DORIO, JOHN ★ 18 DEC 44 - OCT 68 SCHELLER, JEFFREY ★ 31 JUL 54 - 1 OCT 72 KERBL, FRANK ★ 16 SEP 34 - 1 OCT 67 WILLIAMS, LEROY ★ 7 APR 42 - 3 OCT 65 KOCH, KENNETH ★ 18 JAN 49 - 3 OCT 70 FRITZ, RAYMOND ★ 28 MAY 47 - 4 OCT 67 FORMICA, GARY ★ 28 JUL 47 - 4 OCT 70 BIRD, JOHN ★ 14 MAR 44 - 4 OCT 66 HOPKINS, MARION ★ 25 MAY 47 - 4 OCT 67 OWEN, DAVID ★ 27 JAN 36 - 4 OCT 67 MIDUSKI, FRANCIS ★ 8 APR 44 - 5 OCT 67 BURGANS, RICHARD ★ 17 FEB 44 - 5 OCT 65 PIANO, RALPH ★ 8 SEP 48 - 5 OCT 69 ELFENBEIN, ERNIE ★ 5 FEB 48 - 6 OCT 67 SCHOELIER, TJEERD ★ 12 APR 45 - 6 OCT 67 GROSS, VICTOR ★ 30 AUG 46 - 7 OCT 67 METTINGER, ALBERT ★ 6 MAY 33 - 7 OCT 70 BROCKMANN, ROBERT ★ 17 JUL 43 - 7 OCT 66 PABST, EUGENE ★ 13 OCT 42 - 7 OCT 66 JACOBSON, JON ★ 19 OCT 47 - 7 OCT 70 RICHARDSON, CHARLES ★ 5 APR 44 - 8 OCT 68 GONZALEZ, FRANCISCO ★ 1 MAR 42 - 8 OCT 67 FERRUGGIA, RICHARD ★ 15 JUN 45 - 8 OCT 67 BRAYBROOKE, CHRISTOPHER ★ 25 MAR 28 - 8 OCT 67 FEISTNER, STEPHEN ★ 8 FEB 47 - 8 OCT 67 CAMPBELL, PATRICK ★ 21 NOV 46 - 8 OCT 66 LAZARO, ROBERT ★ 29 MAR 47 - 9 OCT 67 ARMSTRONG, WARDELL ★ 13 DEC 49 - 9 OCT 68 SUYDAM, JAMES ★ 4 OCT 48 - 9 OCT 69 BRENNAN, JOHN ★ 21 FEB 43 - 9 OCT 69 GODFREY, WILLIAM ★ 24 MAR 49 - 10 OCT 69 SCHIESS, THOMAS ★ 21 JUL 50 - 10 OCT 70 RAMOS, ANGEL ★ 20 MAY 48 - 10 OCT 66 HIMMELREICH, HARRY ★ 15 APR 46 - 10 OCT 65 FEENEY, JOSEPH ★ 22 JUL 49 - 10 OCT 71 JAMES, HENRY ★ 29 NOV 47 - 10 OCT 68 ALVES, MOSES ★ 23 NOV 34 - 11 OCT 69 HAHN, JEFFREY ★ 20 JAN 47 - 11 OCT 67 HARRIS, LANTIE ★ 29 JUL 48 - 11 OCT 68 LIGHT, JERRY ★ 23 JAN 47 - 11 OCT 67 SMYRYCHYNSKI, GEORGE ★ 7 AUG 43 - 13 OCT 66 MIKULA, EMERY ★ 20 MAR 42 - 13 OCT 66 MICHEL, ROBERT ★ 28 JAN 43 - 13 OCT 68 LANNING, HAROLD ★ 11 MAR 35 - 13 OCT 65 KRUEGER, JOHN ★ 19 FEB 50 - 13 OCT 69 BURROUGHS, ROBERT ★ 26 JUN 42 - 14 OCT 67 MULLINS, WILLIAM ★ 28 DEC 42 - 14 OCT 67 MERLINO, CARL ★ 20 JAN 37 - 14 OCT 71 SCHULZ, WILLIAM ★ 23 MAR 47 - 15 OCT 67 FERGUSON, KEVIN ★ 6 DEC 48 - 16 OCT 67 VANDERHOFF, GEORGE ★ 7 NOV 48 - 16 OCT 68 KUTKOWSKI, GREGORY ★ 21 MAR 48 - 18 OCT 70 SELF, EUGENE ★ 2 JUN 46 - 18 OCT 66 ARNTZ, WILLARD ★ 5 JUL 46 - 18 OCT 68 CUSTODE, RALPH ★ 13 OCT 48 - 18 OCT 69 EALEY, DOUGLAS ★ 28 FEB 42 - 19 OCT 68 SALUGA, STEPHEN ★ 24 DEC 46 - 19 OCT 68 MENA, SAMUEL ★ 23 SEP 49 - 19 OCT 68 COLANTUONO, WAYNE ★ 22 