Name: Donald Iandoli
Rank/Branch: E5/US Army
Unit: C Company, 503rd Infantry, 173rd Infantry Brigade
Date of Birth: 19 September 1946
Home City of Record: Patterson NJ
Date of Loss: 19 November 1967
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 143500N 1073547E (YB797137)
Status (in 1973): Killed/Body Not Recovered
Category: 4
Acft/Vehicle/Ground: Ground
Other Personnel In Incident:
Benjamin D. DeHerrera; Jack L. Croxdale (both
missing)
Source:
Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 October 1990 from one or more of
the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with
POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews.
REMARKS:
REMS TAG'D - NOT IN MORTY
SYNOPSIS:
On November 19, 1967, SP4 Croxdale, radio operator, PFC Benjamin D.
DeHerrera, squad leader and Sgt. Donald Iandoli, squad leader were members of
Company C, 503rd Infantry on a Search and Destroy mission in South Vietnam.
At 1435 hours, Companies A, C and D, all part of the 503rd Infantry, were in heavy contact with an unknown sized North Vietnamese force and were surrounded. During the operation, Sgt. Iandoli was wounded and was seen in the Company C command post area, along with SP4 Croxdale and PFC DeHerrera. At 1850 hours, a U.S. Marine bomber dropped a 500 pound bomb which hit the command post area in error, resulting in additional casualties. No remains were recovered that day because of intense enemy activity.
The following day, a search of the area was conducted. The remains of Croxdale, DeHerrera and Iandoli were identified and tagged. However, only the remains of DeHerrera and Croxdale were reported to have been placed on a helicopter en route to Dak To. Following the attack, a 3-day search of the battle area was conducted without success in locating Iandoli. However, as of January 4, 1968, the U.S. Army Mortuary at Than San Ut, South Vietnam, had not processed or identified any remains of DeHerrera, Croxdale or Iandoli, and the location of those remains is unknown.
Croxdale, DeHerrera and Iandoli died the day their command post received fire and are listed among the dead. They are also listed among the missing because no remains have been returned to their families for burial. The cases of many of the other nearly 2500 missing are not so clear. Many were known to have been alive at the time they disappeared. Some were photographed in captivity.
Experts now believe hundreds of Americans are held captive in Indochina. While the members of Company C may not be among them, one can imagine their proudly defending one more firebase for their comrades safe return
