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Private First Class William Dee McGonigle

A young man in a Marine Corps uniform and glasses.
  • Unit: D Battery, 2nd Battalion, 13th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division
  • Service Number: 2361390
  • Date of Birth: October 27, 1948
  • Date of Death: May 10, 1968
  • Hometown: Wichita, Kansas
  • Place of Death: Kham Duc, Huyện Phước Sơn, Quảng Nam, South Vietnam
  • Award(s): Purple Heart
  • Cemetery: Court A, Courts of the Missing, Honolulu Memorial, National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawai'i. Section 60, Grave 8234, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia
Contributed by Mr. Jeffrey Schuh
Seaman Middle School, Topeka, Kansas
2025/2026

Early Life

William Dee McGonigle was born on October 27, 1948, in Wichita, Kansas, to Harry and Grace McGonigle. For at least part of his life, McGonigle lived on Glenn Street, as well as Mead Street. His mother, Grace, was a homemaker, and his father, Harry, was a machinist. William also had a sister, Virginia, and a younger brother, James. William was a Roman Catholic who attended Wichita South High School, graduating in 1967, before joining the U.S. Marine Corps.

William McGonigle’s yearbook photograph from Wichita South High School in Wichita, Kansas, 1967. Ancestry.

Homefront

McGonigle was born and raised in Wichita, Kansas, one of the state’s larger communities. Located in south-central Kansas, Wichita was a major producer of goods during World War II and the Vietnam War. Some companies produced aircraft parts for Boeing. The Langdon Tent and Awning Company produced tents and other tent-like materials during World War II and the Vietnam War. Other well-known products from Wichita included Cessna aircraft parts and Coleman products. Coleman was founded in Wichita, Kansas, and production grew during the twentieth century, notably during the Vietnam War. 

Wichita was well known not only for its wartime production of goods but also for its agricultural production. It was also known for Victory Gardens. The point of these gardens was to ease the stress of agricultural production during the war, providing food at home so that commercial products could be sent to the troops.

Protests and the Vietnam War 

As was the case with much of the country at the time, Wichita also had its share of anti-war protests during the Vietnam War. A notable protest was held outside Wichita City Hall, where several people acted as “puppets” of Saigon. These protestors held various anti-war signs with slogans claiming that America was a “puppet” of North Vietnam. There were also protests held in nearby areas, such as Bethel University in North Newton. There were also civil rights protests in the area, though most occurred before the Vietnam War. The most famous of these was the Dockum Drug Store sit-in, which occurred in 1958. 

A worker at the Langdon Tent and Awning Company, in Wichita, Kansas, sews two pieces of cloth to create a “pup” tent for the U.S. Army. Library of Congress (2017690026).
An aerial view of the Boeing plant in Wichita, Kansas, 1971. Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
Vietnam War protest in Wichita, Kansas, 1967. National Archives and Records Administration (NAID 283625).

Military Experience

William Dee McGonigle was not drafted into the military; he enlisted shortly after graduating from high school on June 13, 1967. McGonigle completed basic training in San Diego, California, as did Marines who resided west of the Mississippi River, and was stationed at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, California. He deployed to Vietnam, arriving on March 2, 1968.

He was assigned to the 1st Marine Division, 13th Regiment, 2nd Battalion, D Battery as a field cannoneer. This was a job that was directly in the field and highly involved in combat. A cannoneer’s job was to operate and prepare artillery equipment for operation or combat. This included loading the artillery and routine maintenance of the artillery equipment. 

In May 1968, McGonigle’s unit took part in the Battle of Kam Duc, in the Ngok Tavak, Quang Nam Province, in South Vietnam. This battle was part of the larger Tet Offensive of 1968, which was one of the largest offensive escalations by the North Vietnamese People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN) and the Viet Cong (VC) against the South Vietnamese Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) and the United States. 

