant Colonel · July 24, 1965
- JAMES THOMAS CLARKPrivate · August 17, 1965
- BRUCE JAMES HENRICHPrivate First Class · August 18, 1965
- ROBERT TAGLIONESergeant · August 18, 1965
- MERRILL LAGENE LANTRYCorporal · September 2, 1965
Source. U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Casualty Analysis System, Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File (as of April 29, 2008), Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Record Group 330, National Archives (NAID 2240992). Panel and line as recorded in that file. This page presents the official record and its historical context; no biography has been written for him yet. See something wrong? Report a correction.