Chelsea’s War Dead

August 18, 2013|Chelsea History

CHELSEA’S CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE
VIETNAM WAR


The Army that went to Vietnam in the 1960’s was an Army whose generals believed, in an almost mystical way, that they could use the swift, smashing fist of Armor and sheer numbers to overwhelm those poorly trained and equipped “little people”. The ‘grunt’, the ‘nurse’, the ‘door gunner’, the ‘teamster’, the ‘Ranger’; those of the millions of ‘every-day folks’ who went to war, and the fifty-six thousand who’ll never come back, can be proud that they did what they did.

15 From Chelsea Killed in Action
during the War in Vietnam.
Note: 5 were born in Chelsea and
resided elsewhere. 10 were residents.

PFC Salvatore J. Agri Jr.	US Army	Born: April 21, 1949 – Chelsea, Massachusetts
Killed in Action on April 9, 1968, Binh Dinh, S. Vietnam		Vietnam Wall Panel 48E Row 56
A member of the 1st Field Force, US Army. His tour began on Mar 5, 1968. Casualty was on Apr 9, 1968 in Binh Dinh, South Vietnam by hostile ground fire resulting in multiple fragmentation wounds. Wounded when the firebase was over-run by NVA and VietCong sappers at LZ Crystal, Bong Son Province- Body was recovered

SEAMAN Everett Albert Allen	US Navy	Born: May 5, 1939 – Chelsea, Massachusetts
Killed on July 29, 1967, North Vietnam		Vietnam Wall Panel 24E Row 13
On July 29, 1967, the USS Forrestal CVA-59, was operating on Yankee Station off the coast of North Vietnam conducting combat operations. A Zuni rocket accidentally fired from an F-4 Phantom into a parked and armed A-4 Skyhawk. The subsequent JP5 fires and explosions from 1000 & 500 pound bombs tragically took the lives of 134 crewman. Seaman Everett Allen is one of the personnel who gave the supreme sacrifice as a result of this accident. Non-hostile sea casualty – Body was recovered.

Captain Mark A. Babson	US Army Flyer	Born: ? – Chelsea, Massachusetts
Killed on Oct 14, 1969 in Tuyen Duc, South Vietnam.		Vietnam Wall Panel 17W Row 79
A member of the 1st AVN BDE. US Army. His tour began on May 30, 1969. Casualty was on Oct 14, 1969 in Tuyen Duc, South Vietnam. Mark was a helicopter pilot that was killed when his helicopter crash landed. Non-hostile. Body was recovered. (Note: Residence listed as Murfreesboro, Tennessee)

PFC Sheldon Robert Cohen	US Army	Born: November 5, 1943 – Chelsea, Massachusetts
Killed in Action on May 29,1966, South Vietnam		Vietnam Wall Panel 7E Row 117
A member of the 25th Infantry Division, US Army. His tour began on Dec 30, 1965. Casualty was on May 29, 1966 in South Vietnam by hostile ground fire and small arms. Body was recovered

SGT Edward R. Cordeau	US Army	Born: May 28, 1947 – Chelsea, Massachusetts
Killed in Action Mar 7, 1968 in Kien Tuong, S. Vietnam		Vietnam Wall Panel 43E Row 42
A member of the 9th Infantry Division, US Army. His tour began on Aug 21, 1967. Casualty was on Mar 7, 1968 in Kien Tuong, South Vietnam by a hostile explosive device. Body was recovered. (Note: Residence listed as Winthrop, Massachusetts)

SGT Rodney J. Evans	US Army	Born: July 17, 1948 – Chelsea, Massachusetts
Killed in Action on July 18, 1969, Tay Ninh Province, S.Vietnam. Awarded the Medal of Honor – DETAILS		Vietnam Wall Panel 20W Row 14 *Medal of Honor*
A member of Company D, 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division, US Army. His tour began on February 19, 1969. Casualty was on July 18, 1969 in Tay Ninh Province, South Vietnam by a hostile explosive device. Body was recovered. (Note: Residence listed as Florala, Alabama)

