The Wall › Panel 10W › Washington › John Howard Waalen
JOHN HOWARD WAALEN
Staff Sergeant · U.S. Army
March 6, 1948 – May 20, 1970
Service recordJohn Howard Waalen, of Seattle, Washington, served as a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army. He died on May 20, 1970, in Cambodia, at age 22. His name is inscribed on Panel 10W, Line 73 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 10W · 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. Army
- Rank
- Staff Sergeant (SSG)
- Service
- Drafted (Selective Service)
- Occupation
- Infantryman (11B)
- Unit (as recorded)
- 1 CAV DIV AIRMOBILE
- Born
- March 6, 1948
- Home of record
- Seattle, Washington (King County)
Casualty
- Date of death
- May 20, 1970
- Age
- 22
- Country
- Cambodia
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Killed in Action
- Circumstance
- Grenade
Context · from the records
What was happening
29 names on the Wall carry the date May 20, 1970. In May 1970, 917 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
The 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), his unit in the record, lost 127 of its members that month.
He died in Cambodia while the Cambodian incursion was under way. From 29 April to 30 June 1970, U.S. and South Vietnamese forces crossed into Cambodia to attack North Vietnamese base areas and supply caches; the announcement set off campus protests, including at Kent State.
Also on Panel 10W, Line 73
- KENNETH STEPHEN VORESergeant · May 20, 1970
- TONY ROBERT WARDStaff Sergeant · May 20, 1970
- JAMES CHRISTOPHER WHEELERSpecialist Four · May 20, 1970
- WARREN LYNN WOZENCRAFTCaptain · May 20, 1970
Same unit, same day
- JACKIE LEWIS FORDCorporal · Panel 10W, Line 68
- JAMES JOSEPH HAZARDCorporal · Panel 10W, Line 70
- MICHAEL JOHN MANIEREStaff Sergeant · Panel 10W, Line 71
From Seattle
- RICHARD WEBB GEYERMajor · July 6, 1963
- HARRY ALLEN WALLINGSergeant · June 19, 1964
- WILLIAM ROBERT HAMLINSpecialist Five · December 8, 1964
- BERNARD WAYNE DIBBERTLieutenant Colonel · June 1, 1965
- MOON WAI LOCKSpecialist Four · June 28, 1965
- WALTER JOHN ZIMMERPrivate First Class · August 23, 1965
- ROBERT FRANKLIN BARBERLieutenant · September 18, 1965
- STEPHEN GOULD RICHARDSONLieutenant (junior grade) · November 30, 1965
- JACOB DRUMMOND LOGANLieutenant (junior grade) · December 2, 1965
- DANIEL JOHN GUILMETPrivate First Class · December 18, 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.