RAITT, ALBERT ★ 27 JUN 27 - AUG 65 CURRY, GEORGE ★ 2 OCT 45 - 1 AUG 66 GUNDAKER, FRANK ★ 14 JAN 34 - 1 AUG 66 KOMMENDANT, AADO ★ 9 AUG 41 - 1 AUG 66 MAHER, EDWARD ★ 4 APR 47 - 2 AUG 68 GRAHAM, BARRY ★ 1 MAR 39 - 3 AUG 70 GRANGER, WILLIE ★ 30 DEC 46 - 3 AUG 68 SANTORO, RONALD ★ 9 JAN 49 - 3 AUG 68 SCHNABOLK, HOWARD ★ 22 AUG 43 - 3 AUG 67 SPRUILL, OVELL ★ 20 AUG 46 - 4 AUG 70 ANDERSON, MARCUS ★ 2 JAN 47 - 6 AUG 68 BARBEE, JOHN ★ 19 JUL 44 - 6 AUG 68 CRIKELAIR, JOHN ★ 12 MAY 45 - 6 AUG 69 MCCAULEY, DENNIS ★ 9 OCT 43 - 6 AUG 67 VICHOSKY, WALTER ★ 18 OCT 47 - 6 AUG 71 BRUNO, EDWARD ★ 2 JAN 48 - 7 AUG 69 DE JESUS-COLON, JOSE ★ 9 JAN 45 - 7 AUG 68 HEIN, ANTHONY ★ 26 JUL 46 - 7 AUG 68 CORBIN, DONALD ★ 16 NOV 46 - 8 AUG 66 IVES, RICHARD ★ 13 JAN 46 - 8 AUG 66 KISIELEWSKI, JOHN ★ 19 MAY 49 - 8 AUG 70 NORDMAN, ERIC ★ 28 SEP 42 - 8 AUG 66 OVAITT, RICHARD ★ 12 MAY 47 - 8 AUG 68 VON BISCHOFFSHAUSEN, ROBERT ★ 4 MAY 48 - 8 AUG 68 ELLIOTT, ROBERT ★ 31 AUG 45 - 9 AUG 70 NICKENS, CECIL ★ 19 SEP 47 - 9 AUG 67 HESSON, JOSEPH ★ 22 FEB 49 - 10 AUG 69 ROBBINS, RONALD ★ 9 MAR 48 - 11 AUG 69 GREEN, LEO ★ 7 FEB 49 - 12 AUG 69 HAYES, JEREMIAH ★ 19 JUL 47 - 12 AUG 69 MCMANUS, ROBERT ★ 30 JAN 47 - 12 AUG 68 PARTON, CARL ★ 5 JUL 31 - 12 AUG 69 DEL GUIDICE, GREGORY ★ 1 JUL 49 - 13 AUG 69 DELUCA, GEORGE ★ 11 FEB 28 - 13 AUG 65 DOWD, JOHN ★ 23 SEP 31 - 13 AUG 69 MILLAN, RICHARD ★ 2 DEC 50 - 13 AUG 69 BILLERO, MICHAEL ★ 11 JAN 44 - 14 AUG 66 BULMER, ROBERT ★ 29 NOV 47 - 14 AUG 68 MANTHEY, BARRY ★ 5 JAN 48 - 14 AUG 68 SINIBALDI, MICHAEL ★ 1 OCT 49 - 14 AUG 68 BRANNON, HARRY ★ 9 MAY 36 - 15 AUG 66 DICKERSON, DOUGLAS ★ 23 OCT 48 - 15 AUG 67 FONT, MANUEL ★ 18 AUG 46 - 15 AUG 66 KOLAS, ROBERT ★ 21 MAY 47 - 15 AUG 67 LEONARDIS, STEPHEN ★ 15 JAN 44 - 16 AUG 68 GOODING, WILLIAM ★ 8 DEC 48 - 17 AUG 69 HARGER, DON ★ 13 FEB 39 - 17 AUG 67 MACK, FRANCIS ★ 21 NOV 41 - 17 