The Wall › Panel 5E › California › David Elga Whitten
DAVID ELGA WHITTEN
Specialist Four · U.S. Army
December 10, 1944 – February 17, 1966
Service recordDavid Elga Whitten, of Los Angeles, California, served as a Specialist Four in the U.S. Army. He died on February 17, 1966, in South Vietnam, at age 21. His name is inscribed on Panel 5E, Line 44 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 5E · Line 44
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
- Infantryman (11B)
- Unit (as recorded)
- 1 CAV DIV AIRMOBILE
- Born
- December 10, 1944
- Home of record
- Los Angeles, California (Los Angeles County)
Casualty
- Date of death
- February 17, 1966
- Age
- 21
- Country
- South Vietnam
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Killed in Action
- Circumstance
- Small Arms Fire
Context · from the records
What was happening
17 names on the Wall carry the date February 17, 1966. In February 1966, 513 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
The 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), his unit in the record, lost 123 of its members that month.
Also on Panel 5E, Line 44
- MARK HILLARY ZELDESSecond Lieutenant · February 17, 1966
- GARY RAY ARTMANSpecialist Four · February 18, 1966
- RICHARD FRANK BARNESPrivate First Class · February 18, 1966
- JOSEPH TATEM BENTONSpecialist Four · February 18, 1966
Same unit, same day
- RONALD JOHN BENKE IIIPrivate First Class · Panel 5E, Line 41
- DAVID PETER BROWNPrivate First Class · Panel 5E, Line 41
- LEN E CARRPrivate First Class · Panel 5E, Line 41
- LUIS DELA TORREPrivate First Class · Panel 5E, Line 41
- GARY BRUCE GORTONSergeant · Panel 5E, Line 41
- BOBBY GENE JOHNSONSergeant · Panel 5E, Line 42
- JUAN ANTONIO LOPEZ-COLONPrivate First Class · Panel 5E, Line 42
- HUGH ALLEN LOVEPrivate First Class · Panel 5E, Line 42
- JESSE EARL PETERSONPrivate First Class · Panel 5E, Line 43
- THOMAS EVERETT RICEPrivate First Class · Panel 5E, Line 43
- JOHN FRANCIS SAMPTPrivate First Class · Panel 5E, Line 43
- ROBERT LINDO SMITHPrivate First Class · Panel 5E, Line 43
- MARK HILLARY ZELDESSecond Lieutenant · Panel 5E, Line 44
From Los Angeles
- JAMES WILLIAM MCNALLYTechnical Sergeant · October 23, 1963
- FRANK JOHN HOLGUINPrivate First Class · March 15, 1964
- RICHARD DEAN GOSSCaptain · August 29, 1964
- JOHN LOWERY MCCOYSergeant First Class · September 26, 1964
- JAMES HENRY MCLEANMaster Sergeant · February 9, 1965
- DWIGHT GLENN FRAKESChief Petty Officer · February 24, 1965
- AARON HAROLD WESTERNPrivate First Class · June 16, 1965
- EDWARD JAMES ANDERSPrivate First Class · June 18, 1965
- MAURICE RICHARD HILLPrivate · June 29, 1965
- WILLIAM WARREN HAILLieutenant Colonel · August 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.