*** FAG Vol. found your parents' headstone. However there is no stone for Jerry in the area:(.
*** Private McConnell was a member of 625th Supply Company, 266th Supply Battalion, 29th General Support Group. On September 24, 1968, he was working on a reefer barged moored in the Cua Viet River and decided to swim to the shore. He drowned. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.
You may be gone, no longer living on this earth; but you will live on - in the memories of your family and friends. There will always be a part of you living in your family and those who knew you and loved you. You will live on because we remember you!
JERRY MCCONNELL - Army - PVT - E2
Age: 21
Race: Negro
Date of Birth Jan 4, 1947
From: JAMAICA, NY
Religion: BAPTIST
Marital Status: Married - Lenora A. McConnell of Brooklyn, NY. Parents: Father, Harvey J. McConnell of Brooklyn, Born July 8, 1925 and Died April 10, 1986, NY and Mother, Selena P. McConnell, Born 1924 and Died 1999, of Jamaica, NY. Has NO children.
PVT - E2 - Army - Selective Service-
1st Log Command
Length of service 1 years
His tour began on Sep 24, 1968
Casualty was on Sep 24, 1968
In QUANG TRI, SOUTH VIETNAM
NON-HOSTILE, GROUND CASUALTY
DROWNED, SUFFOCATED
Body was not recovered
Panel 42W - Line 6
Other Personnel In Incident: (none missing)
On 24 September 1968, Pvt. Jerry McConnell, was working on a refrigeration barge moored in the Cua Viet River, about 10 miles north of the city of Quang Tri, South Vietnam.
After finishing the day's work, he and several other personnel decided to swim from the barge to the beach, a distance of only about 50 yards. Pvt. McConnell dove into the river, then happily yelled at some friends who were already on the beach.
They watched him as he swam in a circle, then watched in horror as he went under. He surfaced once and a sailor on the barge who heard his cries for help, threw him a life preserver.
However, before reaching the life preserver, Jerry McConnell submerged again and did not resurface.
He surfaced once, and a sailor threw a life preserver to him, but he apparently did not see it.
Another sailor, who was a frogman immediately went down looking for him. Another sailor who was a Navy diver immediately donned scuba equipment and went down searching for him, but was unable to find him.
Later that day a thorough search of the river and shoreline was made by two patrol boats and another Navy diver.
When no trace of Jerry McConnell was found, he was immediately listed Killed in Action/Body Not Recovered.
**********************************
.
*** FAG Vol. found your parents' headstone. However there is no stone for Jerry in the area:(.
*** Private McConnell was a member of 625th Supply Company, 266th Supply Battalion, 29th General Support Group. On September 24, 1968, he was working on a reefer barged moored in the Cua Viet River and decided to swim to the shore. He drowned. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.
You may be gone, no longer living on this earth; but you will live on - in the memories of your family and friends. There will always be a part of you living in your family and those who knew you and loved you. You will live on because we remember you!
JERRY MCCONNELL - Army - PVT - E2
Age: 21
Race: Negro
Date of Birth Jan 4, 1947
From: JAMAICA, NY
Religion: BAPTIST
Marital Status: Married - Lenora A. McConnell of Brooklyn, NY. Parents: Father, Harvey J. McConnell of Brooklyn, Born July 8, 1925 and Died April 10, 1986, NY and Mother, Selena P. McConnell, Born 1924 and Died 1999, of Jamaica, NY. Has NO children.
PVT - E2 - Army - Selective Service-
1st Log Command
Length of service 1 years
His tour began on Sep 24, 1968
Casualty was on Sep 24, 1968
In QUANG TRI, SOUTH VIETNAM
NON-HOSTILE, GROUND CASUALTY
DROWNED, SUFFOCATED
Body was not recovered
Panel 42W - Line 6
Other Personnel In Incident: (none missing)
On 24 September 1968, Pvt. Jerry McConnell, was working on a refrigeration barge moored in the Cua Viet River, about 10 miles north of the city of Quang Tri, South Vietnam.
After finishing the day's work, he and several other personnel decided to swim from the barge to the beach, a distance of only about 50 yards. Pvt. McConnell dove into the river, then happily yelled at some friends who were already on the beach.
They watched him as he swam in a circle, then watched in horror as he went under. He surfaced once and a sailor on the barge who heard his cries for help, threw him a life preserver.
However, before reaching the life preserver, Jerry McConnell submerged again and did not resurface.
He surfaced once, and a sailor threw a life preserver to him, but he apparently did not see it.
Another sailor, who was a frogman immediately went down looking for him. Another sailor who was a Navy diver immediately donned scuba equipment and went down searching for him, but was unable to find him.
Later that day a thorough search of the river and shoreline was made by two patrol boats and another Navy diver.
When no trace of Jerry McConnell was found, he was immediately listed Killed in Action/Body Not Recovered.
**********************************
.
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