
FACES FROM THE WALL
VIETNAM WAR
IDAHO
1968 March - April
GARY VIRGIL FRAZIER
| | Birth | 10NOV47 | Rank | PFC | Date of Death | 02MAR68 | | P. of birth | | Service | Army (Drafted) | Place | Gia Dinh, S. Vietnam | Town of Record | POCATELLO | Unit | 25th Inf Div C Co 4th Bn 9th Inf | Death Code | Hostile, Died; Multiple Fragmentation Wounds; Ground Casualty | | Hometown | | service # | 56628242 | Panel | 42EAST - 31 | | Married | Single | In Service | | Medals | | | Tour Date | 09DEC67 | Comment | | Cemetery | | |
HOWARD BERT WALDRON
| | Birth | 18MAY26 | Rank | MSG | Date of Death | 06MAR68 | | P. of birth | Declo | Service | Marines (Reserves) | Place | Quang Tri, S. Vietnam | Town of Record | Coeur d'Alene | Unit | 3 MAR DIV | Death Code | Hostile, Died; Air Loss, Crashed on Land; Fixed Wing - NonCrew | | Hometown | | service # | 566023 | Panel | 43EAST - 37 | | Married | Married | In Service | 24 yrs | Medals | | | Tour Date | | Comment | | Cemetery | | |
Cd'A Man Presumed Dead in Viet Crash
A career Marine Corps non-commissioned officer from Coeur d'Alene was one of the 47 presumably killed in Vietnam Wednesday when Communist ground fire shot down a U. S. Air Foce C-123 transport plane flying reinforcements into embattled Khe Sanh.
He is MSgt. Howard B. Waldron, 41, veteran with 24 years of military service, and son of Mr. and Mrs. W. Bert Waldron, 224 S. 13th St. The Marine sergeant's wife, the former Elizabeth Dutro of Rathdrum, and their two children Howard Bert, 2 1/2, and Candace Marie, nine months, reside in the trailer court at Silver Beach.
Sgt. Major Sanderson, Spokane, informed The Press today that MSgt. Howard Waldron is "missing in action." Notification first reached relatives late Thursday evening.
After visiting in Coeur d'Alene MSgt. Waldron left 28 Feb (1968) for Vietnam. Military officers say the C-123 transport was shot down by hostile ground fire while enroute to Khe Sanh, big Marine base in the northwest part of South Vietnam.
Wreckage was located eight miles east of Khe Sanh, according to military sources who added: "It appears there are no surviviors. It has not been possible to conduct any ground search or recover any remains due to heavy concentration of enemy troops in the area. Recovery efforts will commence when the area can be cleared of enemy forces."
The crash was witnessed by passengers aboard a nearby airplane, according to United Press International, which said all 47 persons aboard were killed.
MSgt. Waldron was born 18 May 1926 at Declo, and later lived, he joined at Kooskia and also Hamilton MT (sic) where at the age of 17 he was graduated from high school, after which (he joined) the Marine Corps. He served in the South Pacific during World War II and later in Korea. After retiring upon completion of 20 years of service, he was in the Fleet Reserve two years. He worked a a civilian, here and at St. Maries for about two years but returned to service 18 May 1966. More recently he had scheduled training for three Marine camps in a portion of Camp Pendleton.
MSgt. Waldron has two brothers, Donald R. Waldron, school principal at Libby MT, who served 3 1/2 yrs in the Marines during World War II, and John W. Waldron, Helena MT, who served five yrs in the Marines during World War II. The latter, a civil engineer with the Montana fish and game department, is now in the Army Reserve, reporting recently for duty at Baltimore MD.
His parents moved to Coeur d'Alene from St. Regis MT in 1958. Relatives of the missing marine include two step-sisters, Mrs. Lyle Cain, Coeur d'Alene and Mrs. Clyde Trevaskis, Alameda CA, and a step-brothers, S/Sgt. Donald White, at Hayward AF base.
