The Wall › Panel 1E › California › Raphael Cruz
RAPHAEL CRUZ
Staff Sergeant · U.S. Air Force
May 23, 1935 – September 2, 1963
Service recordRaphael Cruz, of Stockton, California, served as a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force. He was lost on September 2, 1963, in Kontum Province, South Vietnam, and was later declared dead. His name is inscribed on Panel 1E, Line 28 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 1E · Line 28
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. Air Force
- Rank
- Staff Sergeant (SSGT)
- Service
- Regular
- Occupation
- Weapons Maintenance Technician (46270)
- Born
- May 23, 1935
- Home of record
- Stockton, California (San Joaquin County)
Casualty
- Date of loss
- September 2, 1963
- Province
- Kontum
- Country
- South Vietnam
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Declared Dead
- Circumstance
- Aircraft Crash — crew
- First reported
- Missing in action
Context · from the records
What was happening
Three names on the Wall carry the date September 2, 1963; three of them were lost in Kon Tum Province. In September 1963, 5 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
His remains had not been recovered when the 2008 record was compiled. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency continues to search for Americans still missing from the war; families can find case information through dpaa.mil.
Also on Panel 1E, Line 28
- WILLIAM GEORGE COREYPrivate First Class · September 1, 1963
- NEIL BERNARD MCKINNEYFirst Lieutenant · September 2, 1963
- HOWARD PHILIP PURCELLCaptain · September 2, 1963
- JAMES FREDERICK HILTZStaff Sergeant · September 26, 1963
From Stockton
- RICHARD LEBROU WHITESIDESCaptain · March 26, 1964
- ROLAND VINCENT JAGER JRPrivate First Class · December 6, 1964
- ROBERT SANCHEZ FERNANDEZPrivate First Class · May 20, 1965
- BENJIMAN BROOKSSergeant · November 18, 1965
- ROMIRO C RODRIGUEZSpecialist Four · December 1, 1965
- RONALD EUGENE CUMMINGSPrivate First Class · December 10, 1965
- STANLEY KENTON SEMLERPrivate First Class · January 29, 1966
- RICHARD ALLEN WAGNERPrivate First Class · March 5, 1966
- JOHN LEIGH MCCARTYCorporal · March 28, 1966
- EMMANUEL DAVID WHITLEYSpecialist Four · April 16, 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.