The Wall › Panel 12E › Pennsylvania › John Lawrence Obrien
JOHN LAWRENCE OBRIEN
Major · U.S. Air Force
July 19, 1931 – November 10, 1966
Service recordJohn Lawrence Obrien, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, served as a Major in the U.S. Air Force. He died on November 10, 1966, in Laos, at age 35. His name is inscribed on Panel 12E, Line 51 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 12E · Line 51
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)
- 1 ACO SQ
- Born
- July 19, 1931
- Home of record
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Allegheny County)
Casualty
- Date of death
- November 10, 1966
- Age
- 35
- Country
- Laos
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Killed in Action
- Circumstance
- Aircraft Crash — crew
- Remains
- Not recovered as of the 2008 DoD record
Context · from the records
What was happening
19 names on the Wall carry the date November 10, 1966. In November 1966, 641 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
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.
His remains had not been recovered when the 2008 record was compiled. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency continues to search for Americans still missing from the war; families can find case information through dpaa.mil.
Read the history
Also on Panel 12E, Line 51
- TERRANCE RICHARD LYLEPrivate First Class · November 10, 1966
- THOMAS JOSEPH MCATEERLieutenant · November 10, 1966
- DAIN W MILLIMANMajor · November 10, 1966
- JOHN EDWIN MITCHELLSpecialist Four · November 10, 1966
From Pittsburgh
- CLEVELAND WILLIAM GORDONMajor · January 7, 1964
- THEODORE ALAN WINOWITCHPrivate First Class · December 30, 1964
- CHARLES FREDRICK CLYDESDALELieutenant (junior grade) · March 15, 1965
- WILLIAM DONAVAN BENNINGStaff Sergeant · May 11, 1965
- FRANK HUFFORD BLANKSergeant · August 18, 1965
- JOHN L JEMISONPrivate First Class · August 18, 1965
- FRANK JOSEPH NADANY JRSergeant First Class · October 31, 1965
- RUSSELL EARL HAMMONDSergeant First Class · November 5, 1965
- HARRY FRANCIS JEDRZEJEWSKIPlatoon Sergeant · November 17, 1965
- RONALD JOSEPH LOERLEINSergeant · November 25, 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.