The names of ten American servicemen have been added to the black granite walls of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and the status designations will be changed for 12 others whose names are already on The Wall. The unveiling ceremony was held on May 13, 2012.
The Department of Defense sets the criteria for and makes decisions about whose names are eligible for inscription on The Wall. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund pays for the name additions and status changes, and works with the National Park Service to ensure long-term preservation and maintenance of The Wall.
The ten names added this year met the DoD's criteria. These changes will bring the total number of names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to 58,282 men and women who were killed or remain missing in action.
The following service members are now honored on The Wall:
PFC Johnny Owen Brooks, U.S. Army
Stockton, Calif.
Sept. 22, 1949 – Sept. 24, 2011
Date of Casualty: Nov. 14, 1969
Pfc. Brooks died as a result of wounds (combat or hostile related) sustained in the combat zone during the Vietnam War.
PFC Larry Morgan Kelly, U.S. Army
Akron, Ohio
May 22, 1949 – June 14, 2010
Date of Casualty: Aug. 22, 1969
Pfc. Kelly died as a result of his wounds (combat or hostile related) sustained in the combat zone during the Vietnam War.
SP4 David Lawrence Deckard, U.S. Army
Louisville, Ky.
Jan. 30, 1948 – Jan. 6, 2006
Date of Casualty: March 24, 1969
Spec. Deckard was diagnosed with chronic respiratory failure and the Army determined that his death was directly connected to his wounds received in Vietnam.
ATC Jospeh William Aubin, U.S. Navy
Bridgeport, Conn.
Dec. 14, 1929 – May 26, 1966
Date of Casualty: May 26, 1966
Navy records document that ATC Aubin and three other Sailors died while participating in a combat mission en route to a target within the defined combat zone.
ATR3 Richard Carl Hunt, U.S. Navy
Guys Mills, Penn.
July 2, 1942 – May 26, 1966
Date of Casualty: May 26, 1966
Navy records document that ATR3 Hunt and three other Sailors died while participating in a combat mission en route to a target within the defined combat zone.
LT Walter Allan Linzy, U.S. Navy
Nashville, Ark.
June 11, 1926 – May 26, 1966
Date of Casualty: May 26, 1966
Navy records document that Lt. Linzy and three other Sailors died while participating in a combat mission en route to a target within the defined combat zone.
ATR3 Richard Dwaine Stocker, U.S. Navy
Jacksonville, Ark.
April 17, 1945 – May 26, 1966
Date of Casualty: May 26, 1966
Navy records document that ATR3 Stocker and three other Sailors died while participating in a combat mission en route to a target within the defined combat zone.
LTJG David McLean Desilets, U.S. Navy
Palm Desert, Calif.
Oct. 16, 1940 – Sept. 4, 1966
Date of Casualty: Sept. 4, 1966
The Navy reviewed casualty and other relevant documents pertaining to the death of LTJG Desilets aboard the USS Pyro while steaming on ‘Yankee Station' in the Gulf of Tonkin. The information confirmed that Desilets' death occurred within the defined combat zone.
AN Albert Kalahana Kuewa, U.S. Navy
Honolulu, Hawaii
Nov. 14, 1941 – Sept. 18, 1964
Date of Casualty: Sept. 18, 1964
The Navy reviewed records and determined that Airman Kuewa died while supporting combat missions against targets in North Vietnam.
CPL Frank A. Neary, U.S. USMC
Ocean, N.J.
April 24, 1948 – Nov. 22, 2006
Date of Casualty: Feb. 24, 1967
Cpl. Neary died of a stroke due to an intracranial bleed, chronic thromolytic therapy and occluded bypass graft of his left leg. The Marine Corps reviewed the records and determined that he died of the wounds he sustained in combat in Vietnam.
Status Changes
Beside each name on the Memorial is a symbol designating status. The diamond symbol denotes confirmed death. The cross represents missing in action. When a service member's remains are returned or accounted for, the diamond is superimposed over the cross. In addition to the ten names being added this year, twelve designation changes will be made as well. The status of the following Vietnam War casualties have been changed:
- Army Capt. Charles Ronald Barnes of Fullerton, PA, Panel 29W, Line 50
- Army Sgt. 1st Class William Theodore Brown of La Habra, CA, Panel 16W, Line 22
- Army Sgt. 1st Class James Leslie Moreland of Anaheim, CA, Panel 38E, Line 7
- Army Sgt. 1st Class Donald Monroe Shue of Kannapolis, NC, Panel 16W, Line 24
- Navy Lt. Cmdr. Edward James Broms Jr. of Meadville, PA, Panel 50W, Line 41
- Navy Cmdr. Frank Clifford Green Jr. of Waskom, TX, Panel 1W, Line 55
- Air Force Col. Leo Sydney Boston of Canon City, CO., Panel 7E, Line 7
- Air Force Maj. Thomas Edward Clark of Emporium, PA, Panel 33W, Line 84
- Air Force Maj. Bruce Edward Lawrence of Phillipsburg, NJ, Panel 53W, Line 21
- Air Force Col. Gilbert Swain Palmer Jr. of Birmingham, AL, Panel 41E, Line 53
- Air Force Lt. Col. Edward Dean Silver of Junction City, OR, Panel 53W, Line 23
- Air Force Maj. Charles Milton Walling of Phoenix, AZ, Panel 9E, Line 119
About The Wall
Dedicated on Nov. 13, 1982, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was built to honor all who served with the U.S. armed forces during the Vietnam War. It has become known as an international symbol of healing and is the most-visited memorial on the National Mall.
About Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund
Established in 1979, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., promoting healing and educating about the impact of the Vietnam War. Authorized by Congress, its most recent initiative is building the Education Center at The Wall, an underground facility near the Memorial that is designed to add faces to all the names on The Wall and tell their stories. Other Memorial Fund initiatives include educational programs for students and teachers, a traveling wall replica that honors our nation's veterans and six events held each year at The Wall to honor and remember those we lost during the Vietnam War. Visit the VVMF website to learn more.
