The Wall › Panel 20W › Minnesota › Richard Ralph Olson
RICHARD RALPH OLSON
Specialist Four · U.S. Army
February 11, 1949 – August 8, 1969
Service recordRichard Ralph Olson, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, served as a Specialist Four in the U.S. Army. He died on August 8, 1969, in Quang Ngai Province, South Vietnam, at age 20. His name is inscribed on Panel 20W, Line 114 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 20W · Line 114
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 Four (SP4)
- Service
- Regular
- Occupation
- Infantryman (11B)
- Unit (as recorded)
- 11 LIGHT INF BDE
- Born
- February 11, 1949
- Home of record
- Minneapolis, Minnesota (Hennepin County)
Casualty
- Date of death
- August 8, 1969
- Age
- 20
- Province
- Quang Ngai
- Country
- South Vietnam
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Killed in Action
- Circumstance
- Small Arms Fire
Context · from the records
What was happening
27 names on the Wall carry the date August 8, 1969; seven of them were lost in Quảng Ngãi Province. In August 1969, 962 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
The 11th Light Infantry Brigade, his unit in the record, lost 45 of its members that month.
Also on Panel 20W, Line 114
- LUIS ALBERTO MASSACorporal · August 8, 1969
- SAMUEL JUDSON MATHISChief Warrant Officer 2 · August 8, 1969
- LONZO O MCDONALDCorporal · August 8, 1969
- RICHARD JOHN NOLDINCorporal · August 8, 1969
Same unit, same day
- CHARLES WESLEY ADAMSSpecialist Four · Panel 20W, Line 111
- ROY OTIS BUCHANANPrivate First Class · Panel 20W, Line 111
- DONALD PRIESTER CANDLERSecond Lieutenant · Panel 20W, Line 111
- HARRY GARRIGUSSpecialist Four · Panel 20W, Line 113
- RICHARD JOHN NOLDINCorporal · Panel 20W, Line 114
- STANLEY ROBERT RAJALACorporal · Panel 20W, Line 115
From Minneapolis
- WILLIAM EDWARD SWANSONLieutenant · April 11, 1965
- MICHAEL JOHN ULICSNIPetty Officer First Class · September 8, 1964
- DENNIS LEROY PIERSONPrivate First Class · June 26, 1965
- DON GLENN KNOWLTONWarrant Officer 1 · October 20, 1965
- ROGER MICHAEL MANNIESergeant · October 28, 1965
- TRENT RICHARD POWERSCaptain · October 31, 1965
- DAVID LEONARD UGLANDSecond Lieutenant · November 8, 1965
- WILLIAM MARTIN SAVORENLance Corporal · November 25, 1965
- LAWRENCE FREDRICK RAMAKERSpecialist Four · December 10, 1965
- THOMAS NEWTON SLOANTechnical Sergeant · December 17, 1965
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.