The Wall › Panel 11W › California › Michael John Orwig
MICHAEL JOHN ORWIG
Sergeant · U.S. Army
May 20, 1949 – May 7, 1970
Service recordMichael John Orwig, of Whittier, California, served as a Sergeant in the U.S. Army. He died on May 7, 1970, in Cambodia, at age 20. His name is inscribed on Panel 11W, Line 126 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 11W · Line 126
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
- Armor Reconnaissance Specialist (11D)
- Unit (as recorded)
- 25 INF DIV
- Born
- May 20, 1949
- Home of record
- Whittier, California (Los Angeles County)
Casualty
- Date of death
- May 7, 1970
- Age
- 20
- Country
- Cambodia
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Killed in Action
- Circumstance
- Grenade
Context · from the records
What was happening
46 names on the Wall carry the date May 7, 1970. In May 1970, 917 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
The 25th Infantry Division, his unit in the record, lost 80 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 11W, Line 126
- NEAL ALEXANDER LORD JRStaff Sergeant · May 7, 1970
- GERALD VERNON LUNDYSergeant · May 7, 1970
- JOHN JOSEPH MCCARTHYSergeant · May 7, 1970
- DAVID CARROLL MCCRANIESergeant · May 7, 1970
Same unit, same day
- JOHN EMERY DAYTONSergeant First Class · Panel 11W, Line 122
From Whittier
- CLIFFORD WAYNE MCROBERTSSergeant · February 7, 1966
- DAVID MICHAEL OLANDSpecialist Four · June 8, 1966
- RICHARD MIGUEL HARTNELLPrivate First Class · July 31, 1966
- DANNY RAY RUNDLEPrivate First Class · September 18, 1966
- WAYNE NORMAN CARDCorporal · February 16, 1967
- HUGO ARTHUR BOCANEGRAPrivate First Class · July 31, 1967
- ROBERT CHARLES MELENDREZSpecialist Four · November 12, 1967
- MICHAEL JOHN THIRKETTLEPetty Officer Third Class · November 26, 1967
- DANIEL ALEXANDER VERDUGOLance Corporal · December 21, 1967
- ROBERT BLAIR ENGLAND IIPrivate First Class · January 29, 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.