KENNITH WAYNE WHEELER
Panel 25W ROW 045 - 10-May-69

Sgt. Kennith Wayne Wheeler 2302494/6320 USMC was from Brownwood, Texas. He was born on December 20, 1945. He arrived in Vietnam on May 14, 1968. He was 23 years old at the time of his death. He died on May 10, 1969 in Quang Tri Province. He was a crewmember of a CH-46D which crashed on land due to hostile causes. His body was recovered. He was not married. His religion was Protestant. His race is officially listed as Caucasian. He had four years service at the time of his death.

The Command Chronology for the date of his death contains the following information:

"HMM-262 launched an 8 A/C (aircraft) assault lifting troops of 1/9 (First Battalion Ninth Marines) into Landing Zone Erskine located at YD-162106 (UTM grid coordinates). Small-arms fire was received by one of the A/C while in the zone during the first wave, yet no hits were taken. On the second wave, 93-8 (aircraft mission number) while approaching the zone had a power loss, fell short of the zone, crashed and burned. The pilot, copilot, and one gunner, Major Whitfield, 1/Lt P. J. Traube, and L/Cpl J. W. Stewart, received minor injuries. However the crew chief and second gunner, Cpl K. W. Wheeler and Cpl P. Gibson (H&MS-39) received fatal injuries together with three of the troops aboard the aircraft...."