The Wall › Panel 1W › Tennessee › Thomas August Goetsch
THOMAS AUGUST GOETSCH
Airman Apprentice · U.S. Navy
February 19, 1953 – September 17, 1972
Service recordThomas August Goetsch, of Memphis, Tennessee, served as an Airman Apprentice in the U.S. Navy. He died on September 17, 1972, in North Vietnam, at age 19. His name is inscribed on Panel 1W, Line 73 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 1W · Line 73
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. Navy
- Rank
- Airman Apprentice (AA)
- Service
- Regular
- Occupation
- Av Boatswain's Mate (Acft Handling) (ABH)
- Unit (as recorded)
- USS KITTY HAWK CVA 63
- Born
- February 19, 1953
- Home of record
- Memphis, Tennessee (Shelby County)
Casualty
- Date of death
- September 17, 1972
- Age
- 19
- Country
- North Vietnam
- Casualty type
- Non-hostile
- Category
- Accident
- Circumstance
- Drowning
- Remains
- Not recovered as of the 2008 DoD record
Context · from the records
What was happening
Five names on the Wall carry the date September 17, 1972. In September 1972, 36 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
He died in North Vietnam 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.
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 1W, Line 73
- CARROLL THOMAS JACKSONStaff Sergeant · September 16, 1972
- MELVIN L STEVENSONSpecialist Five · September 16, 1972
- KENNETH RICHARD BUELLLieutenant Commander · September 17, 1972
- VERNE GEORGE DONNELLYCommander · September 17, 1972
From Memphis
- JESSE ALEXANDER GRAYSergeant First Class · June 12, 1964
- ANDREW DAYTON PARKER JRMajor · June 18, 1965
- JOHN CARLOS HARRISSergeant · July 21, 1965
- WALTER LEWIS SMITHPrivate First Class · August 19, 1965
- CLAUDE TALBERT JRPrivate First Class · October 8, 1965
- WILLIAM CLYDE HARPERSergeant · October 10, 1965
- DANIEL DAVID HARDENSergeant · November 1, 1965
- RANDLE TOM WOODSLance Corporal · November 6, 1965
- KELLY EUGENE WHITAKERPrivate First Class · November 8, 1965
- MELVIN FRANK FORTSpecialist Four · November 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.