Willie Wogan KIA 2/16/69
 

William Michael Wogan
Sergeant First Class
D CO, 1ST BN, 506TH INF RGT, 101 ABN DIV
Army of the United States
15 October 1947 - 17 July 1978
Glen Oaks, NY
Panel 32W Line 047

We had been in a short but vicious firefight, the third in as many days. We took an NVA Major prisoner, at least he was dressed as a Major. We found a clearing large enough for an LZ so we setup a defensive perimeter and called for a chopper to come pick him up and also a couple of slightly wounded men.

Willie Wogan guided the Huey in and helped get the wounded on board. The chopper lifted off and had just cleared the treetops when the LZ erupted with an explosion. The NVA had command detonated a 250lb bomb they had buried under the LZ.

There was nothing left of Willie except some pieces of his boot we found.


Side Note:
According to the Army ???? it was not absolutely certain that he had died when the bomb detonated (we knew better) and there was a remote possibility that he had been blown into nearby foliage but survived. Accordingly, Willie was classified as Missing in Action rather than Killed in Action. He was carried as MIA until 17 July 1978, when the Secretary of the Army approved a Presumptive Finding of Death and his status was changed to killed in action, body not recovered.

Hey homie. Hope you are doing good. Had a FNG ,don't even know his name , burn up in a track , only found a leg bone . They said he had to be MIA. Hope they are lookin at us and smiling.

on a grim note the good thing about the deceased being listed as MIA instead of KIA for the time period the widow keeps receiving his benefits until officially reported as deceased. The Navy aviator here in Jacksonville Fla "Scott Spiker" was changed just before the Iraq war to MIA from the previous KIA from the last Gulf War on the remote hope they would find him alive in Saddam's Prison. When the status changed the widow received several years of Back pay and resumed receiving Benefits till they change his status back in the near future. may Willie,Scott and the FNG :a: Rest In Peace and keep a cold one waiting for us all when we get there someday too :32:

Rest in Peace Brothers!!

Just a bump for today

RIP Willie .. you aren't forgotten

If you are wounded I will carry you . If you are captured I will come for you and if you are killed I will always remember you. RIP Willie. Your a good Bro. Homie