Fletcher Jacob Nowlin, Jr

Specialist Four
HHC, 1ST BN, 501ST INFANTRY, 101 ABN DIV
Army of the United States
27 September 1948 - 03 June 1969
Rochdale Village, New York
Panel 23W Line 056

101 ABN DIV

501ST INF RGT
Combat Medic

Purple Heart, National Defense, Vietnam Service, Vietnam Campaign

The database page for Fletcher Jacob Nowlin, Jr

11 Feb 2005

According to the men who served with him Doc Nowlin had a great sense of humor. One former platoon leader in Charlie Company says that Nowlin inspired men through his courage and dedication. Nowlin is said to have traveled light, carrying a .45 caliber automatic, a medical bag tied to his ruck and C rations stuffed into his socks. When one fellow soldier asked Nowlin if he would use that .45 automatic Nowlin replied, "Only to protect someone who was wounded."

Doc Nowlin died of wounds sustained on 21 May 1969 during Operation Lamar Plain when he went with the second and third platoons as they crossed an open rice paddy and charged a small heavily fortified hill. A number of men were wounded before they made it across the paddy as were many others on the hill. Another medic was killed in the fighting that day along with 11 grunts and 46 were wounded.

A Note from The Virtual Wall

The thirteen men from 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry, who died in the fighting around Hill 270 on 21 May 1969 were
  • B Company:
    • PFC Edison R. Phillips, Plymouth, PA

  • C Company:
    • CPL Patrick R. Diehl, Chagrin Falls, OH
    • SP4 Fletcher J. Nowlin, Rochdale Village, NY (medic, HHC with C/1/506; DoW 03 Jun 1969)
    • PFC Louis E. Fenceroy, Bastrop, LA
    • PFC Thomas P. Jackson, Westbury, NY
    • PFC Lee A. Napier, Orchard, NE

  • D Company:
    • SFC Pedro A. Rios, Ponce, PR
    • SGT L C. Carter, State College, MS
    • CPL Michael M. Hatzell, San Jose, CA
    • SP4 Charles E. Hawkins, Philadelphia, PA
    • SP4 Edward J. Hogan, New York, NY
    • SP4 Keith N. Starnes, Charlotte, NC (medic; HHC with D/1/506)
    • PFC James I. Sanford, Vidalia, GA
Visit John Dennison's
Medics on the Wall
memorial which honors the
Army Medics and Navy Corpsmen who died in Vietnam.




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With all respect
Jim Schueckler, former CW2, US Army
Ken Davis, Commander, United States Navy (Ret)
Last updated 08/10/2009