The Tet Offensive was a surprise attack that began in January 1968 and was named for a Lunar New Year festival in Vietnam. The heaviest and most severe attacks of the Tet Offensive lasted until March 1968; however, the entire campaign lasted until September, with smaller attacks continuing afterward. 

The Battle of Kam Duc began in the early morning hours of May 10, 1968. At around 3:00 a.m., the South Vietnam and United States camp at Ngok Tavak came under heavy enemy fire by the North Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong. The enemy used mortar fire, small arms, and grenades freely, and intense fighting ensued. Fierce fighting continued. According to the witness statement of Sergeant Roger T. Matte, McGonigle suffered severe fragmentation wounds to “his entire left side,” and was killed immediately. As Matte also stated in his letter, intense mortar fire and severe ground attacks prevented the retrieval of his remains, not only in the short term but also in the decades ahead. 

William McGonigle was awarded the Purple Heart.

William McGonigle wearing his uniform and helmet, c.1968. The Wall of Faces, Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.
Landscape view of Ngok Tavak, South Vietnam, c.1968. Together We Served.
This photograph was taken by a U.S. soldier during the battle of Kham Duc, showing soldiers waiting to be airlifted out of Kham Duc, May 1968. The Vietnam Veterans of A Company, 70th Engineer Battalion (Combat) (Army) 1965-1969.
Statement of Sergeant Roger T. Matte about the circumstances surrounding McGonigle’s death, May 11, 1968. Library of Congress (PWMASTER_146437).
A type-written report about McGoningle's incident.
Casualty report prepared by the Department of the Navy, noting the circumstances of McGonigle’s death. Marine Corps Casualty Report, National Archives and Records Administration – St. Louis.

Commemoration

Due to heavy fighting in the area, the remains of McGonigle, ten other Marines, and one Soldier could not be recovered at the time. His name was engraved on the Honolulu Memorial, located at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawai’i. In August 1968, his mother requested a memorial marker to be placed at White Chapel Memorial Gardens in Wichita, Kansas. His name is listed on the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. 

McGonigle’s mother, Grace, became an active member of American Gold Star Mothers, which is an organization that assists grieving mothers who have lost children during war. She advocated for her son, writing multiple letters to the Marine Corps, members of Congress, and President Richard M. Nixon. 

Investigations to recover McGonigle’s remains began in April 1976, but hostile forces in the area prevented ground inspection. Coordinated retrieval efforts took years. In 1999, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency repatriated a set of remains from Vietnam. On March 30, 2005, McGonigle’s remains were identified, along with those of other service members lost with him. 

These remains were buried in Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia, on October 7, 2005, with others lost at the Battle of Kam Duc. 

In Wichita, Kansas, Veterans Memorial Park includes a tribute to local residents who have served and died in multiple conflicts. It includes memorials to the Vietnam War and to Gold Star Mothers. In 2012, the Wichita Vietnamese American Memorial Marker was added, recognizing service in both English and Vietnamese.

Letter from Lieutenant Colonel E. G. Fritch to Grace McGonigle regarding inquiries about her son, September 24, 1968. Library of Congress (PWMASTER_56255).
William McGonigle’s mother, Grace, requested a memorial marker in his name on August 28, 1968. Portions have been redacted for privacy reasons. National Archives and Records Administration.
William McGonigle’s memorial marker at White Chapel Memorial Gardens in Wichita, Kansas. Find a Grave.
William McGonigle’s name is engraved 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. 
William McGonigle’s remains are buried in a group burial plot at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, 2005. Find a Grave.
Harry and Grace McGonigle reacted to the news that their son’s remains had been identified. Intelligencer Journal, August 11, 2005.
The Wichita Vietnamese American Memorial Marker was placed in Veterans Memorial Park in 2012. The Historical Marker Database (56724).

Bibliography

Primary Sources

05-2c Kham Duc, next to runway waiting for our ride out of KD. Photograph. May 1968. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:05-2c_Kham_Duc,_next_to_runway_waiting_for_our_ride_out_of_KD.jpg. 

