The Wall › Panel 23W › Virginia › Ralph Judson Mears JR
RALPH JUDSON MEARS JR
Specialist Five · U.S. Army
April 29, 1949 – May 30, 1969
Service recordRalph Judson Mears JR, of Norfolk, Virginia, served as a Specialist Five in the U.S. Army. He died on May 30, 1969, in Hua Nghia Province, South Vietnam, at age 20. His name is inscribed on Panel 23W, Line 22 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 23W · Line 22
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
- Specialist Five (SP5)
- Service
- Regular
- Occupation
- Medical Specialist (91B)
- Unit (as recorded)
- 82 AIRBORNE DIV
- Born
- April 29, 1949
- Home of record
- Norfolk, Virginia (Norfolk (City) County)
Casualty
- Date of death
- May 30, 1969
- Age
- 20
- Province
- Hua Nghia
- Country
- South Vietnam
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Died of Wounds
- Circumstance
- Artillery/Mortar/Rocket
Context · from the records
What was happening
24 names on the Wall carry the date May 30, 1969; two of them were lost in Hua Nghia Province. In May 1969, 1,456 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
The 82nd Airborne Division, his unit in the record, lost 23 of its members that month.
Also on Panel 23W, Line 22
- HARRY MASSEYPrivate First Class · May 30, 1969
- EDWARD CHARLES MCGINNPetty Officer Third Class · May 30, 1969
- DAVID CHARLES NELSONCorporal · May 30, 1969
- ERSKINE JAY OLIVERLance Corporal · May 30, 1969
Same unit, same day
- HARRY MASSEYPrivate First Class · Panel 23W, Line 22
From Norfolk
- OSCAR BRANCH WESTON JRCaptain · March 23, 1961
- HUMBERT ROQUE VERSACECaptain · October 29, 1963
- WILLIAM LEROY SIEGRISTMaster Sergeant · December 30, 1964
- EDWARD RAY DODGESergeant Major · December 31, 1964
- WILLIAM N MILLERCaptain · November 12, 1965
- EDWARD J WILLIAMSPrivate First Class · January 11, 1966
- MONTE D BROOKSPrivate First Class · January 25, 1966
- JOHNNY PAUL PRICEPrivate First Class · February 9, 1966
- ROBERT LEE HOSKINS JRStaff Sergeant · February 26, 1966
- EVERETT ALVIN MCPHERSONMajor · March 18, 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.