The Wall › Panel 31W › Massachusetts › Richard Emil Olson
RICHARD EMIL OLSON
Staff Sergeant · U.S. Army
September 24, 1945 – February 23, 1969
Service recordRichard Emil Olson, of Hyannis, Massachusetts, served as a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army. He died on February 23, 1969, in Binh Long Province, South Vietnam, at age 23. His name is inscribed on Panel 31W, Line 14 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 31W · Line 14
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
- Staff Sergeant (SSG)
- Service
- Regular
- Occupation
- Armor Reconnaissance Specialist (11D)
- Unit (as recorded)
- 1 CAV DIV AIRMOBILE
- Born
- September 24, 1945
- Home of record
- Hyannis, Massachusetts (Barnstable County)
Casualty
- Date of death
- February 23, 1969
- Age
- 23
- Province
- Binh Long
- Country
- South Vietnam
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Killed in Action
- Circumstance
- Small Arms Fire
Context · from the records
What was happening
209 names on the Wall carry the date February 23, 1969; ten of them were lost in Binh Long Province. In February 1969, 1,304 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
The 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), his unit in the record, lost 100 of its members that month.
Also on Panel 31W, Line 14
- JESSE MANUEL NUNEZLance Corporal · February 23, 1969
- JOSE ANTONIO OLLIVIERPetty Officer Second Class · February 23, 1969
- CHARLES RAY ORNSBEYCorporal · February 23, 1969
- STEPHEN JOSEPH PASTULASpecialist Four · February 23, 1969
Same unit, same day
- GUY FRANCIS ABBOTTSergeant First Class · Panel 32W, Line 87
- KYLE ASHCOM ADDAIRFirst Lieutenant · Panel 32W, Line 87
- ROBERT LLOYD BENNETTSpecialist Four · Panel 32W, Line 89
- JAMES BERENDSSpecialist Four · Panel 32W, Line 90
- KEVIN FRANCIS CREGONSpecialist Four · Panel 32W, Line 94
- ABEL JOSEPH DELA PAZPrivate First Class · Panel 32W, Line 95
- EARNEST WILMER GRAHAMPrivate First Class · Panel 31W, Line 1
- EDWARD LOUIS GRIGGS IIIPrivate First Class · Panel 31W, Line 2
- GREGORY THAYER LINDSAYSergeant · Panel 31W, Line 8
- LOUIS VINCENT MARCIANOSpecialist Four · Panel 31W, Line 9
- JESSE BARRERA MONTEZCorporal · Panel 31W, Line 13
- DALE ALLEN NICHOLLSergeant · Panel 31W, Line 13
- CHARLES RAY ORNSBEYCorporal · Panel 31W, Line 14
- DANIEL LOYD POFFSergeant · Panel 31W, Line 16
- MYRON EDWIN RHUECorporal · Panel 31W, Line 17
- BOBBY SANDERSONSergeant · Panel 31W, Line 20
- LARRY RAY SHORTSpecialist Four · Panel 31W, Line 21
- DARRYL WAYNE SHUSTERSpecialist Four · Panel 31W, Line 21
- EDWARD BERNARD STEELESergeant First Class · Panel 31W, Line 23
- DAVID HARRY SUNDQUISTSergeant · Panel 31W, Line 25
- PAUL HENRY TOBERSpecialist Four · Panel 31W, Line 27
- CHARLIE LARRY WILDERSpecialist Four · Panel 31W, Line 30
- RONALD JAMES WILKINSONSergeant · Panel 31W, Line 30
From Hyannis
- RICHARD CHARLES ARCHERPetty Officer Second Class · September 25, 1967
- ALFRED WILLIAM SPEYERLance Corporal · March 3, 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.