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Lance Corporal Calvin Wayne Wilkins

A young man in a Marine Corps dress uniform.
  • Unit: Company I, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine Division
  • Service Number: 2449883
  • Date of Birth: August 19, 1948
  • Date of Death: February 8, 1969
  • Hometown: Waco, Texas
  • Place of Death: Quang Nam Province, Vietnam
  • Award(s): Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, Purple Heart, Vietnam Service Medal with star, National Defense Service Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm Ribbon
  • Cemetery: Court A, Courts of the Missing, National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. Memorial marker: Plot N 176, Rosemound Cemetery, Waco, Texas
Contributed by Mr. James Richardson
Tennyson Middle School, Waco, Texas
2025/2026

Early Life

Calvin Wayne Wilkins was born on August 19, 1948, in Waco, Texas, to Grady Wilkins, a mechanic for the city, and Alpha Lee Hall, a housewife. They lived on Hood Street in Waco for a time before moving to a home on Spring Street. Wilkins was one of ten children born to Grady and Alpha. He had two sisters, Sharon and Pamela, and seven brothers, Larry, Sammy, Dudley, Donald, Jerry, Gregory, and Derwin.

As a young teenager, Wilkins attended Waco High School and boxed at a local club. In 1966, tragedy struck the family when his 16-year-old brother, Larry, was killed in a car accident, and his older brother, Sammy, the driver, was injured. 

Before entering the military, Wilkins worked at the Clifton Manufacturing Company in Waco. The company made car seat covers, among other products. Wilkins operated a press machine.

Wilkins’ birth notice from the Waco Tribune-Herald, August 29, 1948.
The 1950 census shows the family was living on Hood St. in Waco. Wilkins, the seventh child, was just one year old. His brothers, Larry and Gregory, and his sister, Pamela, had not yet been born. National Archives and Records Administration.
The news article reports his younger brother’s death in a car accident. The Waco News- Tribune, August 29, 1966.

Homefront

Waco- A Central Texas Hub

Waco, Texas, was a major hub on the Chisholm Trail after the Civil War. The city’s economy grew as cattle drives ran through it and across the suspension bridge spanning the Brazos River. After the cattle drives ended, Waco shifted its economic focus to railroads, with two major lines, the St. Louis Southwestern and Missouri-Kansas-Texas (MKT), running cotton, wool, and hides through the city. As time passed, various manufacturing plants were built, along with natatoriums to capitalize on the area’s water’s supposed health benefits.  

Disaster and Rebirth

In 1953, Waco was hit by one of the most devastating tornadoes in American history. The tornado killed over 100 people, destroyed 600 buildings, and damaged much of the city, including the Dr. Pepper manufacturing plant, which still shows the scars of the storm to this day. Waco turned this disaster into an opportunity for growth, becoming designated a “Model City” by the federal government and starting an urban renewal project. 

Waco and the Military

During the last years of the Second World War, General Tire and Rubber built its second plant in the nation in Waco. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, they manufactured tires for the Army and Navy. By the 1960s, they were primarily making rubber goods for commercial use, while still making some for the military. In the nearby city of McGregor, a company called Rocketdyne produced solid-rocket motors for various branches of the government, most notably the Sparrow-Shrike motor, used by the Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. 

Just northeast of Waco was the James Connally Air Force Base. Originally built during the Second World War, this base was used by the Air Force to train officers in a variety of skills, including navigation, radar operation, and bombardier training in the 1950s and early 1960s. 

Protests in the City

Due to Waco’s status as a college town, there were many protests both for and against the Vietnam War on the Baylor University campus. Small anti-war protests started on campus in 1967 but grew over time. At the same time, thousands of Waco citizens took part in a letter-writing initiative called the “Write Hanoi Campaign.” These citizens advocated for American Prisoners of War (POWs) being held in Vietnam. They also contributed to the construction of the Freedom Fountain in downtown Waco.

Damage from the tornado on the Joy Theatre and Chris’s Cafe in Waco, Texas, May 1953. Texas Collection, Baylor University.
Dedicated in 1944, General Tire & Rubber Company’s Waco plant was built in conjunction with the Defense Plant Corporation for wartime production. This image shows the front of the plant as it looked during the mid- to late-1960s. Texas Collection, Baylor University.
Anti-war protest on the Baylor Campus in Waco, Texas, in 1969. Baylor University Archives.
Dedicated on May 24, 1973, the 23-foot fountain features continuously circulating water as a perpetual reminder of freedom. Texas Collection, Baylor University.

