The Wall › Panel 38W › California › Michael Del Birdwell
MICHAEL DEL BIRDWELL
Captain · U.S. Army
November 7, 1941 – November 25, 1968
Service recordMichael Del Birdwell, of Modesto, California, served as a Captain in the U.S. Army. He died on November 25, 1968, in Tay Ninh Province, South Vietnam, at age 27. His name is inscribed on Panel 38W, Line 55 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 38W · Line 55
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
Did you know him? Family members and friends are invited to share a photograph or a memory. Nothing is posted until it has been reviewed.
Service
- Branch
- U.S. Army
- Rank
- Captain (CPT)
- Service
- Regular
- Occupation
- Infantry Unit Commander (1542)
- Unit (as recorded)
- 1 CAV DIV AIRMOBILE
- Born
- November 7, 1941
- Home of record
- Modesto, California (Stanislaus County)
Casualty
- Date of death
- November 25, 1968
- Age
- 27
- Province
- Tay Ninh
- Country
- South Vietnam
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Killed in Action
- Circumstance
- Grenade
Context · from the records
What was happening
48 names on the Wall carry the date November 25, 1968; 16 of them were lost in Tây Ninh Province. In November 1968, 918 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
The 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), his unit in the record, lost 98 of its members that month.
Also on Panel 38W, Line 55
- PAUL EUGENE BONNETTESpecialist Four · November 25, 1968
- KENNETH JOHN BRITTSergeant · November 25, 1968
- JOHN ELMER BRIXSergeant · November 25, 1968
- THOMAS EDWARD BROWNPrivate First Class · November 25, 1968
Same unit, same day
- FRANCISCO ALVAREZSergeant · Panel 38W, Line 54
- MELVIN EDWARD BEVIERSpecialist Four · Panel 38W, Line 54
- JOHN ELMER BRIXSergeant · Panel 38W, Line 55
- DAVID MORRIS BARRETTPrivate First Class · Panel 38W, Line 56
- MATTHEW M CANFIELD JRPrivate First Class · Panel 38W, Line 56
- JOHN FRANCIS FITZGIBBONSFirst Lieutenant · Panel 38W, Line 57
- LARRY GLEN HETZLERSpecialist Four · Panel 38W, Line 57
- JAMES EDWARD KINGSergeant · Panel 38W, Line 58
- FLORENTINO MARTINEZ JRCorporal · Panel 38W, Line 59
- JOSE TORRES NETOPrivate First Class · Panel 38W, Line 61
- GARY GRAY THROCKMORTONCorporal · Panel 38W, Line 62
- THOMAS MICHAEL WHITFIELDCorporal · Panel 38W, Line 62
- GEORGE LAMAR YOUNGSpecialist Four · Panel 38W, Line 62
From Modesto
- ERNEST KAY GERHARDTPrivate First Class · September 18, 1965
- JACK DALE MCCLURECaptain · December 31, 1965
- JOSEPH ANTHONY RANDAZZOLance Corporal · January 31, 1966
- NEAL ARTHUR RASMUSSENStaff Sergeant · May 6, 1966
- JOHN ROY MARKILLIEPetty Officer Third Class · June 21, 1966
- GARY WILLIAM BARTLOWLance Corporal · July 18, 1966
- DONALD CHARLES VAUGHANSpecialist Four · November 13, 1966
- JOHN CHARLES WEBORGCorporal · January 23, 1967
- RICHARD LYNN PARHAMPrivate First Class · January 30, 1967
- ROBERT NICOLAS STAUDSeaman · March 6, 1967
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.