PFC Michael Thomas Fitzpatrick	US Army	Born: August 13, 1946 – Chelsea, Massachusetts
Killed in Action on July 10, 1966, South Vietnam		Vietnam Wall Panel 9E Row 14
A member of the 25th Infantry Division, US Army. His tour began on May 22, 1966. Casualty was on Jul 10, 1966 in South Vietnam by hostile ground fire resulting in multiple fragmentation wounds. Body was recovered.
Mike grew up in Prattville and attended Chelsea High School. He was born on August 13, 1946 and died just short of his twentieth birthday, having been drafted into the army less than two months earlier. LINK TO THE VIETNAM MEMORIAL WEBSITE: http://thewall-usa.com/info.asp?recid=16322

PFC Joseph Augustus Friel	USMC	Born: June 28, 1945 – Chelsea, Massachusetts
Killed in Action on Sept. 21, 1966 Quang Tri, S. Vietnam		Vietnam Wall Panel 10E Row 127
A member of the US Marine Corps. Casualty was on Sep 21, 1966 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam by hostile ground fire and small arms. Body was recovered. (Note: Residence listed as West Roxbury)

PFC John Barden Hudson	USMC	Born: April 13, 1949 – Chelsea, Massachusetts
Killed in Action on April 20, 1968, Thua Thien, Vietnam		Vietnam Wall Panel 51E Row 8
A member of the US Marine Corps. His tour began on Jan 23, 1968. Casualty was on Apr 20, 1968 in Thua Thien, South Vietnam by hostile ground fire and explosive device. Body was recovered. (Note: Residence listed as Peekskill, New York)

PFC Bruce J. Kennedy	USMC	Born: May 28, 1949 – Chelsea, Massachusetts
Killed in Action Nov. 14, 1968, Quang Nam, S. Vietnam		Vietnam Wall Panel 39W Row 67
A member of the US Marine Corps. His tour began on Jun 29, 1968. Casualty was on Nov 14, 1968 in Quang Nam, South Vietnam by hostile ground fire and small arms. Bruce was one of 5 Marines on a killer team patrol west of hill 22, an all volunteer patrol, he died with another Marine. Body was recovered.

PFC John Edward Madigan Jr.	US Army	Born: April 2, 1947 – Chelsea, Massachusetts
Killed in Action on October 7, 1967, Long An, S. Vietnam		Vietnam Wall Panel 27E Row 65
A member of the 9th Infantry Division, US Army. His tour began on Aug 24, 1967. Casualty was on Oct 7, 1967 in Long An, South Vietnam. Wounded by hostile fire, died while missing from multiple fragmentation wounds. Body was recovered.

SP/4 Cyril Mitchell, Jr	US Army	Born: August 16, 1947 – Chelsea, Massachusetts
Killed in Action on Sept. 11, 1968, Gia Dinh, S. Vietnam		Vietnam Wall Panel 44W Row 27
A member of the 199th Light Infantry Brigade US Army. His tour began on Apr 3, 1968. Casualty was on Sep. 11, 1968 in Gia Dinh, South Vietnam. Died of wounds from a hostile explosive device. Body was recovered.

PFC Edward John Rosser	US Army	Born: October 29, 1947 – Chelsea, Massachusetts
Killed in Action on August 16, 1967, South Vietnam		Vietnam Wall Panel 25E Row 2
His tour began on May 4, 1967. Casualty was on Aug 16, 1967 in South Viietnam from non-hostile action. Body was recovered.

PFC Frank M. Sokolowski	US Army	Born: December 7, 1947 – Chelsea, Massachusetts
Killed in Action on October 7, 1966, South Vietnam		Vietnam Wall Panel 11E Row 59
A member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade, US Army. His tour began on Jun 20, 1966. Casualty was on Oct 7, 1966 in South Vietnam by a hostile explosive device. Body was recovered

SP/4 William Thompson	US Army	Born: Nov. 15, 1949 – Chelsea, Massachusetts
Killed in Action March 24, 1971, Quang Tri, S. Vietnam		Vietnam Wall Panel 4W Row 74
A member of the 5th Infantry Division Mechanized, US Army. His tour began on Aug 28, 1970. Casualty was on Mar 24, 1971 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam. He died while missing from hostile artillery, rocket or mortar. Body was recovered.