Those Who Fought In Vietnam Came Home To A Country In Turmoil. We Did Not Properly Thank Them For Their Service To The Country They Fought And In Many Cases, Died For.
Honor The Veterans Of Vietnam, World War II, And Of All Foreign Wars. We Live In Freedom Because Of Their Sacrifice.
The following is a list of our Rockaway classmates who made the ultimate sacrifice with their lives. This page, in some small way, tries to honor their memory.
Veterans Of Vietnam
Howard Gerstel, Class of 1956 - Died October 4, 1967 in Binh Duong Province, Viet Nam - Photo courtesy of Rockaway Memories website
Walter Wetzel, Class of 1962 - Died as a result of hostile fire
William Doran, born 1/21/47 - U.S. Army - Far Rockaway
Peter Chase was killed while serving in the Air Force during the Vietnam War
Steven Goldstein, born 8/10/45 - U.S. Army
- Far Rockaway -
Click Here to see Steven's name on the memorial
wall. Photo sent in by Ed Mutchnick, Class of 1963. Thanks Ed.
The
following info about him was obtained from the Vietnam War Memorial Website. PFC - E3 - Army - Selective
Service -
25th Infantry Division.
Length of service 0 years.
His tour began on Feb 15, 1968.
Casualty was on Feb 26, 1968 in Hua Nghia, South Vietnam. Hostile, ground
casualty, small arms fire.
Body was recovered.
Panel 41E - Line 38
Click Here
to view Steven's headstone
William Hayes, born 9/9/48 - U.S. Army - Rockaway Beach
Gary Morris, born 2/2/47 - U.S. Army - Rockaway Beach
Elbert Hubschmitt, born 10/14/41 - U.S. Army - Far Rockaway
Cosmo Pacetta, born 10/4/45 - U.S. Army - Far Rockaway - Click Here to view Cosmo's headstone
Joseph Silon, born 3/27/52 - U.S. Army - Far Rockaway
Michael Elflein, born 6/9/44 - U.S. Marines - Far Rockaway
Edward Johnson, born 9/4/48 - U.S. Army - Rockaway
Dennis DeMichael, born 12/27/46 - U.S. Army - Rockaway
Miguel Valentine, born 2/14/43 - U.S. Marines - Rockaway Beach
Willie Washington, born 6/15/50 - U.S. Marines - Rockaway
Howard Gerstel, born 3/18/39 - U.S. Army - Far Rockaway
Frankie Florio, Class of 1966 - U.S. Marine Corps - Killed in action in Viet Nam in 1967
John M. McGonigle - Army - Killed in Action on May 16, 1968
Edward Joseph Zewert, Jr. - 3-506th Infantry
(Currahees) of the 101st Airborne Division (Screaming Eagles)
Killed in Action on April 26, 1968
George Gierak - Class of 1958 - U.S. Navy - R.I.O (Radar Intercept Operator) when he caught a SAM missile at 3,000 feet in Vietnam.
LLet us not forget Corporal Michael Fredrick Elflein, casualty of the Vietnam War. As a member of the Marine Corps, CPL Elflein served our country until August 31st, 1967 in Quang Nam, South Vietnam. He was 23 years old and was not married. Michael died from multiple fragmentation wounds/mine. His body was recovered. Michael was born on June 9th, 1944 in Far Rockaway, New York. CPL Elflein is on panel 25E, line 073 of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington D.C. He served our country for one year.
Veterans Of World War II
Alan Evans, Class of 1940
He was in the Army Air Corps and was shot down
during the Italian campaign on January 3, 1943. He is buried at the U.S.
military cemetery in Italy.
Danny Gasch, Class of 1942 - born May 17, 1924,
killed in action November 25, 1944.
He was a scout in the infantry, fighting in
the Vosges Mountains in France.
Richard Davis, Class of 1942 - born 2/11/24
Killed in Action at the age of 20.
8th Air Force; European Theater
Arthur A. Amron - Army - Killed in Action on June 10, 1943
Francis T. Acton - Navy - Killed in Action on October 30, 1944
Leonard A. Benjamin - Army - Killed in Action on October 15, 1942
Harold Blanthorn - Air Corps - Killed in Action on April 15, 1944
Cornelius M. Calpin - Navy - Killed in Action on January 12, 1944
John E. Corrigan - Army - Killed in Action on January 22, 1944
Richard H. Davis - Air Corps - Killed in Action on October 18, 1944
Henry J. Dehnert - Army - Killed in Action on
October 11, 1944
I came across the amazing Hall of Honor listed on your alumni
website. What a great way to remember those who have served our country.
I came across the name Henry J. Dehnert listed with the WWII veterans and
wondered if he still has family in the area. I believe he may have gone to
Columbia University with my dad. In fact, dad actually spoke about "Dutch
Dehnert" at an awards dinner at Columbia this week, which happened to fall on
Veterans' Day. Dad told how Dutch went overseas to serve with the army in
Europe, while dad went with the navy to Japanese territory. When dad came home
on leave, the first thing he did was go to Columbia to find his friend Dutch,
only to find out that he had been killed in action.
I think it would be amazing if Dad could touch base with Dutch's family. If you
have any information that would be helpful in contacting them, I would greatly
appreciate it if you would send it to me.
Thanks in advance for your time and consideration.
Jane Heron jmdh85@optonline.net
Frank Dorie
Alan Evans - Army - Killed in Action on January 3, 1943
Aronld P. Fox - Army - Killed in Action on February 14, 1943
Herbert Hopfenberg - Army - Killed in Action on May 2, 1944
George P. Hummel
John Kehoe
Austin W. Kelly, Jr. - Navy - Killed in Action on May 21, 1943
James P. Kenny - Army - Killed in Action on February 27, 1944
Leonard Kram - Navy - Killed in Action on February 27, 1942
John M. Lewis, Jr. - Army - Killed in Action on August 9, 1945
Thomas McArdle - Army - Killed in Action on August 8, 1944
Miles McPartland
Bernard Meehan - Army - Killed in Action on December 18, 1943
James F. O'Brien - Air Corps - Killed in Action on May 20, 1945
Vincent W. O'Keefe - Navy - Killed in Action on January 7, 1944
Dennis Pescod
Harold W. Roberts - Army - Killed in Action on June 12, 1944
George P. Rolly - Air Corps - Killed in Action on April 7, 1943
Stanley Rose
Jules D. Schlichter - Army - Killed in Action on June 6, 1944
Donald R. Schneider - Army - January 8, 1943
Martin Schwartz
Louis Seidman - Army - August 18, 1944
Murray Seiff - Marine Corps - Killed in Action on October 18, 1942
Donald W. Selz - Army - Killed in Action on September 7, 1943
Herbert Springer - Air Corps - Killed in Action on April 14, 1944
Joseph L. Thier - Air Corps - Killed in Action on June 15, 1943
Alvin S. Weiss - Air Corps - Killed in Action on September 12, 1944
Bernard H. Wiener - Army - Killed in Action on December 15, 1943
George Williams - Air Corps - Killed in Action on June 8, 1942
Arthur Ziegler - Army - Jan. 2, 1945
Thanks so much to Jerry Shapiro for suggesting this memorial page and for sending the first names. Thanks also to those of you who have added to this list. If you know of others whose name should appear on this page, please send it to me.