The Wall › Panel 4W › Florida › William Arthur Thomas JR
WILLIAM ARTHUR THOMAS JR
Captain · U.S. Air Force
January 23, 1940 – April 21, 1972
Service recordWilliam Arthur Thomas JR, of St Augustine, Florida, served as a Captain in the U.S. Air Force. He died on April 21, 1972, in South Vietnam, at age 32. His name is inscribed on Panel 4W, Line 131 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 4W · Line 131
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)
- 44 TAC FTR SQ
- Born
- January 23, 1940
- Home of record
- St Augustine, Florida (St Johns County)
Casualty
- Date of death
- April 21, 1972
- Age
- 32
- Country
- South Vietnam
- Casualty type
- Non-hostile
- Category
- Accident
- Circumstance
- Aircraft Crash — crew
- Remains
- Not recovered as of the 2008 DoD record
Context · from the records
What was happening
Two names on the Wall carry the date April 21, 1972. In April 1972, 106 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
He died in South 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
On the Wall
Also on Panel 4W, Line 131
- EDWIN FREDERICK FISHERCorporal · April 17, 1971
- PETER KAPAS JRPrivate First Class · April 17, 1971
- GEORGE JAMES ORRSpecialist Five · April 17, 1971
- GARY LEE REYNOLDSSpecialist Four · April 17, 1971
- JAMES RONALD THOMASSergeant · April 17, 1971
From St Augustine
- LEO CURTIS CHASE JRPrivate First Class · November 15, 1965
- RICHARD ARNOLD OSTEEN JRPrivate First Class · August 29, 1966
- JOHN WILLIAM CHARLTONPrivate First Class · April 9, 1967
- ROBERT EARL MILLERSpecialist Four · November 19, 1967
- LEON FAIRDEN HUBERSpecialist Four · February 2, 1968
- STEPHEN ANDREW SHELLEYPrivate First Class · February 25, 1968
- TOM DAVIS JRStaff Sergeant · March 25, 1968
- HENRY LEROY QUIGLEYSpecialist Four · February 26, 1969
- JIMMIE DON COXPrivate First Class · October 9, 1969
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.