The Wall › Panel 1W › Texas › Robert Mitchell Lankford
ROBERT MITCHELL LANKFORD
Staff Sergeant · U.S. Air Force
August 14, 1947 – August 3, 1972
Service recordRobert Mitchell Lankford, of Lufkin, Texas, served as a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force. He died on August 3, 1972, in Quang Nam Province, South Vietnam, at age 24. His name is inscribed on Panel 1W, Line 61 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 1W · Line 61
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
- Born
- August 14, 1947
- Home of record
- Lufkin, Texas (Angelina County)
Casualty
- Date of death
- August 3, 1972
- Age
- 24
- Province
- Quang Nam
- Country
- South Vietnam
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Killed in Action
- Circumstance
- Artillery/Mortar/Rocket
Context · from the records
What was happening
One name on the Wall carry the date August 3, 1972; he was the only one lost in Quảng Nam Province that day. In August 1972, 41 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
He died in Quảng Nam Province while the Easter Offensive was under way. On 30 March 1972, North Vietnam launched its largest offensive since 1968, attacking across the DMZ, toward An Lộc and into the Central Highlands. By then few U.S. ground troops remained; American advisers and air power fought alongside the South Vietnamese.
Also on Panel 1W, Line 61
- THOMAS W REASORCaptain · July 30, 1972
- JOSEP L RUZICKA JRCaptain · July 30, 1972
- FREDDIE L SLAUGHTER JRAirman First Class · July 30, 1972
- LUIS ALONZOCorporal · August 1, 1972
From Lufkin
- HOOVER MORRISSergeant First Class · November 12, 1965
- GEORGE EDWARD OVERSHINECorporal · September 29, 1967
- CLENZELL MORRISPrivate First Class · February 5, 1968
- EDDIE CLAYTON HARRISPrivate First Class · February 13, 1968
- WESLEY EUGENE HODGESCorporal · February 23, 1968
- BENNIE JOE SISSONPrivate First Class · March 22, 1968
- JOHN CLARK HURSTCaptain · July 13, 1968
- WAYDELL GETTERStaff Sergeant · August 22, 1968
- LARRY EUGENE RICKSSpecialist Four · December 1, 1968
- OTTIS EDWARD STRINGERLance Corporal · July 12, 1969
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.