AUG 66 MAIURO, JOSEPH ★ 16 NOV 47 - 17 AUG 67 MILLER, EDWARD ★ 3 NOV 48 - 17 AUG 68 FIRTH, THOMAS ★ 3 NOV 44 - 18 AUG 65 HOLLAND, CHARLES ★ 27 JUL 39 - 18 AUG 67 IANNUZZI, CHARLES ★ 26 SEP 45 - 18 AUG 65 ASHNAULT, RAYMOND ★ 17 APR 48 - 19 AUG 69 COLLINS, THEOTHIS ★ 27 SEP 49 - 19 AUG 68 GIACOBBE, ANGELO ★ 28 JUL 48 - 19 AUG 68 LANGFORD, ALVIN ★ 24 APR 48 - 19 AUG 68 MOBUS, JOSEPH ★ 17 MAR 48 - 19 AUG 69 MORGAN, BRUCE ★ 27 OCT 51 - 19 AUG 71 SEXTON, LEONARD ★ 26 SEP 47 - 19 AUG 68 SOLOMON, ROBERT ★ 8 AUG 49 - 19 AUG 69 VIGGIANO, ROBERT ★ 15 JUN 47 - 19 AUG 67 COYLE, JAMES ★ 14 MAY 39 - 20 AUG 64 DROZDZ, STANISLAW ★ 14 JUN 49 - 20 AUG 69 KYLE, THOMAS ★ 10 DEC 46 - 20 AUG 66 MORRIS, DANIEL ★ 9 JAN 47 - 20 AUG 66 MUSSELMAN, JOSEPH ★ 3 JAN 46 - 20 AUG 69 NESTOR, FRANK ★ 5 MAR 48 - 20 AUG 69 BUSCH, THOMAS ★ 10 FEB 49 - 21 AUG 69 CARNEY, GEORGE ★ 9 APR 47 - 21 AUG 68 REAMER, DONALD ★ 3 SEP 46 - 21 AUG 68 WEST, EDWARD ★ 19 NOV 46 - 21 AUG 68 MIONE, ANTHONY ★ 23 MAR 49 - 22 AUG 69 TRUEX, GLENN ★ 13 SEP 50 - 22 AUG 69 WORSHINSKI, ROBERT ★ 2 JUN 47 - 22 AUG 68 CHEADLE, HAROLD ★ 7 MAY 44 - 23 AUG 68 GURDCILANI, BORIS ★ 29 MAY 50 - 23 AUG 69 HILL, EUGENE ★ 18 MAY 48 - 23 AUG 68 KINSLER, FREDERICK ★ 18 JUL 49 - 23 AUG 69 MCBRIDE, CLAUDE ★ 19 MAY 36 - 23 AUG 63 SECOR, GILBERT ★ 6 JAN 32 - 23 AUG 68 WHITING, JUSTIN ★ 10 JAN 43 - 23 AUG 69 ABERNATHY, DANIEL ★ 1 NOV 46 - 24 AUG 68 DOLAN, JIMMY ★ 28 FEB 51 - 24 AUG 69 FOSTER, STEVEN ★ 6 MAR 48 - 24 AUG 68 HEINZE, KELLY ★ 17 MAR 28 - 24 AUG 65 KOVACH, PETER ★ 4 SEP 48 - 24 AUG 68 PETRICK, FRANK ★ 11 SEP 46 - 24 AUG 67 PFEFFERLE, WARREN ★ 26 JAN 44 - 24 AUG 65 RIDGE, WILLIAM ★ 11 OCT 49 - 24 AUG 69 GRAY, EDWARD ★ 7 MAR 49 - 25 AUG 68 JENSEN, GARY ★ 22 APR 49 - 25 AUG 70 LAWRENCE, MICHAEL ★ 8 JAN 50 - 25 AUG 69 MILAN, GEORGE ★ 30 MAR 45 - 25 AUG 67 PETRACCO, ROBERT ★ 9 MAY 49 - 25 AUG 68 