NOV 46 - 20 OCT 67 LATOURETTE, PAUL ★ 5 DEC 46 - 20 OCT 67 HENDRICKS, EUGENE ★ 13 JUL 46 - 21 OCT 68 MILEY, BRUCE ★ 20 DEC 46 - 21 OCT 68 VAN VLIET, HOWARD ★ 4 OCT 28 - 21 OCT 68 HAYNES, BARTON ★ 19 JUL 48 - 22 OCT 67 BACH, COLIN ★ 14 FEB 48 - 22 OCT 68 HOLDEN, THOMAS ★ 23 AUG 41 - 22 OCT 66 ETTZ, MICHAEL ★ 28 JAN 47 - 23 OCT 67 SIMONE, DENIS ★ 2 MAY 42 - 23 OCT 68 MORVAY, JON ★ 17 MAR 47 - 23 OCT 67 RILEY, RICHARD ★ 1 APR 45 - 24 OCT 68 SACKETT, DAVID ★ 8 OCT 46 - 24 OCT 69 MORLEY, JOHN ★ 13 APR 47 - 24 OCT 68 MEESTER, EVERETT ★ 8 JAN 48 - 24 OCT 68 WHELAN, JOSEPH ★ 1 FEB 42 - 25 OCT 69 ESPOSITO, JAMES ★ 31 AUG 44 - 25 OCT 68 HARGROVE, DALE ★ 14 APR 52 - 26 OCT 70 TUNICK, FRANKLIN ★ 10 APR 41 - 26 OCT 66 BROWN, RICHARD ★ 27 JUN 44 - 26 OCT 67 GRANT, WAYNE ★ 7 MAY 46 - 26 OCT 67 ELKINS, JAN ★ 20 MAR 48 - 26 OCT 68 WYATT, RONALD ★ 31 MAY 46 - 28 OCT 66 BOSKO, MICHAEL ★ 3 JUN 45 - 28 OCT 66 ROSSELL, FRANCIS ★ 26 DEC 43 - 28 OCT 68 MOYER, CHARLES ★ 12 JUL 47 - 28 OCT 67 FOXWORTH, ARTHUR ★ 17 MAY 40 - 28 OCT 69 MAC VEAN, STEPHEN ★ 30 JAN 44 - 29 OCT 69 GABURO, GEORGE ★ 9 JAN 36 - 29 OCT 67 GREGORY, DAVID ★ 8 AUG 45 - 31 OCT 66 DORIO, JOHN ★ 18 DEC 44 - OCT 68 SCHELLER, JEFFREY ★ 31 JUL 54 - 1 OCT 72 KERBL, FRANK ★ 16 SEP 34 - 1 OCT 67 WILLIAMS, LEROY ★ 7 APR 42 - 3 OCT 65 KOCH, KENNETH ★ 18 JAN 49 - 3 OCT 70 FRITZ, RAYMOND ★ 28 MAY 47 - 4 OCT 67 FORMICA, GARY ★ 28 JUL 47 - 4 OCT 70 BIRD, JOHN ★ 14 MAR 44 - 4 OCT 66 HOPKINS, MARION ★ 25 MAY 47 - 4 OCT 67 OWEN, DAVID ★ 27 JAN 36 - 4 OCT 67 MIDUSKI, FRANCIS ★ 8 APR 44 - 5 OCT 67 BURGANS, RICHARD ★ 17 FEB 44 - 5 OCT 65 PIANO, RALPH ★ 8 SEP 48 - 5 OCT 69 ELFENBEIN, ERNIE ★ 5 FEB 48 - 6 OCT 67 SCHOELIER, TJEERD ★ 12 APR 45 - 6 OCT 67 GROSS, VICTOR ★ 30 AUG 46 - 7 OCT 67 METTINGER, ALBERT ★ 6 MAY 33 - 7 OCT 70 BROCKMANN, ROBERT ★ 17 JUL 43 - 7 OCT 66 PABST, EUGENE ★ 13 OCT 42 - 7 OCT 66 JACOBSON, JON ★ 19 OCT 47 - 7 OCT 70 RICHARDSON, CHARLES ★ 5 APR 44 - 8 OCT 68 GONZALEZ, FRANCISCO ★ 1 MAR 42 - 8 OCT 67 FERRUGGIA, RICHARD ★ 15 JUN 45 - 8 OCT 67 BRAYBROOKE, CHRISTOPHER ★ 25 MAR 28 - 8 OCT 67 FEISTNER, STEPHEN ★ 8 FEB 47 - 8 OCT 67 CAMPBELL, PATRICK ★ 21 NOV 46 - 8 OCT 66 LAZARO, ROBERT ★ 29 MAR 47 - 9 OCT 67 ARMSTRONG, WARDELL ★ 13 DEC 49 - 9 OCT 68 SUYDAM, JAMES ★ 4 OCT 48 - 9 OCT 69 BRENNAN, JOHN ★ 21 