The Wall › Panel 24W › Utah › Melvin Thomas Cowdell
MELVIN THOMAS COWDELL
Sergeant · U.S. Army
November 27, 1943 – May 16, 1969
Service recordMelvin Thomas Cowdell, of Salt Lake City, Utah, served as a Sergeant in the U.S. Army. He died on May 16, 1969, in Binh Duong Province, South Vietnam, at age 25. His name is inscribed on Panel 24W, Line 25 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 24W · Line 25
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
- Sergeant (SGT)
- Service
- Drafted (Selective Service)
- Occupation
- Light Vehicle Driver (64A)
- Unit (as recorded)
- 1 CAV DIV AIRMOBILE
- Born
- November 27, 1943
- Home of record
- Salt Lake City, Utah (Salt Lake County)
Casualty
- Date of death
- May 16, 1969
- Age
- 25
- Province
- Binh Duong
- Country
- South Vietnam
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Killed in Action
- Circumstance
- Artillery/Mortar/Rocket
Context · from the records
What was happening
13 names on the Wall carry the date May 16, 1969; he was the only one lost in Bình Dương Province that day. In May 1969, 1,456 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
The 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), his unit in the record, lost 120 of its members that month.
Also on Panel 24W, Line 25
- ROY WILLIAM DUNBAR JRFirst Lieutenant · May 16, 1969
- JOE LYNN FOWLERSpecialist Four · May 16, 1969
- PATRICK ROBERT MCNELISPetty Officer Second Class · May 16, 1969
- ALEXANDER A MONGELLICorporal · May 16, 1969
From Salt Lake City
- DONALD VERNON MCGREGORCaptain · August 13, 1963
- REED GEORGE JENSENMajor · July 28, 1964
- FRANCIS JOHN DUNC DELMARKLance Corporal · August 18, 1965
- DON RICHARD HOODCaptain · October 2, 1965
- WILLIAM LEE MILLERPrivate First Class · October 24, 1965
- ROBERT LEE STOKESSergeant · November 15, 1965
- ROBERT LEE CRAFTPrivate First Class · December 10, 1965
- RICHARD DENNIS PARKERSpecialist Four · January 30, 1966
- DAVID J BROADHEADPrivate First Class · February 7, 1966
- THOMAS GAVIN WALSTERLieutenant (junior grade) · April 9, 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.