SMITH, FORTUNE ★ 28 JUL 32 - 25 AUG 66 CANNITO, DENNIS ★ 4 MAR 48 - 26 AUG 69 CURTIN, JOHN ★ 25 DEC 45 - 26 AUG 68 GIRTANNER, JULES ★ 9 JUN 35 - 26 AUG 66 HETZEL, NORMAN ★ 4 OCT 48 - 26 AUG 69 LEHEW, DONALD ★ 19 JUL 34 - 26 AUG 66 MURNER, PETER ★ 13 MAY 45 - 26 AUG 68 VENNIK, ROBERT ★ 19 JAN 46 - 26 AUG 71 ALBERTS, FRANCIS ★ 13 MAY 38 - 27 AUG 66 BARNHART, JACK ★ 23 MAR 48 - 27 AUG 68 WICKWARD, WILLIAM ★ 23 APR 33 - 27 AUG 69 BELL, LARRY ★ 16 APR 47 - 28 AUG 69 CHARD, SALUM ★ 4 DEC 49 - 28 AUG 69 DEGENAARS, BRADLEY ★ 14 JUN 44 - 28 AUG 68 MADDEN, PAUL ★ 19 FEB 45 - 28 AUG 66 MANGANELLO, ANTHONY ★ 17 MAY 47 - 28 AUG 68 GRAF, ALBERT ★ 8 SEP 44 - 29 AUG 69 MUSER, LOUIS ★ 16 JUN 47 - 29 AUG 67 DALTON, JAMES ★ 11 JUL 47 - 30 AUG 68 GRAU, ANTONIO ★ 7 DEC 50 - 30 AUG 70 MAGLIARO, CHARLES ★ 14 OCT 47 - 30 AUG 67 MORGAN, ROBERT ★ 19 MAY 47 - 30 AUG 67 HEFFRON, JAMES ★ 1 JAN 46 - 31 AUG 66 STEPHAN, RICHARD ★ 7 OCT 31 - 31 AUG 60 RAITT, ALBERT ★ 27 JUN 27 - AUG 65 CURRY, GEORGE ★ 2 OCT 45 - 1 AUG 66 GUNDAKER, FRANK ★ 14 JAN 34 - 1 AUG 66 KOMMENDANT, AADO ★ 9 AUG 41 - 1 AUG 66 MAHER, EDWARD ★ 4 APR 47 - 2 AUG 68 GRAHAM, BARRY ★ 1 MAR 39 - 3 AUG 70 GRANGER, WILLIE ★ 30 DEC 46 - 3 AUG 68 SANTORO, RONALD ★ 9 JAN 49 - 3 AUG 68 SCHNABOLK, HOWARD ★ 22 AUG 43 - 3 AUG 67 SPRUILL, OVELL ★ 20 AUG 46 - 4 AUG 70 ANDERSON, MARCUS ★ 2 JAN 47 - 6 AUG 68 BARBEE, JOHN ★ 19 JUL 44 - 6 AUG 68 CRIKELAIR, JOHN ★ 12 MAY 45 - 6 AUG 69 MCCAULEY, DENNIS ★ 9 OCT 43 - 6 AUG 67 VICHOSKY, WALTER ★ 18 OCT 47 - 6 AUG 71 BRUNO, EDWARD ★ 2 JAN 48 - 7 AUG 69 DE JESUS-COLON, JOSE ★ 9 JAN 45 - 7 AUG 68 HEIN, ANTHONY ★ 26 JUL 46 - 7 AUG 68 CORBIN, DONALD ★ 16 NOV 46 - 8 AUG 66 IVES, RICHARD ★ 13 JAN 46 - 8 AUG 66 KISIELEWSKI, JOHN ★ 19 MAY 49 - 8 AUG 70 NORDMAN, ERIC ★ 28 SEP 42 - 8 AUG 66 OVAITT, RICHARD ★ 12 MAY 47 - 8 AUG 68 VON BISCHOFFSHAUSEN, ROBERT ★ 4 MAY 48 - 8 AUG 68 