Our Veterans (Directory) • Our Community in Vietnam • In Memory Honor Roll
CASUALTIES: Harnett Co. • » Johnston Co. • Wake Co. • Statewide/Other
CPL John Louis Adams
U.S. Army
Killed July 11, 1968 in Quang Tin Province.
Corporal J.L. Adams was a native of Selma and was 21 years old when he was killed by an explosive device. His father was a tobacco farm and he knew how to work hard. He loved to sing and his favorite song was “Far Away Places.”
He is honored on Panel 52W, Line 13 and is buried at the Crocker Cemetery in Pine Level, NC.
SSGT Sanford Thomas Allen
U.S. Army
Killed May 9, 1968 in Hua Nghia Province.
Staff Sergeant Sanford Allen was a native of Smithfield and served in the military for 17 years with tours in Korea and Vietnam. He was 39 years old and was not married when he was killed by artillery fire. He had been wounded six months before when his tank was hit by anti-tank fire.
He is honored on Panel 57, Line 13 and is buried at Oakland Heights Cemetery in Smithfield, NC.
SP4 Wilbert Ray Barbee
U.S. Army
Killed March 15, 1968 in Dinh Tuong Province.
Specialist 4 Wilbert Barbee was a native of Kenly. He was 20 years old when he was killed by the detonation of a land mine.
He is honored on Panel 44E, Line 57 and is buried in the Kenly Cemetery in Kenley, NC.
PFC Jimmy Earl Carter
U.S. Army
Killed June 27, 1967 in Tay Ninh
Private First Class Jimmy Carter was from Smithfield and attended Micro High School. He was on a combat operation when he was struck by a sniper bullet. He was 19 years old.
He is honored on Panel 22E, Line 68 and is buried at Crocker Cemetery in Pine Level, NC.
LCPL Harold Vernon Dayringer, Jr.
U.S. Marine Corps
Killed August 24, 1965 in Hong Kong.
Lance Corporal Harold Dayringer was a native of Fayetteville, but grew up in Benson. He attended Benson High School and was working as a brick mason before entering the Marine Corps. He was married. He was killed when the airplane returning him to Vietnam from Hong Kong caught on fire and crashed into Hong Kong Harbor. He was among 63 Marines and Navy personnel who had finished a short period of rest and relaxation. Thirteen men survived the crash.
He is honored on Panel 2E, Line 84 and is buried Stevens Chapel Cemetery in Benson, NC.
PFC Neal Albert Denning
U.S. Marine Corps
Killed May 12, 1966 in Quang Nam.
Private First Class Albert Denning was a member of a patrol that was ambushed by an overwhelming Viet Cong force. Only two of the 17 men in the patrol survived the fire fight and the ensuing hand-to-hand combat after the Marines ran out of ammunition. Denning, 19 years old, lived in Willow Springs and joined the military with the intention of later going to college.
He is honored on Panel 7E, Line 52 and is buried at Santa Anna Freewill Baptist Church in Willow Springs, NC.
SFC Eddie Ray Eatmon
U.S. Army
Killed May 2, 1970 in Tay Ninh.
Specialist Eddie Ray Eatmon lived in Micro. He was 34 years old and he was married. He was killed when a land mine detonated. He was a 10-year veteran and had earned a Bronze Star medal.
He is honored on Panel 11W, Line 84 and is buried at Rest Haven Cemetery in Smithfield, NC.
SP4 Burlon T. Honeycutt
U.S. Army
Killed March 14, 1967 in Gia Dinh Province.
Specialist 4 Burlon T. Honeycutt was from Clayton and attended Wilson Mills High School. He was 22 years old. His reported cause of death was drowning.
He is honored on Panel 16E, Line 79 and is buried at Maplewood Cemetery in Clayton, NC.
SP4 Johnny Jackson
U.S. Army
Killed November 11, 1971 in Quang Tin.
Specialist 4 Johnny Jackson was born in Washington, NC, but lived in Smithfield. He often was the point man for his squad, walking ahead of the rest of the troops. He was killed by a booby trap explosive as the squad moved through an unsecured area. He was awarded a Bronze Star medal.
He was 21 years old and was married. Before entering the military, he worked as a forklift operator at Guy C. Lee Manufacturing Company.
He is honored on Panel 3W, Line 71 and was laid to rest at Hopewell United Methodist Church in Newton Grove, NC.
PFC Danny West Johnson
U.S. Army
Killed August 5, 1968 in Tay Ninh Province.
Private First Class Danny Johnson was born in Harnett County, but spent most of his life in Johnston County. He graduated from Four Oaks High School in 1965 and enlisted in the U.S. Army shortly afterwards. He was 20 years old when he was killed by multiple fragmentation wounds from a land mine.
He is honored on Panel 49W, Line 17. He was laid to rest at Burnell Baptist Church in Four Oaks, NC.
PFC John Robert Lee
U.S. Army
Killed September 17, 1966 in Binh Dinh.
Private First Class John Robert Lee was a native of Four Oaks. He was on his first combat patrol in Vietnam when he was killed by an errant American mortar blast.
He is honored on Panel 10E, Line 107 and is buried at the Bethel Original Freewill Baptist Church in Four Oaks, NC.
LCPL Ronald Wayne Lee
U.S. Marine Corps
Killed October 6, 1966 in Quang Tri Province.
Lance Corporal Ronald Lee was a Benson native who was killed by small arms fire or grenade when he was 20 years old.
He is honored on Panel 11E, Line 53 and is buried at Banner Chapel Advent Christian Church in Benson, NC.
PFC Herman Lee McClamb
U.S. Army
Killed December 17, 1968 in Gia Dinh Province.
