The Wall › Panel 5W › Puerto Rico › Rafael Rivera Benitez
RAFAEL RIVERA BENITEZ
Platoon Sergeant · U.S. Army
October 24, 1938 – February 8, 1971
Service recordRafael Rivera Benitez, of Hato Rey, Puerto Rico, served as a Platoon Sergeant in the U.S. Army. He died on February 8, 1971, in Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam, at age 32. His name is inscribed on Panel 5W, Line 86 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 5W · Line 86
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
- Platoon Sergeant (PSG)
- Service
- Regular
- Occupation
- Infantryman (11B)
- Unit (as recorded)
- 5 INF DIV MECH
- Born
- October 24, 1938
- Home of record
- Hato Rey, Puerto Rico (San Juan County)
Casualty
- Date of death
- February 8, 1971
- Age
- 32
- Province
- Quang Tri
- Country
- South Vietnam
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Killed in Action
- Circumstance
- Small Arms Fire
Context · from the records
What was happening
21 names on the Wall carry the date February 8, 1971; seven of them were lost in Quảng Trị Province. In February 1971, 387 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
The unit recorded as “5 INF DIV MECH”, his unit in the record, lost 26 of its members that month.
Also on Panel 5W, Line 86
- THOMAS ANTHONY SONYCorporal · February 7, 1971
- CHARLES GLEN BOBOSergeant · February 8, 1971
- TYRONE CARLOS BRADLEYSeaman · February 8, 1971
- BARRY LYNN BRINEGARCorporal · February 8, 1971
Same unit, same day
- LONALD RAY COLEMANSergeant · Panel 5W, Line 87
- MICHAEL BRUCE FIRSTPrivate First Class · Panel 5W, Line 87
- GERALD JOHN TWOREKStaff Sergeant · Panel 5W, Line 90
From Hato Rey
- RAFAEL TORRES-RIVERASergeant · April 6, 1965
- LUIS ANTONIO RAMIREZLance Corporal · December 1, 1966
- ANGEL IRIZARRY-HERNANDEZSpecialist Six · October 13, 1967
- ANIBAL OYOLA-RABAGOCorporal · December 23, 1967
- GERMAN ANTONIO SANTIAGOStaff Sergeant · May 24, 1968
- ABELARDO RODRIGUEZ-GUZMANPrivate · August 10, 1969
- REY FRANCISCO TORRESRAMOSSpecialist Four · June 4, 1971
- DONALD BENED WHITLOCK IIISergeant · August 4, 1971
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.