Category: Vietnam War

Cpl Raymond Samuel Orr

Birth: May 28, 1946 Mint Hill, Mecklenburg Co., NC

Death: Jan. 15, 1967 Quang Nam, Vietnam. USMC

Cpl Raymond Samuel Orr native of Matthews, NC was 20 years old and was not married. It was reported that Raymond died from an undetermined explosion. His body was recovered.

Written by:
Victoria Mackey, Correspondent
Indian Trail Newspaper

As the Viet Cong started firing at the platoon of tired, dirty, and battle fatigued Marines, they fell to the ground or behind a tree if they were lucky. Corporal Raymond Samuel Orr was lying on the ground next to his best buddy. Orr had killed several Viet Cong within his gun sites and his buddy was killing them too. After several minutes of the fire fight, Orr realized that his friend had been mortally wounded and was lying right beside him dying.

A gush of emotions ran over Orr. He wanted to get up and do anything he could to keep his buddy alive; radio in a medic, let the others in his platoon know what was happening, and put his hands on his buddy’s body to keep his blood from flowing onto the ground. But he couldn’t because if he got up, or even moved, he would be shot himself. He continued to shoot at the Viet Cong as he listened to his buddy’s screams and cries for help. It was all Orr could do to maintain his composure and continue shooting, while listening to his best friend in that foreign jungle die beside him; after a few minutes, the screaming and cries for help stopped. His buddy was dead and he did nothing to help him. Orr was consumed with guilt although he logically knew that under the circumstances there was nothing he could have done for his friend.

Orr would not be consumed with guilt for long because he was killed in a fire fight a few weeks later. The Marines told his family that he was killed in Quang Nam, South Vietnam as a result of exploding shrapnel from an undetermined explosion. Willis Orr, of Mint Hill, brother of Corporal Orr, stated that his brother told him how upset he was over seeing his buddy die right beside him during the fire fight. Willis does not think that his brother got over it before he died within weeks in another firefight. Raymond Orr was born on May 28, 1946 in Mint Hill, North Carolina, the son of Anjay and Bernice Montgomery Orr. There were thirteen children born to the family however most of them died before they became adults. The adult children were Raymond, Willis, Travis, and Anjay, Jr.

Willis stated that their Grandfather Adophus Orr bought land in Mint Hill and moved his family from the Hickory Grove area in Charlotte. All of Raymond’s family lived beside each other on that land. He was very athletic at J.H. Gunn High School, playing baseball and basketball. When he graduated in 1964, he immediately joined the Marines. Willis stated that Raymond wanted to join the Marines because they were the meanest, roughest, and toughest men of the United States military. Some of Raymond’s buddies from high school decided to follow him into the Marines. Raymond completed basic training at Parris Island, South Carolina and he was sent directly to Vietnam where he became a rifleman. Willis remembers that he received the Purple Heart but he could not remember the names of the other medals.

He was the son of Mr. Anjay Orr, Sr. (1915 – 1978) of Matthews, NC. He served with Mike Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division, 3rd MAF. He was awarded The Combat Action Ribbon (CAR), The Purple Heart Medal for his combat related wounds, The Vietnam Service Medal, The Republic of Vietnam Campaign Service Medal, The National Defense Service Medal and The Good Conduct Medal.

Burial: Mowing Glade AME Zion Church Cemetery Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., NC.

(Source: Posted with permission of Tom & Jim Reece, #46857744; finding NC Vietnam KIA/MIA’s gravesites; Reconfigured and submitted by: Ron Yates)

 

 

Sp4 Loomis Oglesby III

Birth: Aug. 9, 1937 Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., NC

Death: Mar. 3, 1966, Vietnam.

Sp4 Loomis Oglesby III native of Charlotte, NC was 28 years old and was married. It was reported that Loomis was very seriously wounded in Hostile Action and died from his wounds.

Loomis was the son of Mr. Loomis Oglesby, Jr. of Charlotte, NC. He served with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, “Blue Spaders”, 1st Infantry Division, “Big Red One”. He was awarded The Combat Infantryman’s Badge, The Purple Heart Medal for his combat related wounds, The Vietnam Service Medal, The Republic of Vietnam Campaign Service Medal, The National Defense Service Medal and The Good Conduct Medal.

Burial: York Memorial Park Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., NC

Plot: Oglesby Family.

(Source: Posted with permission of Tom & Jim Reece, #46857744; finding NC Vietnam KIA/MIA’s gravesites; Reconfigured and submitted by: Ron Yates)

Cpl Ronald Edward Niles

Birth: Nov. 3, 1946 Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., NC

Death: May 9, 1967 Quang Tri Province, Vietnam.

USMC Cpl Ronald Edward Niles native of Charlotte, NC was 20 years old and was not married. It was reported that Ronald died from small arms fire or grenade. His body was recovered.

He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Willie Niles of Charlotte, NC. He served with 1st Platoon, Foxtrot Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine Division, 3rd MAF. He was awarded The Combat Action Ribbon (CAR), The Purple Heart Medal for his combat related wounds, The Vietnam Service Medal, The Republic of Vietnam Campaign Service Medal, The National Defense Service Medal and The Good Conduct Medal.