Private First Class Herman McLamb was a native of Four Oaks. He was he was killed by small arms fire or grenade.
He is honored on Panel 36W, Line 36 and is buried at the Selma Memorial Gardens in Selma, NC.
CPL Thomas McCray
U.S. Army
Killed January 4, 1968 in Binh Duong.
Corporal Thomas McCray was 29 years old and had a wife and child when he was killed by small arms fire or grenade during the Tet Offensive. He was a native of Selma and had graduated from Richard B. Harris High School in Selma.
He is honored on Panel 33E, Line 29 and is buried at Fort Donelson National Cemetery in Dover, TN.
SGT Henry Loranze Morgan
U.S. Army
Killed December 29, 1967 in Quang Nam Province.
Sergeant Henry Morgan was a native of Benson and was 22 years old when he was killed by small arms fire or grenade.
He is honored on Panel 32E, Line 95 and is buried at Piney Grove Pentecostal Freewill Baptist Church in Four Oaks, NC.
CWO Dennis William O’Melia
U.S. Army
Killed January 3, 1971.
MIA
Chief Warrant Officer Dennis O’Melia was an attack helicopter pilot. He was being flown from Qui Nhon to Ban Me Thuot to fly a replacement helicopter back to his company when the plane disappeared from radar. No trace of the airplane was ever found. O’Melia still is listed as missing in action. He was a native of Smithfield and had a wife and child.
He is honored on Panel 5W, Line 23 amd he is listed on a memorial at Arlington National Cemetery.
CPL Edward Percy Pilkington
U.S. Army
Killed April 11, 1971 in Quang Ngai, Vietnam.
Corporal Edward Pilkington, 22 years old, was from Clayton and graduated from Clayton High School in 1966. He had played on the football team. On Easter Sunday, April 11, 1971, a chaplain was flown in by helicopter to conduct services. After the services, the helicopter carrying the chaplain back was attacked by North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces. Pilkington’s company moved to support the withdrawal and a fire fight ensued. Eleven Americans were killed. The youth group at Hocutt Memorial Baptist Church sang at Pilkington’s funeral.
He is honored on Panel 4W, 119 and he was laid to rest at Pinecrest Memorial Gardens in Clayton, NC.
PFC Franklin Daniel Ray
U.S. Marine Corps
Killed February 23, 1968 Quang Tri Province.
Private First Class Franklin Ray, 19, was a mortarman and was killed in a rocket attack on Khe Sanh. Ray was born in Smithfield, but was a 1967 graduate of Orange High in Hillsborough.
He is honored on Panel 41 E, Line 2 and is buried at Chestnut Ridge United Methodist Church in Efland, NC.
SP4 Donald Sherril Sullivan
U.S. Army
Killed January 29 1967 in Kon Tum.
Specialist 4 Donnie Sullivan was a native of Princeton and graduated from Princeton High in 1965. He was drafted that December. He was a member of the 40th Infantry Platoon Scout Dogs. He was wounded in an ambush and later died of his wounds. He previously had earned a Bronze Star medal.
He is honored on Panel 14E, Line 96 and is buried at Fellowship United Methodist Church in Princeton, NC.
CPT Charles Gordon Thorne
U.S. Army
Killed February 13, 1970 in Binh Dinh.
Captain Chuck Thorne was born in Wilson County, but lived in Selma. He tried to enlist when he was 16 and entered the Army when he was 17. He was 28 years old and had been in the military for 11 years when he died in a helicopter crash. He was married and had children. During his military career he received The Bronze Star Medal with One Oak Leaf Cluster and The Army Commendation Medal with One Oak Leaf Cluster.
He is honored on Panel 13W, Line 6 and is buried at Heath Chapel Methodist Church in Chester, SC.
SP4 Arthur Watson
U.S. Army
Killed August 19, 1968 in Tay Ninh.
Specialist 4 Arthur was a native of Smithfield. He was an infantryman in the U.S. Army and was killed by small arms fire or grenade.
He is honored on Panel 47W, Line 5 and is buried at Green Chapel Baptist Church in Smithfield, NC.
PFC Lee Arthur Watson
U.S. Army
Killed April 6, 1968 in Thua Thien Province.
Private First Class Lee Watson was a native of Smithfield and had graduated from Johnston Central High School. He had been in Vietnam for six days when he was killed by small arms fire.
He is honored on Panel 48E, Line 37 and is buried at the Selma Memorial Gardens in Selma, NC.
PFC Percy Earl Watson
U.S. Marine Corps
Killed May 10, 1967 in Thua Thien Province.
Private First Class Percy Watson was a native of Selma and was 19 years old when he was killed. The booby trap explosion that claimed his life also killed two other Marines and wounded another.
He is honored on Panel 19E, Line 89 and is buried at Resthaven Cemetery in Smithfield, NC.
MSGT Willie Woodson Wilkerson
U.S. Army
Killed July 23, 1966 in Bethesda, Md.
Master Sergeant Willie “Brother” Wilkerson fought in World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam and served in the military for 22 years . He was 39 years old and was living in Willow Springs. He contracted an illness in Vietnam and was sent stateside to Walter Reed Army Hospital, where he died. He was awarded a Bronze Star medal.
He is honored on Panel Panel 9E, Line 64 and is buried at Harnett Memorial Park in Lillington, NC.
SGT Charless Edward Williams
U.S. Army
Killed Februay 27, 1968 in Quang Ngai.
Sergeant Charles E. Williams was a native of Smithfield and was killed by small arms fired. He received the Bronze Star Medal for meritorious service.
He is honored on Panel 41E, Line 57 and is buried at Raleigh National Cemetery in Raleigh, NC.