The Wall › Panel 30E › California › William Henry Searfus
WILLIAM HENRY SEARFUS
Commander · U.S. Navy
February 11, 1929 – November 25, 1967
Service recordWilliam Henry Searfus, of Los Angeles, California, served as a Commander in the U.S. Navy. He died on November 25, 1967, in North Vietnam, at age 38. His name is inscribed on Panel 30E, Line 86 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 30E · Line 86
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. Navy
- Rank
- Commander (CDR)
- Service
- Regular
- Occupation
- Url Pilot (1310)
- Unit (as recorded)
- VA 155 USS CORAL SEA CVA 43
- Born
- February 11, 1929
- Home of record
- Los Angeles, California (Los Angeles County)
Casualty
- Date of death
- November 25, 1967
- Age
- 38
- Country
- North 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
21 names on the Wall carry the date November 25, 1967. In November 1967, 1,133 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
He died in North Vietnam while Operation Rolling Thunder was under way. Operation Rolling Thunder (March 1965–November 1968) was the sustained U.S. bombing campaign against North Vietnam, flown by Air Force fighter-bombers from Thailand and Navy aircraft from carriers in the Gulf of Tonkin against some of the densest air defenses in the world.
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
Also on Panel 30E, Line 86
- DEWEY ALLEN MIDGETTPrivate · November 25, 1967
- ROBERT LUCIAN MLYNARSKISecond Lieutenant · November 25, 1967
- EVART EUGENE ROBESONMajor · November 25, 1967
- NORMAN JAMES VANDERSKISpecialist Four · November 25, 1967
From Los Angeles
- JAMES WILLIAM MCNALLYTechnical Sergeant · October 23, 1963
- FRANK JOHN HOLGUINPrivate First Class · March 15, 1964
- RICHARD DEAN GOSSCaptain · August 29, 1964
- JOHN LOWERY MCCOYSergeant First Class · September 26, 1964
- JAMES HENRY MCLEANMaster Sergeant · February 9, 1965
- DWIGHT GLENN FRAKESChief Petty Officer · February 24, 1965
- AARON HAROLD WESTERNPrivate First Class · June 16, 1965
- EDWARD JAMES ANDERSPrivate First Class · June 18, 1965
- MAURICE RICHARD HILLPrivate · June 29, 1965
- WILLIAM WARREN HAILLieutenant Colonel · August 2, 1965
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.