The Wall › Panel 10W › Washington › Richard Dean Nelson
RICHARD DEAN NELSON
Corporal · U.S. Army
September 6, 1949 – May 22, 1970
Service recordRichard Dean Nelson, of Richland, Washington, served as a Corporal in the U.S. Army. He died on May 22, 1970, in Cambodia, at age 20. His name is inscribed on Panel 10W, Line 82 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 10W · Line 82
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
- Corporal (CPL)
- Service
- Regular
- Occupation
- Field Artillery Basic (13A)
- Unit (as recorded)
- 1 CAV DIV AIRMOBILE
- Born
- September 6, 1949
- Home of record
- Richland, Washington (Benton County)
Casualty
- Date of death
- May 22, 1970
- Age
- 20
- Country
- Cambodia
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Killed in Action
- Circumstance
- Grenade
Context · from the records
What was happening
30 names on the Wall carry the date May 22, 1970. In May 1970, 917 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
The 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), his unit in the record, lost 127 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 10W, Line 82
- RICHARD WAYNE MEHLHAFFPrivate · May 22, 1970
- THOMAS HARRY MOLESSpecialist Four · May 22, 1970
- GARY RUEL MOWERFirst Lieutenant · May 22, 1970
- DANIEL EARNEST NELMSPrivate First Class · May 22, 1970
Same unit, same day
- JAMES LYNN ABLERSpecialist Four · Panel 10W, Line 77
- ARTHUR PINA ADAMESergeant · Panel 10W, Line 78
- JOSEPH MICHAEL HARTLSergeant · Panel 10W, Line 79
- RICHARD ANDREW LARSONCaptain · Panel 10W, Line 81
- JOHN CHARLES REILLYWarrant Officer 1 · Panel 10W, Line 81
- RICHARD WAYNE MEHLHAFFPrivate · Panel 10W, Line 82
- RONALD RAY SAGERSStaff Sergeant · Panel 10W, Line 83
From Richland
- DANNY A NETHSpecialist Five · March 5, 1966
- CLYDE EDWARD MURRPrivate First Class · March 24, 1966
- MARK STEPHEN BLACKPrivate First Class · March 30, 1966
- GEORGE WASHINGTON SCHOOKPlatoon Sergeant · August 7, 1967
- WILLIAM DAVID DOWDSpecialist Four · January 5, 1968
- DONALD WILLIAM PICKMajor · August 27, 1968
- CHARLES DEE GREENPrivate First Class · June 11, 1969
- DANIEL LEONARD WAGENAARPrivate First Class · July 12, 1969
- THOMAS EUGENE TAYLORPrivate First Class · June 11, 1970
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.