ELLIOTT, ROBERT ★ 31 AUG 45 - 9 AUG 70 NICKENS, CECIL ★ 19 SEP 47 - 9 AUG 67 HESSON, JOSEPH ★ 22 FEB 49 - 10 AUG 69 ROBBINS, RONALD ★ 9 MAR 48 - 11 AUG 69 GREEN, LEO ★ 7 FEB 49 - 12 AUG 69 HAYES, JEREMIAH ★ 19 JUL 47 - 12 AUG 69 MCMANUS, ROBERT ★ 30 JAN 47 - 12 AUG 68 PARTON, CARL ★ 5 JUL 31 - 12 AUG 69 DEL GUIDICE, GREGORY ★ 1 JUL 49 - 13 AUG 69 DELUCA, GEORGE ★ 11 FEB 28 - 13 AUG 65 DOWD, JOHN ★ 23 SEP 31 - 13 AUG 69 MILLAN, RICHARD ★ 2 DEC 50 - 13 AUG 69 BILLERO, MICHAEL ★ 11 JAN 44 - 14 AUG 66 BULMER, ROBERT ★ 29 NOV 47 - 14 AUG 68 MANTHEY, BARRY ★ 5 JAN 48 - 14 AUG 68 SINIBALDI, MICHAEL ★ 1 OCT 49 - 14 AUG 68 BRANNON, HARRY ★ 9 MAY 36 - 15 AUG 66 DICKERSON, DOUGLAS ★ 23 OCT 48 - 15 AUG 67 FONT, MANUEL ★ 18 AUG 46 - 15 AUG 66 KOLAS, ROBERT ★ 21 MAY 47 - 15 AUG 67 LEONARDIS, STEPHEN ★ 15 JAN 44 - 16 AUG 68 GOODING, WILLIAM ★ 8 DEC 48 - 17 AUG 69 HARGER, DON ★ 13 FEB 39 - 17 AUG 67 MACK, FRANCIS ★ 21 NOV 41 - 17 AUG 66 MAIURO, JOSEPH ★ 16 NOV 47 - 17 AUG 67 MILLER, EDWARD ★ 3 NOV 48 - 17 AUG 68 FIRTH, THOMAS ★ 3 NOV 44 - 18 AUG 65 HOLLAND, CHARLES ★ 27 JUL 39 - 18 AUG 67 IANNUZZI, CHARLES ★ 26 SEP 45 - 18 AUG 65 ASHNAULT, RAYMOND ★ 17 APR 48 - 19 AUG 69 COLLINS, THEOTHIS ★ 27 SEP 49 - 19 AUG 68 GIACOBBE, ANGELO ★ 28 JUL 48 - 19 AUG 68 LANGFORD, ALVIN ★ 24 APR 48 - 19 AUG 68 MOBUS, JOSEPH ★ 17 MAR 48 - 19 AUG 69 MORGAN, BRUCE ★ 27 OCT 51 - 19 AUG 71 SEXTON, LEONARD ★ 26 SEP 47 - 19 AUG 68 SOLOMON, ROBERT ★ 8 AUG 49 - 19 AUG 69 VIGGIANO, ROBERT ★ 15 JUN 47 - 19 AUG 67 COYLE, JAMES ★ 14 MAY 39 - 20 AUG 64 DROZDZ, STANISLAW ★ 14 JUN 49 - 20 AUG 69 KYLE, THOMAS ★ 10 DEC 46 - 20 AUG 66 MORRIS, DANIEL ★ 9 JAN 47 - 20 AUG 66 MUSSELMAN, JOSEPH ★ 3 JAN 46 - 20 AUG 69 NESTOR, FRANK ★ 5 MAR 48 - 20 AUG 69 BUSCH, THOMAS ★ 10 FEB 49 - 21 AUG 69 CARNEY, GEORGE ★ 9 APR 47 - 21 AUG 68 REAMER, DONALD ★ 3 SEP 46 - 21 AUG 68 WEST, EDWARD ★ 