FEB 43 - 9 OCT 69 GODFREY, WILLIAM ★ 24 MAR 49 - 10 OCT 69 SCHIESS, THOMAS ★ 21 JUL 50 - 10 OCT 70 RAMOS, ANGEL ★ 20 MAY 48 - 10 OCT 66 HIMMELREICH, HARRY ★ 15 APR 46 - 10 OCT 65 FEENEY, JOSEPH ★ 22 JUL 49 - 10 OCT 71 JAMES, HENRY ★ 29 NOV 47 - 10 OCT 68 ALVES, MOSES ★ 23 NOV 34 - 11 OCT 69 HAHN, JEFFREY ★ 20 JAN 47 - 11 OCT 67 HARRIS, LANTIE ★ 29 JUL 48 - 11 OCT 68 LIGHT, JERRY ★ 23 JAN 47 - 11 OCT 67 SMYRYCHYNSKI, GEORGE ★ 7 AUG 43 - 13 OCT 66 MIKULA, EMERY ★ 20 MAR 42 - 13 OCT 66 MICHEL, ROBERT ★ 28 JAN 43 - 13 OCT 68 LANNING, HAROLD ★ 11 MAR 35 - 13 OCT 65 KRUEGER, JOHN ★ 19 FEB 50 - 13 OCT 69 BURROUGHS, ROBERT ★ 26 JUN 42 - 14 OCT 67 MULLINS, WILLIAM ★ 28 DEC 42 - 14 OCT 67 MERLINO, CARL ★ 20 JAN 37 - 14 OCT 71 SCHULZ, WILLIAM ★ 23 MAR 47 - 15 OCT 67 FERGUSON, KEVIN ★ 6 DEC 48 - 16 OCT 67 VANDERHOFF, GEORGE ★ 7 NOV 48 - 16 OCT 68 KUTKOWSKI, GREGORY ★ 21 MAR 48 - 18 OCT 70 SELF, EUGENE ★ 2 JUN 46 - 18 OCT 66 ARNTZ, WILLARD ★ 5 JUL 46 - 18 OCT 68 CUSTODE, RALPH ★ 13 OCT 48 - 18 OCT 69 EALEY, DOUGLAS ★ 28 FEB 42 - 19 OCT 68 SALUGA, STEPHEN ★ 24 DEC 46 - 19 OCT 68 MENA, SAMUEL ★ 23 SEP 49 - 19 OCT 68 COLANTUONO, WAYNE ★ 22 NOV 46 - 20 OCT 67 LATOURETTE, PAUL ★ 5 DEC 46 - 20 OCT 67 HENDRICKS, EUGENE ★ 13 JUL 46 - 21 OCT 68 MILEY, BRUCE ★ 20 DEC 46 - 21 OCT 68 VAN VLIET, HOWARD ★ 4 OCT 28 - 21 OCT 68 HAYNES, BARTON ★ 19 JUL 48 - 22 OCT 67 BACH, COLIN ★ 14 FEB 48 - 22 OCT 68 HOLDEN, THOMAS ★ 23 AUG 41 - 22 OCT 66 ETTZ, MICHAEL ★ 28 JAN 47 - 23 OCT 67 SIMONE, DENIS ★ 2 MAY 42 - 23 OCT 68 MORVAY, JON ★ 17 MAR 47 - 23 OCT 67 RILEY, RICHARD ★ 1 APR 45 - 24 OCT 68 SACKETT, DAVID ★ 8 OCT 46 - 24 OCT 69 MORLEY, JOHN ★ 13 APR 47 - 24 OCT 68 MEESTER, EVERETT ★ 8 JAN 48 - 24 OCT 68 WHELAN, JOSEPH ★ 1 FEB 42 - 25 OCT 69 ESPOSITO, JAMES ★ 31 AUG 44 - 25 OCT 68 HARGROVE, DALE ★ 14 APR 52 - 26 OCT 70 TUNICK, FRANKLIN ★ 10 APR 41 - 26 OCT 66 BROWN, RICHARD ★ 27 JUN 44 - 26 OCT 67 GRANT, WAYNE ★ 7 MAY 46 - 26 OCT 67 ELKINS, JAN ★ 20 MAR 48 - 26 OCT 68 WYATT, RONALD ★ 31 MAY 46 - 28 OCT 66 BOSKO, MICHAEL ★ 3 JUN 45 - 28 OCT 66 ROSSELL, FRANCIS ★ 26 DEC 43 - 28 OCT 68 MOYER, CHARLES ★ 12 JUL 47 - 28 OCT 67 FOXWORTH, ARTHUR ★ 17 MAY 40 - 28 OCT 69 MAC VEAN, STEPHEN ★ 30 JAN 44 - 29 OCT 69 GABURO, GEORGE ★ 9 JAN 36 - 29 OCT 67 GREGORY, DAVID ★ 8 AUG 45 - 31 OCT 66

