The Wall › Panel 17W › California › Richard James Coston
RICHARD JAMES COSTON
Private First Class · U.S. Army
February 8, 1949 – October 20, 1969
Service recordRichard James Coston, of San Jose, California, served as a Private First Class in the U.S. Army. He died on October 20, 1969, in Tay Ninh Province, South Vietnam, at age 20. His name is inscribed on Panel 17W, Line 95 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 17W · Line 95
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
- Private First Class (PFC)
- Service
- Regular
- Occupation
- Infantryman (11B)
- Unit (as recorded)
- 1 CAV DIV AIRMOBILE
- Born
- February 8, 1949
- Home of record
- San Jose, California (Santa Clara County)
Casualty
- Date of death
- October 20, 1969
- Age
- 20
- Province
- Tay Ninh
- Country
- South Vietnam
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Killed in Action
- Circumstance
- Small Arms Fire
Context · from the records
What was happening
32 names on the Wall carry the date October 20, 1969; two of them were lost in Tây Ninh Province. In October 1969, 600 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
The 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), his unit in the record, lost 63 of its members that month.
Also on Panel 17W, Line 95
- HAROLD GENE CURTISCorporal · October 20, 1969
- THOMAS FRED DANIELLSpecialist Four · October 20, 1969
- ALBERT LEE DAVISPrivate First Class · October 20, 1969
- DENNIS GAYLE HALLSpecialist Four · October 20, 1969
Same unit, same day
- JAMES VINCENT ALDREDSpecialist Four · Panel 17W, Line 93
- JAMES IVORY COLEMANCorporal · Panel 17W, Line 94
- ALBERT LEE DAVISPrivate First Class · Panel 17W, Line 95
- MICHAEL ERWIN DAGNONSpecialist Four · Panel 17W, Line 96
- CHARLES KENNETH EDWARDSCorporal · Panel 17W, Line 96
- MARTIN WILLIAM ESSARY JRSergeant · Panel 17W, Line 96
- JOSE ESPIRIDION ORTIZPrivate First Class · Panel 17W, Line 98
- LARRY STERL POLINGPrivate First Class · Panel 17W, Line 98
- ALEXANDER VIGILSpecialist Four · Panel 17W, Line 99
From San Jose
- JOHN WILLIAM IRVING JRFirst Lieutenant · May 8, 1965
- WARREN LESTER ANDERSONCaptain · January 13, 1966
- AUGUSTO MARIA XAVIERFirst Lieutenant · March 10, 1966
- LARRY MICHAEL JORDANLieutenant Commander · April 12, 1966
- RICHARD MICHAEL PATRICKSpecialist Four · May 17, 1966
- GEORGE ALLEN WALDRONPrivate First Class · October 3, 1966
- DALLAS GEORGE GRUNDYPrivate First Class · November 5, 1966
- WILLIAM ALLEN PALENSKEPrivate First Class · November 18, 1966
- RAYMOND BERNAL JRSpecialist Four · November 30, 1966
- WILLIAM DONALD COOK JRSergeant · December 17, 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.