The Wall › Panel 12W › Virginia › Buford Ellis Sumner
BUFORD ELLIS SUMNER
Specialist Four · U.S. Army
September 4, 1948 – March 21, 1970
Service recordBuford Ellis Sumner, of Richmond, Virginia, served as a Specialist Four in the U.S. Army. He died on March 21, 1970, in Quang Ngai Province, South Vietnam, at age 21. His name is inscribed on Panel 12W, Line 32 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 12W · Line 32
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
- Specialist Four (SP4)
- Service
- Regular
- Occupation
- Aircraft Maintenance Apprentice (67A)
- Unit (as recorded)
- 71 ASLT HEL CO 14 AVN BN AMER DIV
- Born
- September 4, 1948
- Home of record
- Richmond, Virginia (Richmond (City) County)
Casualty
- Date of death
- March 21, 1970
- Age
- 21
- Province
- Quang Ngai
- Country
- South Vietnam
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Died of Wounds
- Circumstance
- Helicopter Crash — crew
Context · from the records
What was happening
25 names on the Wall carry the date March 21, 1970; he was the only one lost in Quảng Ngãi Province that day. In March 1970, 625 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
Also on Panel 12W, Line 32
- FREDDIE D MIZESergeant · March 21, 1970
- ANDRES SANTIAGO-MARTINEZCorporal · March 21, 1970
- JOHN PAUL WANTOStaff Sergeant · March 21, 1970
- RONALD WAYNE WILLIAMSpecialist Four · March 21, 1970
From Richmond
- WALTER PRESTON GORHAMMajor · March 16, 1963
- RICHARD SHERWIN JOHNSONCaptain · January 17, 1965
- ROBERT LEE SIMON JRSpecialist Four · February 10, 1965
- ROBERT WILLIAM DOSSAirman First Class · April 27, 1965
- CHARLES ARTHUR JENKINSLance Corporal · June 25, 1965
- JAMES HOLMES THORNTONPrivate First Class · November 3, 1965
- SAMUEL STANLEY TOLLIVERPrivate First Class · November 8, 1965
- MARYLAND CHATTENPrivate · December 24, 1965
- CURTIS J MCGEEStaff Sergeant · February 28, 1966
- TERRY L HARPERSpecialist Four · March 21, 1966
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.