The Wall › Panel 1W › California › Donald Edward Howell
DONALD EDWARD HOWELL
Specialist Four · U.S. Army
November 14, 1947 – May 10, 1972
Service recordDonald Edward Howell, of Los Angeles, California, served as a Specialist Four in the U.S. Army. He died on May 10, 1972, in Bien Hoa Province, South Vietnam, at age 24. His name is inscribed on Panel 1W, Line 19 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 1W · Line 19
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
- November 14, 1947
- Home of record
- Los Angeles, California (Los Angeles County)
Casualty
- Date of death
- May 10, 1972
- Age
- 24
- Province
- Bien Hoa
- Country
- South Vietnam
- Casualty type
- Non-hostile
- Category
- Accident
- Circumstance
- Helicopter Crash — Passenger (MC)
Context · from the records
What was happening
38 names on the Wall carry the date May 10, 1972; 34 of them were lost in Bien Hoa Province. In May 1972, 113 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
The 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), his unit in the record, lost 41 of its members that month.
He died in Bien Hoa Province while the Easter Offensive was under way. On 30 March 1972, North Vietnam launched its largest offensive since 1968, attacking across the DMZ, toward An Lộc and into the Central Highlands. By then few U.S. ground troops remained; American advisers and air power fought alongside the South Vietnamese.
Also on Panel 1W, Line 19
- FREDDIE JACKSONSpecialist Four · May 10, 1972
- THOMAS ALLAN LAHNERSpecialist Four · May 10, 1972
- ROBERT ALFRED LODGEMajor · May 10, 1972
- KENNETH ROSENBERGCaptain · May 10, 1972
Same unit, same day
- MIKE JOHN AGUILARSergeant · Panel 1W, Line 15
- OSCAR AGUILARSpecialist Four · Panel 1W, Line 15
- WILLIAM ARVEL BOATRIGHTSergeant · Panel 1W, Line 16
- STEVEN EDWARD BOWERSOCKPrivate First Class · Panel 1W, Line 16
- EDWARD DENZEL BURNETTSergeant · Panel 1W, Line 16
- CLINT EDWIN CARRPrivate First Class · Panel 1W, Line 16
- DENNIS GYMAN DUNNINGSpecialist Four · Panel 1W, Line 17
- ALVIN ROBERT ELENBURGSpecialist Four · Panel 1W, Line 17
- DAVID CRUZ FLORESSpecialist Four · Panel 1W, Line 17
- DIETER KUNO FREITAGSergeant · Panel 1W, Line 17
- JAMES DOUGLAS GROVESPrivate · Panel 1W, Line 17
- SAMUEL HARRELLFirst Lieutenant · Panel 1W, Line 18
- DALE LAMONT HAYESPrivate First Class · Panel 1W, Line 18
- WILLIAM FREDERICK HENAGHANSpecialist Four · Panel 1W, Line 18
- FRANK THEODORE HENSONSpecialist Four · Panel 1W, Line 18
- FREDDIE JACKSONSpecialist Four · Panel 1W, Line 19
- THOMAS ALLAN LAHNERSpecialist Four · Panel 1W, Line 19
- KENNETH ROSENBERGCaptain · Panel 1W, Line 19
- DAVID ALLEN LYDICPrivate First Class · Panel 1W, Line 20
- GARY ROBERT MONTELEONESpecialist Four · Panel 1W, Line 20
- LARRY STEVEN MUSTINSpecialist Five · Panel 1W, Line 20
- TERRY DUANE NEISSSpecialist Four · Panel 1W, Line 20
- DEAN ANTHONY PHILLIPSPrivate First Class · Panel 1W, Line 20
- JAMES CHRISTIAN JENSENSergeant · Panel 1W, Line 21
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.