The Wall › Panel 12W › Ohio › Thomas Wayne Underwood
THOMAS WAYNE UNDERWOOD
Staff Sergeant · U.S. Marine Corps
January 7, 1942 – March 21, 1970
Service recordThomas Wayne Underwood, of Zanesville, Ohio, served as a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps. He died on March 21, 1970, in Laos, at age 28. His name is inscribed on Panel 12W, Line 30 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 12W · Line 30
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
- Staff Sergeant (SSGT)
- Service
- Regular
- Occupation
- Aircraft Mechanic, Ov-10 (6018)
- Unit (as recorded)
- HML 167 MAG 16 1 MAW
- Born
- January 7, 1942
- Home of record
- Zanesville, Ohio (Muskingum County)
Casualty
- Date of death
- March 21, 1970
- Age
- 28
- Country
- Laos
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Killed in Action
- Circumstance
- Helicopter Crash — crew
- Remains
- Not recovered as of the 2008 DoD record
Context · from the records
What was happening
25 names on the Wall carry the date March 21, 1970. In March 1970, 625 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
The unit recorded as “HML 167 MAG 16 1 MAW”, his unit in the record, lost 2 of its members that month.
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 12W, Line 30
- JOHN THOMAS GUTEKUNSTSergeant · March 21, 1970
- EDWARD MONROE HUDGENSMajor · March 21, 1970
- ROBERT MICHAEL KELLYSergeant · March 21, 1970
- JOHN PERRY MALLOYChief Warrant Officer 2 · March 21, 1970
Same unit, same day
- DAVID GONZALESSergeant · Panel 12W, Line 29
From Zanesville
- GUY WINFRED HUEYSergeant First Class · December 30, 1966
- MARION EARL WILSONPrivate First Class · February 3, 1968
- RICKY LEE HULLWarrant Officer 1 · February 9, 1968
- KENNETH CLAIR FLEMING JRCorporal · June 21, 1968
- JERRY LEE SHULTZSpecialist Four · July 22, 1968
- JOHN EUGENE WICKHAMSergeant · August 26, 1968
- ROBERT LEE GARRETTPrivate First Class · October 22, 1968
- THOMAS JOSEPH GILDOWPrivate First Class · February 4, 1969
- KENNETH DAVISPetty Officer Second Class · February 25, 1969
- ROY LESTER PHIPPSSpecialist Four · April 13, 1970
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.