Military Experience

Becoming a Marine

Wilkins joined the U.S. Marine Corps on March 19, 1968. He attended Basic Training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, California. This was followed by Individual Combat Training (ICT) at Camp Pendleton. ICT encompassed weapon mastery, combat tactics, and environmental survival. At the end of June, Wilkins received further training as an infantry rifleman. He completed this training on July 23, 1968.

Deployment to Vietnam

As a private first class, Wilkins was assigned to Company I of the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine Division, Reinforcements. The 3rd  Marine Division was deployed to Da Nang, Vietnam, in May 1965, one of the first battalions to enter the conflict. Their motto was “Fortuna Fortes Juvat,” or “Fortune favors the Brave.”  Wilkins was part of a reinforcement of the division, joining the 3rd Battalion and India Company on August 30, 1968, as a rifleman.

India Company in Vietnam

The India Company, the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines, was involved in four operations against hostile forces in the Dong Ha area. These include Lancaster II, Scotland II, Kentucky, and Taylor Common. Taylor Common was the largest operation. Wilkins was a part of this operation sent to neutralize Communist routes leading to Laos through An Hoa. Operation Taylor Common started in December 1968 and ended in March 1969. Because the operation was tasked with finding and destroying North Vietnamese Army (NVA) camps, headquarters, and food and weapons caches, a large number of communist soldiers were unable to move into Vietnam from Laos.

On October 30, Wilkins was promoted to lance corporal. A month later, his duty changed to fire team leader (FTL). In this role, Wilkins led his four-person fire team, consisting of two riflemen, an automatic rifleman, and himself. The FTL was under the command of the rifle squad leader.

On February 8, 1969, Company I, led by Dorsey Satterfield, was on patrol in the Quang Nam province near An Hoa, as part of Operation Taylor Common. When they stopped for a break, Wilkins sat on a 15-pound mine. At the time, he was carrying 8 to 12 grenades, a claymore mine, a pound of C4, and some detonating cord. The mine exploded, and Wilkins was immediately killed. He died from multiple fragmentation wounds. It was impossible to identify his remains. Satterfield reported the squad had the chaplain with them, and thus were able to have a memorial for his remains before they had to continue.

Calvin in his khaki marine service uniform. The Virtual Wall.
Members of the 3rd Marines on patrol near An Hoa during Operation Taylor Common, 1968. Jonathan Abel Collection, Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections (COLL/3611).
Marines remove bags of rice from a buried enemy cache uncovered by I Company, 3rd Battalion, 26th Marines, in Operation Taylor Common near An Hoa Combat Base, 1968. Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections.
The Report of Casualty describing Calvin Wilkins’s death in Vietnam, February 17, 1969. Portions have been redacted for privacy reasons. Freedom of Information Act File, National Archives and Records Administration – St. Louis.

Commemoration

The Wilkins family held a memorial service for Lance Corporal Wilkins on February 18, 1969, at the First Pentecostal Church of Waco. He has a memorial marker at Rosemound Cemetery in Waco, Texas, four miles from his home. Wilkins is also memorialized at the Courts of the Missing, Court A, on the Honolulu Memorial, and on panel 33W, line 90 of the Vietnam Wall. 

In 1993, the United States and Vietnamese governments investigated the events of Wilkins’ death in order to find possible remains. The Vietnamese were unable to find any witnesses to his death, and the joint investigation team was unable to find any remains.  

Funeral rites for Wilkins were held at the First Presbyterian Church of Waco. The Waco Times- Herald, February 17, 1969.
Calvin Wilkins’s parents received this letter detailing the circumstances of their son’s death, February 18, 1969. Library of Congress (PWMASTER_66397).
Wilkins’s family placed a memorial marker at Rosemound Cemetery in Waco, Texas. Find a Grave.
Calvin Wayne Wilkins’ name is inscribed on the Honolulu Memorial, located at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawai’i, 2026. Courtesy of the American Battle Monuments Commission. 
Documentation from the Joint Task Force – Full Accounting documenting Wilkins’s case in English and Vietnamese, March 31, 1993. Library of Congress (PWMASTER_111858).

Bibliography

Primary Sources

Calvin Wayne Wilkins, Freedom of Information Act Record, Department of the Navy, National Archives and Records Administration – St. Louis.

Calvin Wayne Wilkins. Manuscript/Mixed Material. Library of Congress. https://www.loc.gov/search/in=&q=wilkins%2C+calvin&new=true. 

“In the Courts.” Waco Tribune-Herald [Waco, Texas] April 8, 1966. Newspapers.com (43852216).

“Military News.” Waco News-Tribune [Waco, Texas], June 27, 1968. Newspapers.com (48002416).

