The Wall › Panel 14W › Texas › Holly Gene Bell
HOLLY GENE BELL
Major · U.S. Air Force
January 5, 1937 – January 28, 1970
Service recordHolly Gene Bell, of Beaumont, Texas, served as a Major in the U.S. Air Force. He died on January 28, 1970, in Laos, at age 33. His name is inscribed on Panel 14W, Line 73 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 14W · Line 73
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. Air Force
- Rank
- Major (MAJ)
- Service
- Reserve / National Guard
- Unit (as recorded)
- 40 AER SQ
- Born
- January 5, 1937
- Home of record
- Beaumont, Texas (Jefferson County)
Casualty
- Date of death
- January 28, 1970
- Age
- 33
- Country
- Laos
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Killed in Action
- Circumstance
- Helicopter Crash — crew
- Aircraft
- HH-53B
Context · from the records
What was happening
19 names on the Wall carry the date January 28, 1970. In January 1970, 529 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
The unit recorded as “40 AER SQ”, his unit in the record, lost 3 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.
Read the history
On the Wall
Also on Panel 14W, Line 73
- FLOYD DANIEL WIMERSergeant · January 27, 1970
- ROBERT LEE YOUNGSpecialist Four · January 27, 1970
- GREGORY LEE ANDERSONStaff Sergeant · January 28, 1970
- ANTHONY BRIAN BATTELWarrant Officer 1 · January 28, 1970
Same unit, same day
- LEONARD CHARLES LEESERCaptain · Panel 14W, Line 75
- WILLIAM CHARLES SHINNStaff Sergeant · Panel 14W, Line 77
From Beaumont
- JAMES LOUIS ALLENPrivate First Class · November 6, 1965
- ROBERT LOUIS HOPKINSSpecialist Five · February 6, 1966
- WARREN SHELBY MCELHANONPrivate First Class · March 9, 1966
- JOHN HENRY EAGLINSergeant · April 11, 1966
- DENNIS LEE REEVESSergeant · April 14, 1966
- FREDERIC WILLIAM FRITTSSpecialist Four · June 29, 1966
- BRENT IKE GRIGGSPrivate First Class · July 20, 1966
- CLAUDE BENJAMIN RUSH JRStaff Sergeant · December 29, 1966
- CLAIR LEONARD RAY SAINTCorporal · February 26, 1967
- LARRY WAYNE WILKERSONPrivate First Class · April 20, 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.