“Cessna Set to Train 560 Idle.” The Catholic Advance [Wichita, Kansas], January 6, 1967. Newspapers.com (179065866).

“Country Music Zealot Loses Life in Vietnam.”The Wichita Beacon [Wichita, Kansas], May 15, 1968. Newspapers.com (694054356). 

Gowen, Annie. “‘It was closure.’ as ceremony honors 12 killed in Vietnam.” The Duluth News-Tribune [Duluth, Minnesota], October 9, 2005. Newspapers.com (1130637669). 

Kansas. Sedgwick County. 1930 United States Census. Digital Images. https://ancestryclassroom.com/. 

Langdon Tent and Awning Company, Wichita, Kansas. . . Photograph. June 1941. Library of Congress (2017690026). https://www.loc.gov/item/2017690026. 

Mendoza, Martha. “Gone, but never forgotten.” Intelligencer Journal [Lancaster, Pennsylvania], August 11, 2005. Newspapers.com (567743365). 

Protesters carry signs and act out “Saigon Puppet” demonstration in front of Wichita City Building. Photograph. 1967. National Archives and Records Administraiton (NAID 283625). 

“Services Today Set for Marine Killed in Action.” The Wichita Eagle [Wichita, Kansas], June 19, 1968. Newspapers.com (694508770). 

Tanner, Beccy. “City’s last Vietnam MIA found.” The Wichita Eagle [Wichita, Kansas], August 7, 2005. Newspapers.com (704107096). 

“Vietnam Veteran Phillip Hamm Back in El Dorado.” The Catholic Advance [Wichita, Kansas], December 19, 1968. Newspapers.com (186537287).

Wenzl, Roy. “Traveling Vietnam War memorial pauses in Valley Center.” The Wichita Eagle [Wichita, Kansas], October 29, 2012. https://www.kansas.com/news/article1101130.html. 

William D. McGonigle. Manuscript/Mixed Materials. Library of Congress (PWMASTER_146437). https://www.loc.gov/collections/vietnam-era-pow-mia-database/?fa=subject_name:mcgonigle,+william+d.. 

William McGonigle. 1956 Kansas Census. Digital Images. https://ancestryclassroom.com. 

William McGonigle. 1957 Kansas Census. Digital Images. https://ancestryclassroom.com. 

William McGonigle. 1958 Kansas Census. Digital Images. https://ancestryclassroom.com. 

William McGonigle. Arlington, Virginia, U.S., Arlington National Cemetery, 1861-2024. https://ancestryclassroom.com. 

William McGonigle. U.S., School Yearbooks, 1900-2016. Digital Images. https://ancestryclassroom.com. 

William D. McGonigle. Individual Deceased Personnel File. Department of the Army. National Archives and Records Administration–St. Louis.

William D. McGonigle. Marine Corps Casualty Report. Department of the Navy. National Archives and Records Administration–St. Louis.

William D. McGonigle. U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1861-1985. Digital image. https://ancestryclassroom.com. 

William D. McGonigle. U.S., Vietnam, War Military Casualties, 1956-1998. https://ancestryclassroom.com. 

Secondary Sources

“0811 – Field Artillery Cannoneer MOS.” Marine Corps COOL. Accessed February 23, 2026. https://www.cool.osd.mil/usmc/moc/index.html?moc=0811&tab=overview. 

“Battlefield Chronicles: Battle of Ngok Tavak & Kham Duc.” Together We Served. Accessed February 23, 2026. https://army.togetherweserved.com/dispatches-articles/10/94/Battlefield+Chronicles%3A+Battle+of+Ngboeing wok+Tavak+%26+Kham+Duc. 

“Boeing Wichita Site.” Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Accessed February 23, 2026. https://www.kdhe.ks.gov/783/Boeing-Wichita-Site. 

