The Wall › Panel 1W › California › Sam Gary Cordova
SAM GARY CORDOVA
Major · U.S. Marine Corps
August 27, 1943 – August 26, 1972
Service recordSam Gary Cordova, of Huntington Beach, California, served as a Major in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was lost on August 26, 1972, in Laos, and was later declared dead. His name is inscribed on Panel 1W, Line 69 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 1W · Line 69
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. Marine Corps
- Rank
- Major (MAJ)
- Service
- Reserve / National Guard
- Occupation
- Pilot Vmfa F-4s (I) (7522)
- Born
- August 27, 1943
- Home of record
- Huntington Beach, California (Orange County)
Casualty
- Date of loss
- August 26, 1972
- Country
- Laos
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Declared Dead
- Circumstance
- Aircraft Crash — crew
- First reported
- Missing in action
Context · from the records
What was happening
Two names on the Wall carry the date August 26, 1972. In August 1972, 41 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
On the Wall
Also on Panel 1W, Line 69
- THOMAS W STALEY JRSpecialist Four · August 24, 1972
- MICHAEL WILLIAM DOYLECommander · August 25, 1972
- GEORGE BADEN WARINGMajor · August 26, 1972
- RICHARD WALTER HEROLDCaptain · September 2, 1972
From Huntington Beach
- TERRY LEE QUINNPrivate First Class · March 21, 1966
- MICHAEL D WALLACEPrivate First Class · August 13, 1966
- RAY EUGENE BRADLEYWarrant Officer 1 · February 16, 1967
- MIKE ARMENDAREZPrivate First Class · March 11, 1967
- GEORGE TALLMANSergeant · April 9, 1967
- ROGER VERNON INSCORECorporal · May 26, 1967
- WILLIAM VAZQUEZSpecialist Four · March 9, 1968
- TERRY LEE TEBBETTSPrivate First Class · April 26, 1968
- JOSEPH FRANCIS CATT JRSpecialist Four · May 9, 1968
- LELAND PATRICK FINLEYSpecialist Four · May 10, 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.