Gannon Clark Milby, JrSpecialist FiveHHC, 2ND BN, 5TH CAVALRY, 1 CAV DIV Army of the United States 01 July 1947 - 10 June 1968 Cordova, Maryland Missing from the Wall |
 
|
|
The database page for Gannon Clark Milby, Jr
|
During the Vietnam War there was no overriding reason to keep close track of names of the men and women who died as a result of military service in the war zone. When, a decade after the withdrawal of US forces, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was approved for construction, the service branches went back through their records to identify our dead by name. Inevitably some men who should have been on the "Wall" were not, and others who shouldn't have been were. Over the years additional names have been inscribed on the Wall - some were men who died as a result of wounds, and others were men whose names were overlooked in earlier years. Gannon Milby's name does not appear on the Wall - but it should. Specialist 5 Milby served in Vietnam with HQ Company, 2/5 Cavalry. He fell ill, was evacuated to the United States, and died at Walter Reed Army Hospital. His name does appear in the Army Adjutant General's listing of Army deaths during the Army era - twice - but he is not listed in the DoD casualty files for Vietnam. His death was overlooked when the compilation for the Wall was made. If SP5 Milby hadn't been overlooked his name would have been on the Wall when it was constructed - but it was. Under the rules in force until the early 1990s, SP5 Milby's name would have been added to the Wall without question, for without question he died as a direct result of his service in Vietnam. However, those rules were changed - and since about 1993 only those persons who died in Vietnam proper, or whose ultimate death was caused by hostile action, may be added to the Wall. Specialist 5 Gannon Milby managed to hang on long enough to be medically evacuated to the United States - and then his death was overlooked by the Army. Even worse, when his mother, who died in December 2005, tried to get his name added her request was denied - her son had committed the cardinal sin of living until he reached Walter Reed Army Hospital. For these reasons, SP5 Gannon Clark Milby's name is not on the Wall. The names of 21 other men whose service in Vietnam caused their deaths on 10 June 1968 - 19 from hostile action, 2 through accidents - appear on Panel 58W, Lines 018 through 021. Gannon Clark should be among them. He is not, and he may never be - but he is remembered.
Ken Davis
|
|
Aunt Ethel would be glad to know you were remembered here. I am going to get your car looking great!!
From his cousin, |
|
I may have been too young to understand what happened to you - I only knew you were gone and I would never see "Chick-Chick" again. I remember the sadness and sorrow even I felt at the time. I still cherish the picture, stories, and memories left through the generations, and I will always treasure them. I know you made the ultimate sacrifice, and no one can take that away from you - even if you were overlooked. God Bless.
From his cousin, |
|
The point-of-contact for this memorial is his cousin, Dale A. Dawson dtmaa@atlanticbb.net |
|
Top of Page
 www.VirtualWall.org Back to |
With all respect
Jim Schueckler, former CW2, US Army
Ken Davis, Commander, United States Navy (Ret)
Memorial first published on 10 Feb 2006
Last updated 08/03/2007