Rafael Colon-Santos - Sergeant (SGT)

Hometown:
Hammonton
D.O.B.:
September 28, 1948
County:
Atlantic
Rank:
Sergeant (SGT)
Branch:
Army
Date of Casualty:

April 17, 1970

Casualty Status:
Killed In Action
Country of Incident:
South Vietnam

Rafael Colon-Santos was born on September 28, 1948. His home of record is Hammonton, NJ. He was the son of Carmen Santos and Rafael Colon. He was the older brother of Arnold, Carlos, Michael, Janet, and Elizabeth. Rafael attended Vineland High School in Vineland, NJ and graduated from Comerio Superior High in Comerio, PR.

He served in the US Army and attained the rank of Sergeant (SGT).

Colon-Santos was killed in action on April 17, 1970. He is buried at Puerto Rico National Cemetery.

Whose presence has never left us abandoned and when needed we can feel his warm embrace, and see the greatest smile that always meant, don’t worry we’ll get through this together as I am with you always. [He} was taken from us way too suddenly and without warning on April 17, 1970 defending this country that he loved and protecting us from harms way at the ripe young age of 21 years old.
You made a difference Junior, in our lives but also I was able to meet and converse with the men that you protected over in the “Nam”, as they call it. They respected and loved you as well. Mom was very proud of you; you know how she loved you, and when she heard their stories, of your bravery and selfishness, that pride just burst out of her. Especially as they thanked her for sharing you with them, for that little time, but centuries for guys in a unit in a war zone.

We miss you dearly and our kids, all your nieces and nephew all say the same thing, “I wish I could have met him,” yet I think they do as we reminisce and they hear the stories of how your protected us as we grew up. How you led the way in school, so we didn’t have to put up with the prejudice and ignorance of those that we would meet as we followed you through the schools in New York and New Jersey. How you were our shining light, that always got us back on our feet and pushed us on to achieve whatever it was that we wanted to excel in. As the rest of your brothers and sisters-told me, how can we ever explain how “much” we love and cared for you. And how we all keep you in our hearts and minds so that we still share our lives with you for all time.
Written by Carlos S. Lopez, brother.

Source: NJVVMF and the Colon-Santos Family, Photo from VVMF.
12/17/2024

Other Heros From Hammonton

Palma, Gerard - Captain

Hometown: Hammonton

Merlino, Carl - Major

Hometown: Hammonton