The Wall › Panel 1W › Florida › William Henry Ostermeyer
WILLIAM HENRY OSTERMEYER
Captain · U.S. Air Force
March 15, 1945 – May 12, 1972
Service recordWilliam Henry Ostermeyer, of Orlando, Florida, served as a Captain in the U.S. Air Force. He was lost on May 12, 1972, in Laos, and was later declared dead. His name is inscribed on Panel 1W, Line 25 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 1W · Line 25
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
- Reserve / National Guard
- Occupation
- Weapon Systems Officer (1555C)
- Unit (as recorded)
- 435 TFS 8 TFW
- Born
- March 15, 1945
- Home of record
- Orlando, Florida (Orange County)
Casualty
- Date of loss
- May 12, 1972
- Country
- Laos
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Declared Dead
- Circumstance
- Aircraft Crash — crew
- First reported
- Missing in action
- Remains
- Not recovered as of the 2008 DoD record
Context · from the records
What was happening
Four names on the Wall carry the date May 12, 1972. In May 1972, 113 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
The unit recorded as “435 TFS 8 TFW”, 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 1W, Line 25
- DENNIS CLARKE CRESSEYCaptain · May 12, 1972
- THOMAS J WILEYFirst Lieutenant · May 13, 1972
- RALPH PETER DUPONT JRLieutenant · May 16, 1972
- JOHN WILBURN ADAMSCaptain · May 17, 1972
Same unit, same day
- LONNIE PAT BOGARDMajor · Panel 1W, Line 24
From Orlando
- FREDERICK PETER CROSBYLieutenant Commander · June 1, 1965
- RYLAND WHITNEY DRAWDYPrivate First Class · August 18, 1965
- MALCOLM EDWARD MILLICANSergeant · November 17, 1965
- DORRIS ALBERT IVEYSergeant First Class · January 13, 1966
- JOHN DONALD HETTERLY SRSergeant · January 25, 1966
- ROBERT CURTIS WILLIAMSStaff Sergeant · March 15, 1966
- MARVIN FOY GOODMAN JRLance Corporal · March 20, 1966
- RONALD ALLEN SAPPSpecialist Four · March 23, 1966
- CARY CRADDOCKSergeant · May 4, 1966
- ROOSEVELT HESTLE JRColonel · July 6, 1966
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.