Wall of Honor

The Following men all served in Alpha Company 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion. Forty-eight men were killed in action.  Eight additional men were Killed In Action after leaving the unit and serving in another reconnaissance company or other Marine unit. Those names are highlighted.

31 May 2021

Date	Rank	Last Name	First	I.	Hometown	St	Panel	Line
12 Jul 1965	1st.Lt	Reasoner	Frank	S.	Kellogg	ID	2E	36
08 Jul 1966	LCpl.	Longanecker	Ronald	L.	Portland	OR	9E	7
06 Dec 1966	Pfc.	McElroy	Theodore	R.	Cleveland	OH	13E	16
26 Jan 1967	HM	Brown	Robert	L.	East Point	GA	14E	79
26 Jan 1967	Sgt.	Dean	Howard	H.	Harrodsburg	KY	14E	79
16 Apr 1967	1stLt.	Piatt	Richard	W.	Los Angeles	CA	18E	36
26 Apr 1967	Cpl.	Hall	Lindy	R.	Tunkhannock	PA	18E	93
10 May 1967	1stLt.	Ahlmeyer Jr.	Heinz		Pearl River	NY	19E	77
10 May 1967	HM.	Miller	Malcom	T.	Tampa	FL	19E	84
10 May 1967	LCpl.	Sharp Jr.	Samuel	A.	San Jose	CA	19E	86
10 May 1967	Sgt.	Tycz	James	N.	Milwaukee	WI	19E	88
05 Jun 1967	GySgt.	Ibanez	Di	R.	San Diego	CA	21E	58
06 Jun 1967	Cpl.	Sherrell	David	F.	Woodland Hill	CA	21E	63
06 Jun 1967	Cpl.	Speir	Dale	L.	N. Baltimore	OH	21E	63
06 Jun 1967	Cpl.	Withey	Howard	H.	Fayetteville	AR	21E	64
11 Jun 1967	Sgt.	Moshier	Jim	E.	Bakersfield	CA	21E	91
30 Jun 1967	Cpl.	Allen	Merlin	R.	Bayfield	WI	22E	86
30 Jun 1967	HM.	Judd	Michael	B.	Cleveland	OH	22E	88
30 Jun 1967	LCpl.	Killen, III	John	D.	Des Moines	IA	22E	88
30 Jun 1967	Cpl.	Runnels Jr.	Glyn	L.	Birmingham	AL	22E	88
02 Jul 1967	LCpl.	Perry	Dennis	M.	Perry	GA	22E	112
03 Aug 1967	HM.	McGrath	James	P.	Chicago	IL	24E	73
03 Aug 1967	LCpl.	Nahan III	John	B.	Allegan	MI	24E	73
03 Aug 1967	LCpl.	Wolpe	Jack		Newburgh	NY	24E	75
12 Aug 1967	Sgt.	Castaneda	Eugene		Honokaa	HI	24E	102
14 Sep 1967	Pfc.	Dray	Donald	B.	Buffalo	NY	26E	73
14 Sep 1967	HM.	Wilson	Gary	R.	Chicago Hts	IL	26E	73
28 Dec 1967	Sgt.	Phipps	Gene	R.	Greensboro	NC	32E	89
30 Dec 1967	Pfc.	Jones	Terry	A.	Detroit	MI	33E	3
30 Dec 1967	LCpl.	Tingley	Thomas	J.	Fairfield	CT	33E	5
02 Jan 1968	LCpl.	Gauthier	Gerald	P.	St Martinville	LA	33E	18
02 Jan 1968	Pfc.	Harris	Bruce	R.	Columbus	IN	33E	18
02 Jan 1968	Sgt.	Houdashelt	Francis	G.	Pensacola	FL	33E	18
02 Jan 1968	HM.	Jarvis	David	L.	Jamesville	NY	33E	19
02 Jan 1968	Pfc.	Miller	James	W.	Fridley	MN	33E	20
02 Jan 1968	Pfc.	Pitts	Terry	D.	Bakersfield	CA	33E	21
16 Feb 1968	Pfc.	Coon	Keith	D.	Topeka	KS	39E	58
16 Feb 1968	HM.	Giejc	Alexander		Milwaukee	WI	39E	59
16 Feb 1968	Pfc.	Little Sun	Thomas	L.	Pawnee	OK	39E	63
16 Feb 1968	Capt.	Ward	Alexander	K.	Annapolis	MD	39E	68
14 Sep 1968	Pfc.	Martinez	George	V.	San Francisco	CA	44W	57
27 Nov 1968	Pfc.	Brown	John	C.	Dallas	TX	38W	71
24 Aug 1968		McGill	Robert	A		OH	46W	6
02 Dec 1968	1stLt.	Latimer, Jr.	Richard	E.	Tinker AFB	OK	37W	23
05 Dec 1968	LCpl.	Hames Jr.	Henry	M.	Portland	OR	37W	46
28 Dec 1968	LCpl.	McGinley	Gerald	G.	Concord	CA	36W	86
28 Dec 1968	LCpl.	Mickelson	Dennis	E.	Eugene	OR	36W	85
16 Jan 1969	HM.	Minks	Raymond	C.	Randolph AFB	TX	34W	16
10 Mar 1969	LCpl.	Chavez	Freddie	P.	Albuqueque	NM	30W	39
10 Mar 1969	Sgt.	Gayer	Kenneth	E.	Fresno	CA	30W	101
11 Apr 1969	Cpl.	Scheidel Jr.	Robert	L.	Canton	CT	27W	59
08 Jun 1969	Cpl.	Landi	George	F.	New York	NY	23W	111
08 Jun 1969	1stLt.	McLean	Ronald	W.	Beverly Hills	CA	23W	113
11 Jun 1969	Pfc.	Hicks	Michael	E.	San Leandro	CA	22W	21
31 Jul 1969	Cpl.	Bates	Ronald	J.	Glouchester City	NJ	20W	79
06 Sep 1969	Capt.	McDermott III	Bernard	A.	Nashville	TN	18W	49

