The Wall › Panel 39E › California › William Dewayne Thomas
WILLIAM DEWAYNE THOMAS
Corporal · U.S. Army
February 13, 1947 – February 14, 1968
Service recordWilliam Dewayne Thomas, of Fremont, California, served as a Corporal in the U.S. Army. He died on February 14, 1968, in Phong Dinh Province, South Vietnam, at age 21. His name is inscribed on Panel 39E, Line 40 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 39E · Line 40
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
- Corporal (CPL)
- Service
- Drafted (Selective Service)
- Occupation
- Infantryman (11B)
- Unit (as recorded)
- 9 INF DIV
- Born
- February 13, 1947
- Home of record
- Fremont, California (Alameda County)
Casualty
- Date of death
- February 14, 1968
- Age
- 21
- Province
- Phong Dinh
- Country
- South Vietnam
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Killed in Action
- Circumstance
- Grenade
Context · from the records
What was happening
71 names on the Wall carry the date February 14, 1968; seven of them were lost in Phong Dinh Province. In February 1968, 2,260 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
The 9th Infantry Division, his unit in the record, lost 164 of its members that month.
He died in Phong Dinh Province while the Tet Offensive was under way. Beginning on the night of 30–31 January 1968, Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces attacked more than 100 cities and towns across South Vietnam, including the U.S. Embassy in Saigon. February 1968 was the deadliest month of the war for Americans.
Also on Panel 39E, Line 40
- LEMMIE DEE LUNSFORDSpecialist Four · February 14, 1968
- CHARLES ALLEN STOVALLCorporal · February 14, 1968
- ALBERT ALLEN TIPPETTSpecialist Four · February 14, 1968
- VERNON S TSCHERTERStaff Sergeant · February 14, 1968
Same unit, same day
- BEN ELMORE CAUSEY JRCorporal · Panel 39E, Line 30
- GEORGE HARLAND DIZECorporal · Panel 39E, Line 31
- LAWRENCE EDWARD GIBSONStaff Sergeant · Panel 39E, Line 32
- JERRY ALAN HURDSpecialist Four · Panel 39E, Line 33
- JERRY WAYNE JENKINSPrivate First Class · Panel 39E, Line 34
- WILLIAM CLARENCE JENKINSPrivate First Class · Panel 39E, Line 34
- DOHN WILLIAM JOHNSONSpecialist Four · Panel 39E, Line 34
- ALLEN THOMAS SMITHCorporal · Panel 39E, Line 35
- THOMAS YORK OSBORNEFirst Lieutenant · Panel 39E, Line 36
- LEMMIE DEE LUNSFORDSpecialist Four · Panel 39E, Line 40
- CHARLES ALLEN STOVALLCorporal · Panel 39E, Line 40
- JOHN FRANKLIN TYRRELLPrivate First Class · Panel 39E, Line 41
- ERNEST MURRAL WEATHERSBEEPrivate First Class · Panel 39E, Line 41
From Fremont
- JESSE ROMERO CASTROPrivate First Class · March 9, 1967
- CHESTER KEITH NUESSECorporal · March 11, 1967
- STEVE LOPEZSpecialist Four · March 20, 1967
- EDWARD ORAN CLAEYSPrivate First Class · May 17, 1967
- ROBERT BRUCE DEMELLOSpecialist Four · June 3, 1967
- JAMES ROBERT DUNCANPrivate First Class · September 2, 1967
- THOMAS GERARD BRADYSergeant · November 21, 1967
- JOHN WALLACE JONESLance Corporal · December 6, 1967
- GARY LEE MERIDITHHospitalman · January 2, 1968
- DANIEL ESCOBEDOLance Corporal · January 27, 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.