The Wall › Panel 39W › California › William Michael Copley
WILLIAM MICHAEL COPLEY
Staff Sergeant · U.S. Army
May 22, 1949 – November 16, 1968
Service recordWilliam Michael Copley, of Northridge, California, served as a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army. He was lost on November 16, 1968, in Laos, and was later declared dead. His name is inscribed on Panel 39W, Line 72 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 39W · Line 72
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
- Staff Sergeant (SSG)
- Service
- Regular
- Occupation
- Radio Operator (05B)
- Unit (as recorded)
- FOB 2 C&C NORTH 5 SPFC GP
- Born
- May 22, 1949
- Home of record
- Northridge, California (Los Angeles County)
Casualty
- Date of loss
- November 16, 1968
- Country
- Laos
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Declared Dead
- Circumstance
- Unknown
- First reported
- Missing in action
- Remains
- Not recovered as of the 2008 DoD record
Context · from the records
What was happening
26 names on the Wall carry the date November 16, 1968. In November 1968, 918 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
Also on Panel 39W, Line 72
- LARRY ROGER WOOLRIDGEPrivate First Class · November 15, 1968
- STANLEY WILLIAM ARMENTROUTSergeant · November 16, 1968
- ROBERT F BALSLEY JRStaff Sergeant · November 16, 1968
- EDDIE CLAUDE KIMBLESergeant · November 16, 1968
From Northridge
- RONALD OREN PATTERSONSpecialist Four · June 30, 1966
- JOSEPH LEWIS JACOBSSergeant · February 21, 1967
- PHILIP ANTHONY FERROSpecialist Four · July 11, 1967
- VAN ALLEN IRWINSergeant First Class · July 25, 1968
- GARY RICHARD MCFALLSergeant · September 13, 1968
- VICTOR WALKER BULLARD JRPrivate First Class · January 21, 1969
- PETER LAUST JAKOBSENPrivate First Class · May 8, 1969
- THOMAS WILLIAM HERBSTSergeant · July 10, 1969
- THOMAS ELLIOTT COPPPetty Officer Third Class · February 13, 1970
- JAMES LEE CAMPBELLSergeant · July 14, 1970
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.