The Wall › Panel 10W › Texas › Mateo Ruelas
MATEO RUELAS
Specialist Four · U.S. Army
September 29, 1949 – May 16, 1970
Service recordMateo Ruelas, of Alice, Texas, served as a Specialist Four in the U.S. Army. He died on May 16, 1970, in Cambodia, at age 20. His name is inscribed on Panel 10W, Line 54 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 10W · Line 54
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
- Specialist Four (SP4)
- Service
- Drafted (Selective Service)
- Occupation
- Indirect Fire Infantryman (11C)
- Unit (as recorded)
- 1 CAV DIV AIRMOBILE
- Born
- September 29, 1949
- Home of record
- Alice, Texas (Jim Wells County)
Casualty
- Date of death
- May 16, 1970
- Age
- 20
- Country
- Cambodia
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Killed in Action
- Circumstance
- Grenade
Context · from the records
What was happening
36 names on the Wall carry the date May 16, 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 54
- RICHARD ROBERT SKEENCommander · May 16, 1970
- SIDNEY MORTON SOLOMONStaff Sergeant · May 16, 1970
- GUY LYNN STOKES JRSergeant · May 16, 1970
- EMILIO CABRERA SUPNET JRSpecialist Four · May 16, 1970
Same unit, same day
- RAYMOND FRANK CONTINOPrivate · Panel 10W, Line 49
- JERRY LEE COZADSpecialist Four · Panel 10W, Line 49
- JAMES EDWARD CUMMINGSSpecialist Four · Panel 10W, Line 49
- WILLIAM HENRY FILLIONSergeant · Panel 10W, Line 50
- CHARLES HENRY HAMILTONSergeant First Class · Panel 10W, Line 50
- WALTER LEE HUFFMANCorporal · Panel 10W, Line 51
- MICHAEL DALE DAWSONSpecialist Four · Panel 10W, Line 52
- EMILIO CABRERA SUPNET JRSpecialist Four · Panel 10W, Line 54
From Alice
- FORTUNATO LUNA JRSpecialist Four · January 29, 1966
- ADAN MONSIVAIS OLVERAPrivate First Class · February 22, 1966
- HARDY WINSTON PEEPLESCaptain · January 21, 1967
- GILBERTO BARRERAPrivate First Class · July 2, 1967
- RODOLFO TREVINOSergeant · December 15, 1967
- ALFONSO IBANEZSpecialist Four · January 14, 1968
- OSCAR CONANDO GALLEGOSStaff Sergeant · May 11, 1968
- RITO SILVALance Corporal · June 18, 1968
- WILLARD ORVAL PACKSergeant · July 29, 1968
- ANTONIO BARRERA JAIMEMaster Sergeant · October 5, 1968
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.