The Wall › Panel 34W › California › Russel Keith Utley
RUSSEL KEITH UTLEY
Colonel · U.S. Air Force
August 5, 1933 – January 26, 1969
Service recordRussel Keith Utley, of San Francisco, California, served as a Colonel in the U.S. Air Force. He was lost on January 26, 1969, in Laos, and was later declared dead. His name is inscribed on Panel 34W, Line 90 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 34W · Line 90
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
- Colonel (COL)
- Service
- Regular
- Occupation
- Pilot (1115F)
- Unit (as recorded)
- 496 TFS 388 TFW
- Born
- August 5, 1933
- Home of record
- San Francisco, California (San Francisco County)
Casualty
- Date of loss
- January 26, 1969
- Country
- Laos
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Declared Dead
- Circumstance
- Aircraft Crash — crew
- First reported
- Missing in action
- Remains
- Not recovered as of the 2008 DoD record
Context · from the records
What was happening
47 names on the Wall carry the date January 26, 1969. In January 1969, 985 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
He died in Laos while the air war over Laos was under way. From 1964 to 1973, U.S. aircraft bombed the Ho Chi Minh Trail and supported the war in northern Laos; many of the Americans lost over Laos were never recovered.
His remains had not been recovered when the 2008 record was compiled. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency continues to search for Americans still missing from the war; families can find case information through dpaa.mil.
Read the history
Also on Panel 34W, Line 90
- JERRY LEE ONEALCorporal · January 26, 1969
- BRUCE RICHARD WELGEFirst Lieutenant · January 26, 1969
- ROGER CLOYCE BEALLSergeant · January 27, 1969
- RAYMOND FREDERICK BEAUCHAMPPrivate First Class · January 27, 1969
From San Francisco
- BRUCE CHARLES FARRELLLieutenant · October 8, 1963
- JOHN F SANTOS JRCaptain · April 28, 1964
- HARRY PAUL GAMBLEPrivate First Class · June 7, 1965
- LUDWIG PETER KOHLERPrivate First Class · July 26, 1965
- WILLIAM GEORGE WHEATLEYPrivate First Class · October 13, 1965
- EVERETT WILLIAM GOIASSpecialist Four · November 8, 1965
- JOHN ARTHUR NATHANSpecialist Four · November 8, 1965
- RONALD DENNIS FERGUSONSpecialist Four · November 15, 1965
- JOSE WILFREDO SUAREZSpecialist Five · November 20, 1965
- LAAVALE FUATAU TAGATALance Corporal · December 3, 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.