“Petitions For POWs Needed Soon.” Waco Tribune-Herald [Waco, Texas], March 25, 1971. Newspapers.com (48004713).

“Returning Soldier Talks About Viet.” Waco News-Tribune [Waco, Texas], March 4, 1971. Newspapers.com (47989962).

“Rocketdyne Achieves Production Milestone.” Waco News-Tribune [Waco, Texas], February 6, 1968. Newspapers.com (48069220).

Texas. McLennan County. 1950 U.S. Census. Digital Images. www.familysearch.org/.

U.S Marine Corps, Command Chronology Report. 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines, February 1969. Texas Tech University Vietnam Center and Sam Johnson Vietnam Archive. https://vva.vietnam.ttu.edu/repositories/2/digital_objects/222745.

“The Vietnam Issue at Baylor.” The Lariat [Waco, Texas], January 24, 1973. https://digitalcollections-baylor.quartexcollections.com/Documents/Detail/the-lariat-waco-texas-wednesday-january-24-1973/164699?item=164704. 

“Youth dies of Injuries Suffered Here Saturday.” The Waco Tribune-Herald [Waco, Texas], August 29, 1966. Newspapers.com (43783996).

Secondary Sources

“A Brief History of 3/3 In Vietnam.” 3/3 RVN Association. Accessed January 6, 2026. http://www.33rvn.com/history/index.html. 

Conger, Roger N. “A Comprehensive History of Waco, Texas.” Handbook of Texas, Texas State Historical Association. Accessed on November 27, 2025. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/waco-tx. 

“Calvin W Wilkins.” The Wall of Faces. Accessed December 30th, 2025. www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/56054/CALVIN-W-WILKINS/.

“Calvin Wayne Wilkins.” American Battle Monuments Commission. Accessed October 12, 2025. https://weremember.abmc.gov/s?q=wilkins&criteria=cemetery%3DHonolulu%20Memorial&type=16&v=G.

“Calvin Wayne Wilkins.” Defense Personnel POW/MIA Accounting Agency. Accessed October 25, 2025. https://dpaa-mil.sites.crmforce.mil/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000KZvIEAW. 

“Calvin Wayne Wilkins.” Find a Grave. Accessed January 5, 2026. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/135685984/calvin-wayne-wilkins. 

“Calvin Wayne Wilkins.” Together We Served. Accessed January 12, 2026. https://togetherweserved.com/. 

“The Fighting Third.” U. S. Marine Corps. Accessed January 8, 2026. https://www.3rdmardiv.marines.mil/. 

Leatherwood, Art. “History of James Connally Air Force Base.”  Handbook of Texas, Texas State Historical Association. Accessed November 27, 2025. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/james-connally-air-force-base. 

“LCpl Calvin Wanye Wilkins.” Find a Grave. Updated November 18, 2010. Accessed October 14, 2025. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/61819769/calvin-wayne-wilkins. 

“Marine Corps Promotions.” Marine Parents. Accessed January 6, 2026. https://marineparents.com/marinecorps/promotions.asp. 

“Operation Taylor Common” History Maps. Accessed January 12, 2026.  https://history-maps.com/warmap/vietnam-war/event/operation-taylor-common. 

Palmer, Bill. “The Vietnam War- Mike Lamfers- Marine Corps Boot Camp.” Marshall Independent [Marshall, Minnesota], March 9, 2024. https://www.marshallindependent.com/opinion/local-columns/2024/03/the-vietnam-war-mike-lamfers-marine-corps-boot-camp/. 

Roberts, Allie. “Freedom Fountain.” Waco History. Accessed on December 4, 2024. https://wacohistory.org/items/show/225. 

Simmons, Brian M. “From General Tire to the BRIC: The Demise and Rebirth of a Waco Manufacturing Facility.” Blog. The Texas Collection, Baylor University. Updated February 17, 2016. https://blogs.baylor.edu/texascollection/2016/02/17/from-general-tire-to-the-bric-the-demise-and-rebirth-of-a-manufacturing-facility/. 

Stingley, Jim. “Dr. Pepper Museum.” Waco History. Accessed December 4, 2024. https://wacohistory.org/items/show/36. 

“Texas Almanac: City Population History from 1850–2000.” Texas Almanac. Accessed March 25, 2026. https://www.texasalmanac.com/drupal-backup/images/CityPopHist%20web.pdf.

“Waco History Timeline.” Waco History Project. Accessed on December 1, 2025. http://wacohistoryproject.org/timeline.html.

This profile was researched and created through the Researching Silent Heroes program, sponsored by the American Battle Monuments Commission.