Joseph Clarence Doyle – Captain, United States Army

 Joseph Clarence Doyle was born on April 28, 1939 and joined the Armed Forces while in Butler, Pennsylvania.

He served in the United States Army.  In 6 years of service, he attained the rank of Captain.

On February 28, 1968, at the age of 28, Joseph Clarence Doyle perished in the service of our country in South Vietnam, Kien Tuong.

Captain Doyle was buried in Arlington National Cemetery (Section 7) with full military honors.

I was Joe Doyle’s fellow officer in Vietnam, and we lived in the same residence hotel, named the Na Hai Diao. We both served at the MACV headquarters building at Tan Son Nhut Airport. Joe occupied the largest room at the hotel, a corner room with a large wooden bar. I remember his excitement when he was appointed as “G-2, Air” for the U.S. Army Division in the southern corps area (IV Corps). It was an indication of how well respected he was by both his fellow junior officers and his superiors. It meant that he had a ticket out of the headquarters and into the field. He was beside himself with joy. He left me possesion of his room at the hotel, as well as a footlocker of personal belongings that he asked me to keep for him. I readily agreed, and moved into the spacious room ASAP.

Days later I learned that Joe had been on a familiarization flight over his corp area in a U.S. Army Mohawk airplane, when it was struck by ground fire. We were all stunned by the news that he had been killed in the incident. The hotel staff were devastated; the proprietress cried real tears. Days later I delivered his personal effects that remained in the room to his office at MACV. I did not know at the time that Joe was from Pennslvania. Yet today, I still have a hand written note from Joe Doyle, Captain, USA.
Richard R Elofson, Major, USAR, Retired.

DOYLE, JOSEPH C
CPT USA

• DATE OF BIRTH: 04/28/1939
• DATE OF DEATH: 02/28/1968
• BURIED AT: SECTION 7  SITE 10058-10
  ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard