The Wall › Panel 1W › Pennsylvania › John Joseph Petrilla JR
JOHN JOSEPH PETRILLA JR
Warrant Officer 1 · U.S. Army
October 25, 1949 – May 2, 1972
Service recordJohn Joseph Petrilla JR, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, served as a Warrant Officer 1 in the U.S. Army. He died on May 2, 1972, in Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam, at age 22. His name is inscribed on Panel 1W, Line 11 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 1W · Line 11
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
- Warrant Officer 1 (WO1)
- Service
- Reserve / National Guard
- Occupation
- Utility/Observation Helicopter Pilot (100B)
- Unit (as recorded)
- 1 AVN BDE
- Born
- October 25, 1949
- Home of record
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia County)
Casualty
- Date of death
- May 2, 1972
- Age
- 22
- Province
- Quang Tri
- Country
- South Vietnam
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Killed in Action
- Circumstance
- Unknown
Context · from the records
What was happening
Eight names on the Wall carry the date May 2, 1972; five of them were lost in Quảng Trị Province. In May 1972, 113 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
The 1st Aviation Brigade, his unit in the record, lost 22 of its members that month.
He died in Quảng Trị 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 11
- KENNETH RAY BROWNStaff Sergeant · May 2, 1972
- TERENCE FRANCIS COURTNEYCaptain · May 2, 1972
- WILLIAM CLIFTON JESSEChief Warrant Officer 2 · May 2, 1972
- CHARLES VERNON MORGANSpecialist Four · May 2, 1972
Same unit, same day
- WILLIAM CLIFTON JESSEChief Warrant Officer 2 · Panel 1W, Line 11
- CHARLES VERNON MORGANSpecialist Four · Panel 1W, Line 11
- DALE KYETTE PORTERFIELDSpecialist Four · Panel 1W, Line 12
From Philadelphia
- MEIR ENGELLieutenant Colonel · December 16, 1964
- MATTHEW N HARRIS JRMaster Sergeant · May 28, 1965
- ALLEN CONRAD HERTZFirst Lieutenant · June 6, 1965
- MILO BENETT STIBBINSSpecialist Five · June 11, 1965
- JOSEPH PATRICK GRUGANCorporal · June 26, 1965
- ROWLAND JOSEPH ADAMOLICorporal · August 18, 1965
- FRANK AMOS HENISSPrivate First Class · September 7, 1965
- EARL CHARLES WILLOUGHBYChief Master Sergeant · September 7, 1965
- WILLIAM A MITCHELL IIPetty Officer Third Class · September 12, 1965
- WILLIAM GREGORY MAURONEPrivate First Class · September 30, 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.