The Wall › Panel 12W › California › David Gonzales
DAVID GONZALES
Sergeant · U.S. Marine Corps
July 24, 1947 – March 21, 1970
Service recordDavid Gonzales, of Ventura, California, served as a Sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps. He died on March 21, 1970, in Laos, at age 22. His name is inscribed on Panel 12W, Line 29 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 12W · Line 29
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.
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Service
- Branch
- U.S. Marine Corps
- Rank
- Sergeant (SGT)
- Service
- Regular
- Occupation
- Helicopter Mechanic, U/Ah-1 (6114)
- Unit (as recorded)
- HML 167 MAG 16 1 MAW
- Born
- July 24, 1947
- Home of record
- Ventura, California (Ventura County)
Casualty
- Date of death
- March 21, 1970
- Age
- 22
- Country
- Laos
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Killed in Action
- Circumstance
- Helicopter Crash — crew
- Remains
- Not recovered as of the 2008 DoD record
Context · from the records
What was happening
25 names on the Wall carry the date March 21, 1970. In March 1970, 625 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
The unit recorded as “HML 167 MAG 16 1 MAW”, his unit in the record, lost 2 of its members that month.
He died in Laos while the air war over Laos was under way. From 1964 to 1973, U.S. aircraft bombed the Ho Chi Minh Trail and supported the war in northern Laos; many of the Americans lost over Laos were never recovered.
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 12W, Line 29
- RONALD LEE CREAGERLance Corporal · March 21, 1970
- RICHARD LEE EHNESStaff Sergeant · March 21, 1970
- STEPHEN ARTHUR GOLSHSergeant · March 21, 1970
- CLIFFORD NEWTON GREENPrivate First Class · March 21, 1970
Same unit, same day
- THOMAS WAYNE UNDERWOODStaff Sergeant · Panel 12W, Line 30
From Ventura
- JAMES CLETUS DYESeaman Recruit · May 29, 1964
- MICHAEL PERRY MORITZSpecialist Five · June 16, 1965
- ROBERT LOUIS PADILLASergeant · May 17, 1966
- DONALD EARL GOREPrivate First Class · June 26, 1966
- CREIGHTON ROBERT DUNNSpecialist Four · October 29, 1966
- JOHN EDWARD WIDENERPrivate First Class · December 11, 1966
- KENNETH CHARLES APPLEGATESpecialist Four · April 30, 1967
- FRANK ROSS ALLENDER JRLance Corporal · July 3, 1967
- SIEGFRIED KOFLERSergeant · July 10, 1967
- DONALD MELVIN SEWELLColonel · November 9, 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.