The Wall › Panel 12W › Kentucky › Michael Francis Thomas
MICHAEL FRANCIS THOMAS
Staff Sergeant · U.S. Army
September 18, 1948 – April 2, 1970
Service recordMichael Francis Thomas, of Louisville, Kentucky, served as a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army. He died on April 2, 1970, in Tay Ninh Province, South Vietnam, at age 21. His name is inscribed on Panel 12W, Line 85 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 12W · Line 85
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
- Staff Sergeant (SSG)
- Service
- Drafted (Selective Service)
- Occupation
- Infantryman (11B)
- Unit (as recorded)
- 25 INF DIV
- Born
- September 18, 1948
- Home of record
- Louisville, Kentucky (Jefferson County)
Casualty
- Date of death
- April 2, 1970
- Age
- 21
- Province
- Tay Ninh
- Country
- South Vietnam
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Killed in Action
- Circumstance
- Grenade
Context · from the records
What was happening
39 names on the Wall carry the date April 2, 1970; 13 of them were lost in Tây Ninh Province. In April 1970, 730 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
The 25th Infantry Division, his unit in the record, lost 60 of its members that month.
Also on Panel 12W, Line 85
- CHARLES E SUPRENANT JRFirst Lieutenant · April 2, 1970
- JAMES ALBERT SWARTZ JRLance Corporal · April 2, 1970
- STEVE WARREN TRAINFirst Lieutenant · April 2, 1970
- WILLIAM LOUIS VASPORYSergeant · April 2, 1970
Same unit, same day
- WILLIAM MICHAEL FINKSergeant · Panel 12W, Line 80
- ALVIN WINSLOW FLOYDSergeant First Class · Panel 12W, Line 80
- MICKEY EUGENE GRIFFITHSergeant · Panel 12W, Line 81
- KENNETH RAY HAWLEYSergeant · Panel 12W, Line 81
- MELVYN HAMANA KALILIStaff Sergeant · Panel 12W, Line 81
- ORVILLE EUGENE KITCHEN JRSecond Lieutenant · Panel 12W, Line 82
- RONALD VICTOR KOLBFirst Lieutenant · Panel 12W, Line 82
- JOHN JOSEPH LYONSSergeant · Panel 12W, Line 83
- JOHN EDWARD RARRICKSergeant · Panel 12W, Line 83
- SEVERIANO RIOSCorporal · Panel 12W, Line 84
- WILLIAM THOMAS SMITHStaff Sergeant · Panel 12W, Line 84
From Louisville
- FERGUS COLEMAN GROVES IICaptain · February 2, 1962
- ROBERT SHERMAN MOSIERSpecialist Five · February 10, 1965
- DON IRA WILLIAMSONColonel · October 24, 1964
- DONALD GORDON RADCLIFFMajor · August 18, 1965
- LEE ROY JAMESGunnery Sergeant · September 5, 1965
- JERRY DWAYNE UNDERWOODPrivate First Class · September 18, 1965
- GARY LOUIS DOWELLCorporal · October 27, 1965
- THOMAS EDWARD THAYER JRSergeant Major · November 8, 1965
- BOBBY LEE FAVORSSergeant · February 4, 1966
- KENNETH RUSHPrivate First Class · February 7, 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.