19 NOV 46 - 21 AUG 68 MIONE, ANTHONY ★ 23 MAR 49 - 22 AUG 69 TRUEX, GLENN ★ 13 SEP 50 - 22 AUG 69 WORSHINSKI, ROBERT ★ 2 JUN 47 - 22 AUG 68 CHEADLE, HAROLD ★ 7 MAY 44 - 23 AUG 68 GURDCILANI, BORIS ★ 29 MAY 50 - 23 AUG 69 HILL, EUGENE ★ 18 MAY 48 - 23 AUG 68 KINSLER, FREDERICK ★ 18 JUL 49 - 23 AUG 69 MCBRIDE, CLAUDE ★ 19 MAY 36 - 23 AUG 63 SECOR, GILBERT ★ 6 JAN 32 - 23 AUG 68 WHITING, JUSTIN ★ 10 JAN 43 - 23 AUG 69 ABERNATHY, DANIEL ★ 1 NOV 46 - 24 AUG 68 DOLAN, JIMMY ★ 28 FEB 51 - 24 AUG 69 FOSTER, STEVEN ★ 6 MAR 48 - 24 AUG 68 HEINZE, KELLY ★ 17 MAR 28 - 24 AUG 65 KOVACH, PETER ★ 4 SEP 48 - 24 AUG 68 PETRICK, FRANK ★ 11 SEP 46 - 24 AUG 67 PFEFFERLE, WARREN ★ 26 JAN 44 - 24 AUG 65 RIDGE, WILLIAM ★ 11 OCT 49 - 24 AUG 69 GRAY, EDWARD ★ 7 MAR 49 - 25 AUG 68 JENSEN, GARY ★ 22 APR 49 - 25 AUG 70 LAWRENCE, MICHAEL ★ 8 JAN 50 - 25 AUG 69 MILAN, GEORGE ★ 30 MAR 45 - 25 AUG 67 PETRACCO, ROBERT ★ 9 MAY 49 - 25 AUG 68 SMITH, FORTUNE ★ 28 JUL 32 - 25 AUG 66 CANNITO, DENNIS ★ 4 MAR 48 - 26 AUG 69 CURTIN, JOHN ★ 25 DEC 45 - 26 AUG 68 GIRTANNER, JULES ★ 9 JUN 35 - 26 AUG 66 HETZEL, NORMAN ★ 4 OCT 48 - 26 AUG 69 LEHEW, DONALD ★ 19 JUL 34 - 26 AUG 66 MURNER, PETER ★ 13 MAY 45 - 26 AUG 68 VENNIK, ROBERT ★ 19 JAN 46 - 26 AUG 71 ALBERTS, FRANCIS ★ 13 MAY 38 - 27 AUG 66 BARNHART, JACK ★ 23 MAR 48 - 27 AUG 68 WICKWARD, WILLIAM ★ 23 APR 33 - 27 AUG 69 BELL, LARRY ★ 16 APR 47 - 28 AUG 69 CHARD, SALUM ★ 4 DEC 49 - 28 AUG 69 DEGENAARS, BRADLEY ★ 14 JUN 44 - 28 AUG 68 MADDEN, PAUL ★ 19 FEB 45 - 28 AUG 66 MANGANELLO, ANTHONY ★ 17 MAY 47 - 28 AUG 68 GRAF, ALBERT ★ 8 SEP 44 - 29 AUG 69 MUSER, LOUIS ★ 16 JUN 47 - 29 AUG 67 DALTON, JAMES ★ 11 JUL 47 - 30 AUG 68 GRAU, ANTONIO ★ 7 DEC 50 - 30 AUG 70 MAGLIARO, CHARLES ★ 14 OCT 47 - 30 AUG 67 MORGAN, ROBERT ★ 19 MAY 47 - 30 AUG 67 HEFFRON, JAMES ★ 1 JAN 46 - 31 AUG 66 STEPHAN, RICHARD ★ 7 OCT 31 - 31 AUG 60

