The Wall › Panel 1W › Washington › Wilbur Herbert Childress
WILBUR HERBERT CHILDRESS
Sergeant Major · U.S. Army
January 14, 1930 – April 20, 1972
Service recordWilbur Herbert Childress, of Tacoma, Washington, served as a Sergeant Major in the U.S. Army. He died on April 20, 1972, in Bien Hoa Province, South Vietnam, at age 42. His name is inscribed on Panel 1W, Line 4 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 1W · Line 4
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. Army
- Rank
- Sergeant Major (SGM)
- Service
- Regular
- Occupation
- Command Sergeant Major (00Z)
- Unit (as recorded)
- US ARMY REP OF VIETNAM
- Born
- January 14, 1930
- Home of record
- Tacoma, Washington (Pierce County)
Casualty
- Date of death
- April 20, 1972
- Age
- 42
- Province
- Bien Hoa
- Country
- South Vietnam
- Casualty type
- Non-hostile
- Category
- Accident
- Circumstance
- Other Accident
Context · from the records
What was happening
Five names on the Wall carry the date April 20, 1972; he was the only one lost in Bien Hoa Province that day. In April 1972, 106 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
The unit recorded as “US ARMY REP OF VIETNAM”, his unit in the record, lost 14 of its members that month.
He died in Bien Hoa Province 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.
Also on Panel 1W, Line 4
- THOMAS HUGH AMOSMajor · April 20, 1972
- MASON IRWIN BURNHAMCaptain · April 20, 1972
- JOHN JOSEPH STEGELAND IIISeaman · April 20, 1972
- CHARLES TURNERSpecialist Four · April 20, 1972
Same unit, same day
- CHARLES TURNERSpecialist Four · Panel 1W, Line 4
From Tacoma
- LOUIE GENE FRITTSPrivate First Class · October 3, 1965
- JOHN SHAW SABINE IVCaptain · March 30, 1966
- EDGARDO CACERESLance Corporal · May 12, 1966
- HOWARD ANTHONY MESOYEDZGunnery Sergeant · June 2, 1966
- GARY RICHARD HOLTPrivate First Class · June 24, 1966
- JIMMY GENE BRAISPrivate First Class · August 10, 1966
- THOMAS MICHAEL MOORESeaman Apprentice · November 1, 1966
- RAY NIXONSergeant · February 26, 1967
- DONALD L PENDERSergeant · February 26, 1967
- MAX PAUL STARKELCaptain · March 23, 1967
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.