The Wall › Panel 47W › Alabama › William Otto Schmale
WILLIAM OTTO SCHMALE
Major · U.S. Army
March 11, 1934 – August 23, 1968
Service recordWilliam Otto Schmale, of Cullman, Alabama, served as a Major in the U.S. Army. He died on August 23, 1968, in Tay Ninh Province, South Vietnam, at age 34. His name is inscribed on Panel 47W, Line 53 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 47W · Line 53
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
- Major (MAJ)
- Service
- Regular
- Occupation
- Aviation Safety Officer (7423)
- Unit (as recorded)
- 1 INF DIV
- Born
- March 11, 1934
- Home of record
- Cullman, Alabama (Cullman County)
Casualty
- Date of death
- August 23, 1968
- Age
- 34
- Province
- Tay Ninh
- Country
- South Vietnam
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Killed in Action
- Circumstance
- Helicopter Crash — Passenger (MC)
Context · from the records
What was happening
111 names on the Wall carry the date August 23, 1968; seven of them were lost in Tây Ninh Province. In August 1968, 1,313 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
The 1st Infantry Division, his unit in the record, lost 62 of its members that month.
Also on Panel 47W, Line 53
- RICHARD LEE ROWLAND JRCorporal · August 23, 1968
- ANTHONY JOHN SANTANASpecialist Four · August 23, 1968
- ROBERT WILLIAM SAWYERSergeant · August 23, 1968
- JAMES WARREN SMITHSergeant · August 23, 1968
Same unit, same day
- BARRY J BECANNENWarrant Officer 1 · Panel 47W, Line 37
- THAL ANTHONY BROWNFirst Lieutenant · Panel 47W, Line 38
- JOSEPH ERNEST FALARDEAUSpecialist Four · Panel 47W, Line 41
- WALTER FERGUSON JRStaff Sergeant · Panel 47W, Line 41
- MICHAEL DAVID FIXPrivate First Class · Panel 47W, Line 41
- PATRICK SHAWN HEDERMANPrivate First Class · Panel 47W, Line 44
- GILBERTO MENDEZ MOLINAPrivate First Class · Panel 47W, Line 49
- GEORGE EDWARD PERDUEPrivate First Class · Panel 47W, Line 51
- RICHARD ORRIN SOPERWarrant Officer 1 · Panel 47W, Line 55
- ROBERT STEPHEN UNDERWOODPrivate First Class · Panel 47W, Line 56
From Cullman
- ROBERT BRANCH GLOVERSpecialist Four · December 31, 1966
- JIMMY EARL JOHNSONPrivate First Class · May 13, 1967
- JAMES WALTER BROCK IIIPrivate First Class · November 4, 1967
- MICHAEL DOUGLAS CRUITTPrivate First Class · January 21, 1968
- RONALD DAVID LOVELADYCorporal · May 1, 1968
- JAMES EDWARD DUCKWORTHSergeant · August 31, 1970
- DWAING USRY MCGIFFSergeant First Class · September 7, 1970
- RONALD HUGH HALLStaff Sergeant · June 30, 1971
- TERRY GUS KUGLERSergeant · November 28, 1971
- NEIL WADE JONESSpecialist Four · December 31, 1971
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.