(Coeur d'Alene Press, Coeur d'Alene ID, Friday, 8 Mar 1968)
MICHAEL FRANK GREEN
| | Birth | 23JAN47 | Rank | SP4 | Date of Death | 10MAR68 | | P. of birth | | Service | Army | Place | Knanh Koa, S. Vietnam | Town of Record | POCATELLO | Unit | 1st Avn Bde 61 AHC | Death Code | Non-hostile, Died Missing; Air Loss, Crashed on Land; Helicopter - Crew | | Hometown | | service # | 18813594 | Panel | 44EAST - 07 | | Married | Single | In Service | | Medals | | | Tour Date | 02NOV67 | Comment | | Cemetery | | |
JESS BURTON BOICOURT Jr
| | Birth | 23OCT45 | Rank | CPL | Date of Death | 11MAR68 | | P. of birth | | Service | Marines | Place | Quang Tri, S. Vietnam | Town of Record | NAMPA | Unit | H&S CO 1/9TH MAR 3D MAR DIV | Death Code | Hostile, Died; Artillery, Rocket, Mortar; Ground Casualty | | Hometown | | service # | 2275676 | Panel | 44EAST - 14 | | Married | Single | In Service | 1 yr | Medals | | | Tour Date | 28MAR67 | Comment | | Cemetery | | |
TERENCE PIERCE THOMAS
| | Birth | 20JUN46 | Rank | PFC | Date of Death | 11MAR68 | | P. of birth | | Service | Army (Drafted) | Place | Gia Dinh, S. Vietnam | Town of Record | HAMMETT | Unit | 1st Inf Div B Co 1st Bn 2nd Inf | Death Code | Hostile, Died; Gun, Small Arms Fire; Ground Casualty | | Hometown | | service # | 56628197 | Panel | 44EAST - 22 | | Married | Single | In Service | | Medals | | | Tour Date | 20OCT67 | Comment | | Cemetery | | |
MICHEL T WHEELER
| | Birth | 18JAN49 | Rank | CPL | Date of Death | 16MAR68 | | P. of birth | | Service | Army | Place | Quang Tin, S. Vietnam | Town of Record | EMMETT | Unit | 173rd Abn Bde D Co 3rd Bn 503rd Inf | Death Code | Hostile, Died; Artillery, Rocket, Mortar; Ground Casualty | | Hometown | | service # | 18802138 | Panel | 45EAST - 06 | | Married | Single | In Service | | Medals | | | Tour Date | 03OCT67 | Comment | | Cemetery | | |
MARSHALL GUST SCHAFFNER
| | Birth | 02FEB47 | Rank | PFC | Date of Death | 18MAR68 | | P. of birth | | Service | Marines | Place | Quang Tri, S. Vietnam | Town of Record | CATALDO | Unit | H CO 2DBN 4TH MARS 9TH MAB | Death Code | Hostile, Died; Gun, Small Arms Fire; Ground Casualty | | Hometown | | service # | 2266228 | Panel | 45EAST - 29 | | Married | Single | In Service | 1 yr | Medals | | | Tour Date | 20JUN67 | Comment | | Cemetery | | |
CECIL RAY MILLSPAUGH
| | Birth | 04OCT44 | Rank | SP4 | Date of Death | 26MAR68 | | P. of birth | | Service | Army (Drafted) | Place | Kontum, S. Vietnam | Town of Record | DECLO | Unit | 4th Inf Div D Co 3rd Bn 8th Inf | Death Code | Hostile, Died; Multiple Fragmentation Wounds; Ground Casualty | | Hometown | | service # | 56628120 | Panel | 46EAST - 39 | | Married | Married | In Service | 1 yr | Medals | | | Tour Date | 22AUG67 | Comment | | Cemetery | | |
HERMAN AUGUSTA LOHMAN Jr
| | Birth | 24JAN48 | Rank | CPL | Date of Death | 06APR68 | | P. of birth | | Service | Marines | Place | Quang Tri, S. Vietnam | Town of Record | TWIN FALLS | Unit | G CO., 2ND BN., 26TH MARS 3RD MARDIV | Death Code | Hostile, Died; Artillery, Rocket, Mortar; Ground Casualty | | Hometown | | service # | 2222513 | Panel | 48EAST - 29 | | Married | Single | In Service | | Medals | | | Tour Date | | Comment | | Cemetery | | |
MICHAEL ALLAN SNYDER
| | Birth | 17OCT42 | Rank | PFC | Date of Death | 06APR68 | | P. of birth | | Service | Army (Drafted) | Place | Quang Tri, S. Vietnam | Town of Record | LEWISTON | Unit | 1st Cav Div D Co 1st Bn 5th Cav | Death Code | Hostile, Died; Multiple Fragmentation Wounds; Ground Casualty | | Hometown | | service # | 56932516 | Panel | 48EAST - 35 | | Married | Single | In Service | 1 yr | Medals | | | Tour Date | 03DEC67 | Comment | | Cemetery | | |
JIM CARL MC NAMAR
