The Wall › Panel 33W › New York › Walter Francis Burke
WALTER FRANCIS BURKE
Captain · U.S. Air Force
August 19, 1940 – February 5, 1969
Service recordWalter Francis Burke, of Flushing, New York, served as a Captain in the U.S. Air Force. He died on February 5, 1969, in Laos, at age 28. His name is inscribed on Panel 33W, Line 61 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 33W · 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
- Captain (CAPT)
- Service
- Regular
- Unit (as recorded)
- 7 AF
- Born
- August 19, 1940
- Home of record
- Flushing, New York (Queens County)
Casualty
- Date of death
- February 5, 1969
- Age
- 28
- Country
- Laos
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Killed in Action
- Circumstance
- Unknown
Context · from the records
What was happening
50 names on the Wall carry the date February 5, 1969. In February 1969, 1,304 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
The unit recorded as “7 AF”, his unit in the record, lost 11 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.
Read the history
On the Wall
Also on Panel 33W, Line 61
- WILLARD HARLEY BURKHARTWarrant Officer 1 · February 5, 1969
- JAMES LESTER CLARKSpecialist Four · February 5, 1969
- LOUIS JOHN CLEVERTechnical Sergeant · February 5, 1969
- JAMES VERNON DORSEY JRStaff Sergeant · February 5, 1969
Same unit, same day
- LOUIS JOHN CLEVERTechnical Sergeant · Panel 33W, Line 61
- JAMES VERNON DORSEY JRStaff Sergeant · Panel 33W, Line 61
- WILTON NEIL HATTONMaster Sergeant · Panel 33W, Line 64
- RODNEY HERSCHEL GOTTStaff Sergeant · Panel 33W, Line 65
- HOMER MORGAN LYNN JRMajor · Panel 33W, Line 65
- CLARENCE LEON MCNEILLSergeant · Panel 33W, Line 66
- HARRY TILLMAN NIGGLELieutenant Colonel · Panel 33W, Line 67
- ROBERT EUGENE OLSONMajor · Panel 33W, Line 67
- HUGH LESLIE SHERBURNTechnical Sergeant · Panel 33W, Line 69
From Flushing
- WILLIAM CLAY WRIGHT JRPrivate First Class · May 23, 1966
- DAVID CLEELANDLieutenant Colonel · July 25, 1966
- LAWRENCE ANTHONY BARCKLOWAirman Second Class · November 26, 1966
- HENRY MCDONALDLance Corporal · December 11, 1966
- ANDREW LEROY HAMILTONPrivate First Class · April 22, 1967
- BENJAMIN GEORGE MOLLICAPrivate First Class · May 26, 1967
- JERALD BRUCE WEAVERCorporal · August 15, 1967
- DAVID GEORGE DUNKENBERGERFirst Lieutenant · October 8, 1967
- GREGORY GOREPrivate First Class · December 20, 1967
- FRANCIS PATRICK COXLance Corporal · January 30, 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.