John Smith - Sergeant (SGT)

Hometown:
Camden
D.O.B.:
October 4, 1941
County:
Camden
Rank:
Sergeant (SGT)
Branch:
Marines
Date of Casualty:

August 11, 1966

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

John David Smith was born on October 4, 1941. His home of record is Camden, NJ. He had three sisters, Vivian, Joyce and Ruth.

Smith enlisted in the US Army, and after serving, was unable to find a job, so he re-enlisted in the US Marine Corps, where he attained the rank of Sergeant (SGT).

On August 11, 1966, Smith was killed in action in South Vietnam, Quang Tin Province. He was 25 years old.

We lived on West Avenue in Pitman, NJ, most of our lives. When Dave, as we called him, was born, he was just about 5 lbs., a tiny dark curly headed wiggly, 17” long bundle. Born in an upstairs front bedroom on October 4, 1941, he was so active and ornery! When he got into things, he smiled and laughed. He was so loving! When he cried, you knew something was really wrong. He did all the usual things boys do. He was surrounded by seven sisters and two brothers, each one special. He loved hide and seek. Dave would cover his eyes and think we couldn’t see him. He played tricks on all of us and his friends. We loved it!

One of the neighbors gave him a pair of cowboy boots. He must have been three or four years old. He loved those boots! He would sleep with them still on, and if he did take them off, he put them under his pillow.

When Dave was only four or five years old, Dave was involved in a terrible accident. Mom was washing clothes in the kitchen. We had an old easy wringer washer with two large tubs for rinsing. He was in the helping stage, so he asked if he could help. Mom told him he was too little and told him to play with his toys in the other room. When she took a basket of clothes out to hang on the line, she heard him screaming! She and a neighbor came running. Dave’s arm was caught in the wringer up to his shoulder. Needless to say, his arm was crushed. It took over 100 stitches to close the wounds and reattach the muscle. His arm never grew like the other one. It was four inches shorter. This didn’t keep Dave from doing the things he loved to do. He played football and baseball. He exercised that arm and it was very strong!

When he was ten or eleven, he loved to take things apart. He also took other kids’ bikes apart! He always rolled one pant leg up to the knee. He never owned a bike of his own, but he looked like he was ready to ride one at a moment’s notice!

He joined the US Army and spent time in Germany in the Tank Corps. When he came home, there were no jobs available for an experienced tank driver, so he re-enlisted in the US Marines Corps. He trained at Camp Lejeune, Parris Island, and was assigned to Vietnam.

He loved being home on leave at our house. My husband, Bob, Dave and I enjoyed each other’s company. We stayed up late remembering old times as kids. Some of the memories made us laugh, others made us cry. I left Bob and Dave giggling like school kids. They were trying to catch a mouse. They had a cigar box, string attached to two sticks, some peanut butter and a cracker. I heard the box drop several times, but never knew if they caught it.

On the drive to the Philadelphia Airport, Dave reminded me he didn’t want a scene. So he held my hand all the way to the car. When he boarded, we hugged and I kissed his cheek. I didn’t cry until he left, but my arms ached to hug him. I never saw him again.

I did receive many letters from him, even months after he died. It felt odd. All of our siblings were close. We each have memories of Dave that we cherish and they are better left in our hearts. It keeps him closer to us. We will never forget Dave, and we appreciate the opportunity to share his life with others.

Written by Joyce Hammel, Sister

Sources: Joyce Hammel (sister) and NJVVMF.
12/17/2024

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