The Wall › Panel 15W › Washington › William Herman Ruff
WILLIAM HERMAN RUFF
Sergeant · U.S. Army
July 22, 1949 – December 26, 1969
Service recordWilliam Herman Ruff, of Tacoma, Washington, served as a Sergeant in the U.S. Army. He died on December 26, 1969, in Vinh Long Province, South Vietnam, at age 20. His name is inscribed on Panel 15W, Line 96 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 15W · Line 96
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
Did you know him? Family members and friends are invited to share a photograph or a memory. Nothing is posted until it has been reviewed.
Service
- Branch
- U.S. Army
- Rank
- Sergeant (SGT)
- Service
- Regular
- Occupation
- Construction Engineering Supervisor (51H)
- Unit (as recorded)
- C CO 36 ENG BN 34 ENG GRP 20 ENG BDE
- Born
- July 22, 1949
- Home of record
- Tacoma, Washington (Pierce County)
Casualty
- Date of death
- December 26, 1969
- Age
- 20
- Province
- Vinh Long
- Country
- South Vietnam
- Casualty type
- Non-hostile
- Category
- Died of other causes
Context · from the records
What was happening
20 names on the Wall carry the date December 26, 1969; he was the only one lost in Vinh Long Province that day. In December 1969, 509 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
Also on Panel 15W, Line 96
- RAYMOND LOUIS MCCASLINStaff Sergeant · December 26, 1969
- DUSTIN COWLES TROWBRIDGELieutenant (junior grade) · December 26, 1969
- GERARD JOSEPH WALKERPrivate First Class · December 26, 1969
- CURTIS MORRIS ASHTONPetty Officer First Class · December 27, 1969
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.