Burial: York Memorial Park Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., NC

Plot: Sect. 10, Lot # 506, Grave #4.

(Source: Posted with permission of Tom & Jim Reece, #46857744; finding NC Vietnam KIA/MIA’s gravesites; Reconfigured and submitted by: Ron Yates)

Sp4 Lewis Nance

Birth: Oct. 22, 1945 New York

Death: Aug. 24, 1968, Vietnam.

Lewis Nance native of Charlotte, NC was 22 years old and married and a member of the Presbyterian Church. Army Spec 4 was an Armor Intelligence Specialist and served with G Troop 2nd squad of the 11th Armored Cavalry. He was killed in hostile action from multiple fragmentation wounds while serving in Binh Long, South Vietnam. He had started his tour in Viet Nam June 3, 1968. His body remains were recovered.

Burial: York Memorial Park Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., NC.

(Source: Posted with permission of Tom & Jim Reece, #46857744; finding NC Vietnam KIA/MIA’s gravesites; Reconfigured and submitted by: Ron Yates)

Hospitalman George Franklin Myrick

Birth Date: 19 Aug 1945

Death Date: 17 Mar 1968

Gender: Male Age: 22 Race: Caucasian (White) Home City: Los Angeles Home State: California Religion: Protestant Marital Status: Single SSN/Service #: B817902 Citizen Status: U.S. Death Date: 17 Mar 1968 Processed Date: Apr 1968 Casualty Country: South Vietnam Casualty Type: Hostile Air: Helicopter Air Casualty; E-3; HN; Province: Quang Nam

George the son of Carl C. and Garnet Z.E. Myrick, enlisted in the US Navy on April 19, 1966. He attended Field Medical School in Camp Pendleton CA and then was assigned to the US Naval Hospital in San Diego. With orders for duty in Vietnam HN Myrick was assigned to H&S Company and attached to Company D, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st MARDIV (Rein) FMF as a Field Corpsman when he arrived. During Operation Worth, after a frontal attack against enemy forces on Hill 502 that raged most of the day, contact was broken by the enemy. Casualties were gathered and brought to an LZ for medical evacuation.

A CH-46 D from HMM-265 arrived for the medical evacuation, upon lift off the helicopter came under intense enemy ground fire and as it circled away from the LZ it was hit in the rear pylon by a B-40 RPG rocket causing it to crash and burn in a valley below. The entire crew and six wounded survived, nine other wounded men died including HN Myrick who had been wounded in his left leg while treating Marines during the battle and was also being medically evacuated. HN Myrick was presented the Navy Achievement Medal with combat “V” “For outstanding achievement in superior performance of his duties 13 January 1968” and presented the Bronze Star Medal posthumously “For heroic achievement on 6 February 1968 while serving as a Corpsman” (Source: posted OBIT at findagrave.com)

Sp4 Wiley Barry Moss

Birth: Aug. 23, 1947 Rockingham Richmond Co., NC

Death: Apr. 1, 1969 Bin Duong, Vietnam.

Sp4 Wiley Barry Moss, Vietnam Veteran native of Charlotte, North Carolina was 21 years old and was not married. It was reported that Wiley died from an undetermined accident. His body was recovered.

His nephew recalls that Wiley was one of nineteen children fathered by T.K. Moss, of Rockingham, NC; he was the youngest boy. Even though his nephew was three years older than him they laughed about him being my uncle. He was described as a fine young man from a poor family with a lot of pride. He served with Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 33rd Artillery Regiment, 1st Infantry Division “Big Red One”. He was awarded The Purple Heart Medal for his combat related wounds, The Vietnam Service Medal, The Republic of Vietnam Campaign Service Medal, The National Defense Service Medal and The Good Conduct Medal.

Burial: Richmond County Memorial Park Rockingham, Richmond Co., NC.

(Source: Posted with permission of Tom & Jim Reece, #46857744; finding NC Vietnam KIA/MIA’s gravesites; Reconfigured and submitted by: Ron Yates)

Corp Ansel Wendell Morse

Birth: Mar. 29, 1950 Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., NC

Death: Jun. 8, 1970 Quang Nam, Vietnam.

USMC Cpl Ansel Wendell Morse native of Charlotte, NC was 20 years old and was not married. It was reported that Ansel died from multiple fragmentation wounds from a mine. His body was recovered.

A friend from Garinger High School recalls shooting pool, drinking beer and talking about getting drafted. He served with Combined Action Program (CAP) 2-7-3, Combined Action Company (CAC) 2-7, 2nd Combined Action Group (CAG), Combined Action(CA), 3rd MAF, United States Marine Corps. He was awarded The Combat Action Ribbon (CAR), The Purple Heart Medal for his combat related wounds, The Vietnam Service Medal, The Republic of Vietnam Campaign Service Medal, The National Defense Service Medal and The Good Conduct Medal.

Burial: Sharon Memorial Park Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., NC.

(Source: Posted with permission of Tom & Jim Reece, #46857744; finding NC Vietnam KIA/MIA’s gravesites; Reconfigured and submitted by: Ron Yates)