The Wall › Panel 5W › California › John Ernest Robertson
JOHN ERNEST ROBERTSON
Corporal · U.S. Army
January 21, 1949 – February 8, 1971
Service recordJohn Ernest Robertson, of San Diego, California, served as a Corporal in the U.S. Army. He died on February 8, 1971, in Laos, at age 22. His name is inscribed on Panel 5W, Line 89 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 5W · Line 89
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
- Corporal (CPL)
- Service
- Drafted (Selective Service)
- Occupation
- Infantryman (11B)
- Unit (as recorded)
- B TRP 7 SQD 1 CAV 1 AVN BDE
- Born
- January 21, 1949
- Home of record
- San Diego, California (San Diego County)
Casualty
- Date of death
- February 8, 1971
- Age
- 22
- Country
- Laos
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Killed in Action
- Circumstance
- Helicopter Crash — crew
Context · from the records
What was happening
21 names on the Wall carry the date February 8, 1971. In February 1971, 387 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
The unit recorded as “B TRP 7 SQD 1 CAV 1 AVN BDE”, his unit in the record, lost 3 of its members that month.
He died in Laos while Operation Lam Son 719 was under way. In Lam Son 719 (February–March 1971), South Vietnamese troops drove into Laos to cut the Ho Chi Minh Trail, carried and supported by U.S. helicopters and aircraft; more than 100 U.S. helicopters were lost.
Also on Panel 5W, Line 89
- LENOX LEE RATCLIFFMajor · February 8, 1971
- CHARLES HOWARD SOULESpecialist Four · February 8, 1971
- PAUL CLARK STEWARTChief Warrant Officer 2 · February 8, 1971
- JOHNNY MACK TINNEYCorporal · February 8, 1971
Same unit, same day
- DAVID NELSON FOXCaptain · Panel 5W, Line 87
- JOSEPH WAYNE MILEYSergeant · Panel 5W, Line 88
From San Diego
- STANLEY E TRUESDALEStaff Sergeant · April 12, 1963
- CLARENCE CLEMENT TESSMANCaptain · August 10, 1963
- WILLIAM CLIFTON HOOVERPetty Officer Second Class · June 10, 1965
- VIRGIL WAYNE BARTONLance Corporal · August 21, 1965
- CHARLES JOSEPH SCHARFColonel · October 1, 1965
- KENNETH JOE HAMMONDSpecialist Four · November 22, 1965
- RICHARD EUGENE GEORGEPrivate First Class · November 23, 1965
- GERALD CLYDE LYMANPrivate First Class · February 2, 1966
- JOHN JOSEPH SOLLEYLance Corporal · February 8, 1966
- DONALD D DAUGHERTYStaff Sergeant · April 13, 1966
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.