Alpha Company Missing In Action

The following men are missing in action in connection with Alpha Company Recon patrols during the Vietnam War. They all have been declared “killed in action and bodies not recovered” by the Department of Defense. Over the years the government has classified them in a number of categories. However, on this page they are considered “Missing In Action”. All of these men are either known to have been killed or believed killed by their team survivors. There is one exception and that is Di R. Ibanez who was known to be captured by PAVN Forces.

It is the policy of the Alpha Recon Association to reach out to the families of these men and assist them in any way possible. We also work very closely, professionally, behind the scenes with numerous Department of Defense agencies in an effort to provide them with documents and enable them to have interviews with our surviving members. We are compelled and driven to provide all information possible in an effort to assist the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) in locating and searching our loss locations

We pray that one day all of our missing in action will return home.

The below names highlighted are still Missing In Action. The others have all been located, identified, and returned to their families.

Date	Rank	Last Name	First	I.	Hometown	St	Panel	Line
08 Jul 1966	LCpl.	Longanecker	Ronald	L.	Portland	OR	9E	7
10 May 1967	1stLt.	Ahlmeyer Jr.	Heinz		Pearl River	NY	19E	77
10 May 1967	HM.	Miller	Malcom	T.	Tampa	FL	19E	84
10 May 1967	LCpl.	Sharp Jr.	Samuel	A.	San Jose	CA	19E	86
10 May 1967	Sgt.	Tycz	James	N.	Milwaukee	WI	19E	88
05 Jun 1967	GySgt.	Ibanez	Di	R.	San Diego	CA	21E	58
30 Jun 1967	Cpl.	Allen	Merlin	R.	Bayfield	WI	22E	86
30 Jun 1967	HM.	Judd	Michael	B.	Cleveland	OH	22E	88
30 Jun 1967	LCpl.	Killen, III	John	D.	Des Moines	IA	22E	88
30 Jun 1967	Cpl.	Runnels Jr.	Glyn	L.	Birmingham	AL	22E	88

HM Gary R. Wilson

DOB 25 December 1943
Chicago Heights, IL

Loss Date 14 September 1967
Wall 26E Panel 73

On 14 September 1967 Doc Wilson was a member of an Alpha Company Patrol that was operating west of Phu Bai. He was declared missing in action after the team came into contact with enemy forces. Wilson's remains were recovered and returned during 1970.

The following information was found in the 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion Command Chronology for the month of September 1967. This was recorded in the summary page:

" A patrol operating in the vicinity of (YC8997) conducted 48 1/2 hours of reconnaissance and surveillance which resulted in 1 contact with 2-6 VC. Contact resulted in 1 USMC KIA, 3 USMC WIA and 1 USN WIA. As the USN WIA was being hoisted into the med-evac helicopter a red smoke grenade inadvertently went off inside the helo. In the ensuing confusion the helocopter lurched forward and the Wilson fell and was lost in the jungle (1 USN MIA )."

An inquiry was made with Department of Defense and the following information was learned. On 13 January 1970 a patrol from the 54th ARVN Regiment came upon some remains at YC891977 (about 30 kilometers southeast of FSB Rifle) and sent them through the 85th Evacuation to the mortuary. These remains were later identified as Gary R. Wilson through a dental comparison.

The Return of Recon Team Partyline One

03 Aug 1967	HM.	McGrath	James	P.	Chicago	IL	24E	73
03 Aug 1967	LCpl.	Nahan III	John	B.	Allegan	MI	24E	73
03 Aug 1967	LCpl.	Wolpe	Jack		Newburgh	NY	24E	75

Reconnaissance Patrol Partyline One was attacked by NVA forces during the emergency extraction of the patrol from the Southern A Shau Valley on 3 August, 1967. Three patrol members and a crewman from the CH-46 attempting the extract were killed when a rocket propelled grenade exploded inside the helicopter as it was hovering in the zone. The surviving patrol members and air crew were subsequently extracted by the back-up helicopter. The enemy situation in and around the landing zone prevented recovery of their bodies.

The Joint Task Force, Full Accounting (JTFFA) conducted several recovery operations in and around the crash site during the 1990 timeframe. Remains were eventually recovered by excavation of the site and sent to the Army Forensic Laboratory in Hawaii. Family members were eventually notified that their remains had been identified.

There was a Memorial Service at Arlington Cemetery for McGrath, Nahan, Wolpe on 9 November 2001.

Back To Historical Accounts

Contact:

George Neville

www.alphareconassociation.org