The Wall › Panel 7E › California › Bobby Joe Alberton
BOBBY JOE ALBERTON
Chief Master Sergeant · U.S. Air Force
August 30, 1937 – May 31, 1966
Service recordBobby Joe Alberton, of Anaheim, California, served as a Chief Master Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force. He was lost on May 31, 1966, in North Vietnam, and was later declared dead. His name is inscribed on Panel 7E, Line 126 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 7E · Line 126
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. Air Force
- Rank
- Chief Master Sergeant (CMSGT)
- Service
- Regular
- Occupation
- Aircraft Maintenance Superintendent (43191)
- Unit (as recorded)
- 61 TRP TDY TO DANANG AB
- Born
- August 30, 1937
- Home of record
- Anaheim, California (Orange County)
Casualty
- Date of loss
- May 31, 1966
- Country
- North Vietnam
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Declared Dead
- Circumstance
- Aircraft Crash — crew
- First reported
- Missing in action
- Remains
- Not recovered as of the 2008 DoD record
Context · from the records
What was happening
18 names on the Wall carry the date May 31, 1966. In May 1966, 595 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
He died in North Vietnam while Operation Rolling Thunder was under way. Operation Rolling Thunder (March 1965–November 1968) was the sustained U.S. bombing campaign against North Vietnam, flown by Air Force fighter-bombers from Thailand and Navy aircraft from carriers in the Gulf of Tonkin against some of the densest air defenses in the world.
His remains had not been recovered when the 2008 record was compiled. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency continues to search for Americans still missing from the war; families can find case information through dpaa.mil.
Read the history
On the Wall
Also on Panel 7E, Line 126
- THOMAS EDWARD COLLINSStaff Sergeant · May 30, 1966
- DARROL OREN NELSONSpecialist Five · May 30, 1966
- CHARLES EDWARD NICASTROCorporal · May 30, 1966
- JOHN ROBERT RIDDLESergeant · May 30, 1966
From Anaheim
- JAMES LEAVELL PURSERChief Warrant Officer 2 · June 19, 1965
- JOHN VELCO FIORENTINSecond Lieutenant · November 23, 1965
- DENNIS JOHN CULLENPrivate First Class · June 25, 1966
- MICHAEL RAY MCCOMMONSPrivate First Class · December 11, 1966
- ROBERT FRANK VERNESPrivate First Class · February 16, 1967
- MAX ANDY LOPEZSpecialist Four · March 8, 1967
- JOHN ALAN FRICKPrivate First Class · May 2, 1967
- DAVID WILLIAM LINNCorporal · May 7, 1967
- JAMES ARTHUR NICHOLSONLance Corporal · May 14, 1967
- DENNIS ALFRED OCONNORCorporal · June 27, 1967
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.