The Wall › Panel 9W › Florida › Carl John Laker
CARL JOHN LAKER
Specialist Four · U.S. Army
June 12, 1950 – June 17, 1970
Service recordCarl John Laker, of Clearwater, Florida, served as a Specialist Four in the U.S. Army. He died on June 17, 1970, in Cambodia, at age 20. His name is inscribed on Panel 9W, Line 60 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 9W · Line 60
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
- Drafted (Selective Service)
- Occupation
- Infantryman (11B)
- Unit (as recorded)
- 1 CAV DIV AIRMOBILE
- Born
- June 12, 1950
- Home of record
- Clearwater, Florida (Pinellas County)
Casualty
- Date of death
- June 17, 1970
- Age
- 20
- Country
- Cambodia
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Killed in Action
- Circumstance
- Unknown
- Remains
- Not recovered as of the 2008 DoD record
Context · from the records
What was happening
16 names on the Wall carry the date June 17, 1970. In June 1970, 560 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
The 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), his unit in the record, lost 71 of its members that month.
He died in Cambodia while the Cambodian incursion was under way. From 29 April to 30 June 1970, U.S. and South Vietnamese forces crossed into Cambodia to attack North Vietnamese base areas and supply caches; the announcement set off campus protests, including at Kent State.
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 9W, Line 60
- NELS IVAR HEMMINGSONLance Corporal · June 17, 1970
- FRED CARL HENRICKSSpecialist Four · June 17, 1970
- WILSON BEGAY KEESpecialist Four · June 17, 1970
- CHARLES DEO MALONEYSergeant · June 17, 1970
Same unit, same day
- DEVERTON C COCHRANESergeant First Class · Panel 9W, Line 59
From Clearwater
- ROBERT LOUIS SANDNERCaptain · June 7, 1966
- BARRY RONAL DELPHINCaptain · March 20, 1967
- WILLIAM IRVIN NELSON IIPrivate First Class · March 24, 1967
- MORRIS FRANKLIN DIXON JRCorporal · May 9, 1967
- JOHN ROLAND BURKECorporal · June 6, 1967
- JOHN JOSEPH VANVLECKPetty Officer Second Class · July 6, 1967
- BOBBY LEE SMITHPrivate First Class · September 24, 1967
- ROBERT FLOYD SHAWPrivate First Class · October 23, 1967
- JEFFREY DALE ANNABLECorporal · November 27, 1967
- CHET EUGENE MCPHETERSSpecialist Four · March 14, 1968
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.