Camp, Dick. “ ‘I Could Feel Doom’: U.S. Marines and Australians Fought for Survival in Ngok Tavak in Vietnam.” History Net. Updated February 11, 2022. Accessed February 23, 2026. https://www.historynet.com/doom-marine-artillerymen-had-to-fight-as-infantry-at-ngok-tavak-in-vietnam/. 

“Cannon Crewmember (13B).” U.S. Army. Accessed February 23, 2026. https://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs/ground-forces/explosives-artillery/13b-cannon-crewmembr. 

“CPL. William Dee McGonigle.” Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. Updated March 30, 2005. Accessed January 8, 2026. https://dpaa-mil.sites.crmforce.mil/dpaaProfilePrintable?id=a0Jt000000toksJEAQ. 

Essays – Vietnam Era on Kansas Campuses. University of Kansas Libraries. 2019.
https://lib.ku.edu/sites/lib.ku.edu/files/images/general/exhibits/Kansas%20During%20Vietnam%20essays.pdf. 

“Grace McGonigle.” Wichita Eagle [Wichita, Kansas], February 1, 2012. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/kansas/name/grace-mcgonigle-obituary?id=13579898.

Goerzen, Jacky. “Victory Gardens Were Growing All across Kansas during WWII.” Farm Progress, January 8, 2019. https://www.farmprogress.com/farm-life/victory-gardens-were-growing-all-across-kansas-during-wwii. 

Hill, Steve. “Sixty Years Ago, Teenagers in Wichita Started a Movement. Humanities, Fall 2018 39 (no. 4). https://www.neh.gov/article/sixty-years-ago-teenagers-wichita-started-movement.

Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego and Western Recruiting Region. United States Marine Corps. Accessed February 23, 2026. https://www.mcrdsd.marines.mil/. 

“McGonigle, William D.” POW Network. Updated 2020. Accessed February 23, 2026.
https://www.pownetwork.org/bios/m/m209.htm. 

“PFC William Dee ‘Bill’ McGonigle.” Find a Grave. Updated December 12, 2015. Accessed October 16, 2025. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/155950825/william_dee-mcgonigle.

“PFC William Dee ‘Bill’ McGonigle.” Find a Grave. Updated January 25, 2008. Accessed October 16, 2025. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/24184456/william_dee-mcgonigle. 

“PFC William Dee ‘Bill’ McGonigle.” Find a Grave. Updated June 18, 2006. Accessed October 16, 2025. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/14647302/william_dee-mcgonigle. 

“Twelve MIAs From Vietnam War Are Identified (King, Cook, Heyne, Mitchell, Fritsch, Blackman, Czerwonka, Hempel, Lopez, McGonigle, Sargent, Miller).” Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. Updated August 9, 2005. Accessed October 20, 2025. https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/ID-Announcements/Article/607591/twelve-mias-from-vietnam-war-are-identified-king-cook-heyne-mitchell-fritsch-bl/.

Wentzl, Roy. “Traveling Vietnam War memorial pauses in Valley Center.” The Wichita Eagle [Wichita, Kansas], October 29, 2012. https://www.kansas.com/news/article1101130.html. 

“Wichita Vietnamese American Memorial.” The Historical Marker Database. Updated February 5, 2022. Accessed December 4, 2025. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=56724. 

“William D. McGonigle.” American Battle Monuments Commission. Accessed October 16, 2025. https://weremember.abmc.gov/sq=*&criteria=title%3Dmcgonigle~cemetery%3DHonolulu%20Memorial&type=16&v=G.

“William Dee McGonigle.” The Wall of Faces, Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. Accessed February 23, 2026. https://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/36744/WILLIAM-D-MCGONIGLE/.

“William D. McGonigle.” Veterans Legacy Memorial, National Cemetery Administration. Accessed March 22, 2026. https://www.vlm.cem.va.gov/WILLIAMDMcGONIGLE/5738. 

“William Dee McGonigle.” Veterans Legacy Memorial, National Cemetery Administration. Accessed March 22, 2026. https://www.vlm.cem.va.gov/WilliamDeeMcGonigle/49416.

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