Final Arrangements Pending For Soldier

Final funeral arrangements are pending today with the Terpening-Paulin mortuary of Artesia for Private First Class Donald L. Summers, 22, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Ray A. Summers of Mayhill.

PFC. Summers died Aug. 15 in Viet Nam as a result of metal fragment wounds from hostile mortar fire received while on combat operations.

Military funeral services will be conducted from the Mayhill First Baptist Church, but the date for services is pending the arrival of the serviceman’s body here. The Rev. S. M. Morgan, Roswell, retired minister of the First Baptist Church, will officiate, assisted by an Army chaplain. Burial will be at Elk.

PFC. Summers entered the Army Nov. 29, 1965 and arrived in Viet Nam on June 5, 1966. He was a member of the First Calvary (Air Mobile) division and was in the Cameron Bay area of Viet Nam when killed. During his Army Career, PFC. Summers had attended Army leadership training school and had been specially trained in guerilla warfare.

Born Feb. 6, 1944 in Artesia PFC. Summers had attended Artesia High School for three and one-half years.

Survivors include the parents of Mayhill: four sisters, Sue Baril, Denver, Colo, Mrs. Joe Light, Cloudcroft, and Janice Lorene and Patricia Carol, of the home, two brothers, James Thomas and Ronald Wayne, both of the home; and the grandmother Mrs. Luella Driver, Finley, Okla.

Burial was August 25, 1966, Elk Cemetery, Chaves County, NM. Retyped by Elaine Watson 3-18-09

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The following information was submitted by Virginia Stanbrough. This is Donald L. Summers' military casualty record.

Vietnam War: U.S. Military Casualties, 1956-1998
about Donald L Summers
Name: Donald L Summers
Birth Date: 7 Feb 1944
Death Date: 15 Aug 1966
Gender: Male
Age: 22
Race: Caucasian
Home City: Mayhill
Home State: New Mexico
Religion: Baptist - Other Groups
Marital Status: Single (Spouse Not Listed)
SSN/Service #: 54370584
Citizen Status: U.S.

Death Date: 15 Aug 1966
Processed Date: Aug 1966
Casualty Country: Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam)
Casualty Type: Hostile - Killed
Casualty Reason: Multi-Fragment Wounds
Casualty Air: Ground Casualty
Body Status: Body Recovered
Service Branch: Department of Army
Component: Selective Service
Military Grade: Private First Class
Pay Grade: Private First Class (U.S. Army) or Airman First Class (U.S.
Air Force) or Lance Corporal (U.S. Marine Corps) or Grade/Rate Abbreviations
With First Column: A,C,D,F,H,S,Or T; Second Column: A: Third and Fourth
Columns: Blank (U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard)
Province: Unknown
Length of Service: 00
Service Occupation: Infantry Indirect Fire Crewman (ARMY)
Data Source: Combat Area Casualties Current File