| | Birth | 16SEP45 | Rank | HN | Date of Death | 17APR68 | | P. of birth | | Service | Navy | Place | Quang Tri, S. Vietnam | Town of Record | MOUNTAIN HOME | Unit | 3RD MARDIV H&S CO 3RD BN 26TH MARINES | Death Code | Hostile, Died Wounds; Multiple Fragmentation Wounds; Ground Casualty | | Hometown | | service # | 7882111 | Panel | 50EAST - 32 | | Married | Single | In Service | 2 yrs | Medals | | | Tour Date | | Comment | | Cemetery | | |
ARTURO RECIO RIOS
| | Birth | 19FEB47 | Rank | SP4 | Date of Death | 19APR68 | | P. of birth | | Service | Army (Drafted) | Place | Dinh Tuong, S. Vietnam | Town of Record | IDAHO FALLS | Unit | 9th Inf Div C Co 2nd Bn 39th Inf | Death Code | Hostile, Died Wounds; Gun, Small Arms Fire; Ground Casualty | | Hometown | | service # | 67173039 | Panel | 51EAST - 01 | | Married | Single | In Service | 1 yr | Medals | | | Tour Date | 15SEP67 | Comment | | Cemetery | | |
JESS WILLIAM CREASON Jr
| | Birth | 23JUL47 | Rank | SP4 | Date of Death | 26APR68 | | P. of birth | | Service | Army | Place | Pleiku, S. Vietnam | Town of Record | CASCADE | Unit | 1st Avn Bde 179th Aviation Co | Death Code | Non-hostile, Died Missing; Air Loss, Crashed on Land; Helicopter - Noncrew | | Hometown | | service # | 18801889 | Panel | 52EAST - 16 | | Married | Single | In Service | 1 yr | Medals | | | Tour Date | 29OCT67 | Comment | | Cemetery | | |
STEVEN MICHAEL MC ARTHUR aka STEVEN D. LOOMER
| | Birth | 08FEB49 | Rank | SP4 | Date of Death | 28APR68 | | P. of birth | Coeur d'Alene | Service | Army | Place | Thua Thien, S. Vietnam | Town of Record | COEUR D ALENE | Unit | 101st Abn Div Trp A 2nd Sqd 17th Cav | Death Code | Hostile, Died; Multiple Fragmentation Wounds; Ground Casualty | | Hometown | | service # | 18993678 | Panel | 52EAST - 40 | | Married | Single | Link | Virtual Wall | Medals | | | Tour Date | 17NOV67 | Comment | | Cemetery | | |
Researcher's notes
Steven Michael McArthur was known as Steven D. Loomer in Coeur D'Alene ID.
It is not unusual for some of the service men to have more than one name.
The usual thing is Mom remarries and the son is given the surname of his step-father (especially if there are other children in the home.) Most people of the community knows the kid by that name.
The kid then joins the service and is required to use his legal name. Thus young Steven Loomer became SP4 Steven McArthur.
Steven Loomer's death was on the front page of the Coeur d'Alene newspaper. He is listed on the wall under his legal and military name Steven McArthur and he is buried in the Forest Cemetery, Coeur D' Alene ID as Steven McArthur.
I hope this explaination allows friends of Steven to find him on the Wall. It is presented with honor and respect.
Cd'A Soldier Dies in Viet
Army Pvt. Steven D. Loomer, 19, Coeur d' Alene, was killed in action in Vietnam, according to official word received Tuesday night by his immediate family. He was the son of Mrs. Sam Loomer, 508 Locust Ave., and Jack McArthur, Spokane.
His death occurred 28 Apr (1968), according to the Department of Defense.
Pvt. Loomer had been stationed as a paratrooper at Cu Chi, Vietnam, but recently had been involved in action over much of the war zone, including the Hue area. He was a member of the 101st Airborne Division. Details of the mission at the time of his death were not disclosed.
Young Loomer was born 8 Feb 1949 in Coeur d'Alene, and attended local schools prior to enlisting in military service during the summer of 1967. He shipped to Vietnam in October where he immediately went to the front lines.
He was the recipient of two citations for military heroism.
Survivors, besides his parents, include a step-father, Sam Loomer, at the family home; brothers, Carnie Loomer and Jeff Loomer, and step-brothers and step-sister Mike, Chuck and Peggy Loomer, all at the family home.
Several aunts and uncles also live in the area.
(The Coeur d'Alene Press, Coeur D'Alene ID, Wednesday, 1 May 1968) researched by Coeur d'Alene Library.
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