The Wall › Panel 25W › California › William James Brashear
WILLIAM JAMES BRASHEAR
Lieutenant Colonel · U.S. Air Force
March 1, 1934 – May 8, 1969
Service recordWilliam James Brashear, of Chula Vista, California, served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force. He was lost on May 8, 1969, in Laos, and was later declared dead. His name is inscribed on Panel 25W, Line 21 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 25W · Line 21
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
- Lieutenant Colonel (LTCOL)
- Service
- Regular
- Occupation
- Pilot (1115F)
- Unit (as recorded)
- 559 TFS CAM RANH BAY
- Born
- March 1, 1934
- Home of record
- Chula Vista, California (San Diego County)
Casualty
- Date of loss
- May 8, 1969
- 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
36 names on the Wall carry the date May 8, 1969. In May 1969, 1,456 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
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 25W, Line 21
- JOSEPH WILLIAM BORGESPrivate First Class · May 8, 1969
- MIGUEL EUGENIO BRIALESSergeant · May 8, 1969
- CARL NORMAN CLUTTERPrivate First Class · May 8, 1969
- RONALD BURNS REYNOLDSStaff Sergeant · May 8, 1969
From Chula Vista
- PAUL ARTHUR WILDAUERLieutenant Commander · March 2, 1964
- RICHARD BRIGHTPrivate · July 21, 1966
- RICHARD EARL SIPESPrivate First Class · December 29, 1966
- CHARLES LEE MYERSSergeant · February 13, 1967
- WILSON E BIBLER JRSpecialist Four · February 24, 1967
- EDWIN EARL COOPERHospitalman · February 24, 1967
- JOHN IGNATIUS HIGGINS JRHospitalman · October 14, 1967
- RICHARD D WEEDERSpecialist Five · October 17, 1967
- JAMES RICHARD BIERNACKISergeant · March 14, 1968
- RAYMOND OMER KINCANNONCaptain · April 1, 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.