GRANIELA, JOSE ANTONIO JR.
Name: Jose Antonio Graniela, Jr.
Rank/Branch: E3/US Army
Unit: Co.D, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division
Date of Birth: 22 June 1944
Home City of Record: Brentwood NY
Date of Loss: 16 August 1968
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 161733N 1071104E
Status (in 1973): Killed/Body Not Recovered
Category: 3
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: Ground
Refno: 1251
Other Personnel In Incident: none missing
Source: Compiled from one or more of the following: raw data from U.S.
Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA families,
published sources, interviews. Updated by the P.O.W. NETWORK in 2020.
REMARKS:
SYNOPSIS: PFC Graniela was a rifleman in Delta Company, 327th Infantry,
101st Airborne Division. At 1100 hours on August 16, Graniela was on a
combat operation with his platoon when they began receiving intense
automatic weapons fire. All members of the platoon immediately took cover.
Graniela was hit in the leg with several rounds of small arms fire. After
calling for help, he went into shock. A tourniquet was applied to his leg
and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation was administered, but to no visible avail.
Several members of the platoon believed that Graniela died at that time.
Because of intense hostile fire, the remains could not be recovered at that
time without the platoon receiving more casualties, and a return to the area
was impossible. The following day, the area was bombarded by air strikes
and artillery. Nothing was ever recovered that could be associated with
Graniela.
PFC Graniela is listed with honor among the missing because no remains were
found. His case seems clear. For others who are listed missing, resolution
is not as simple. Many were known to have survived their loss incident.
Quite a few were in radio contact with search teams and describing an
advancing enemy. Some were photographed or recorded in captivity. Others
simply vanished.
Reports continue to mount that we left hundreds of Americans in enemy hands
when we left Southeast Asia. Their abandonment makes the deaths of nearly
60,000 of America's finest young men a frivolous waste. We must bring these
men home.
| Date: Sat, 5 Sep 2009 21:12:54
-0700 (PDT) From: Michele Myler <michelemyler@yahoo.com> Subject: Information on Jose A. Graniela Jr.
To Whom It May Concern,
My name is Michele Myler (formerly Graniela) and my uncle is/was
PFC Jose A. Graniela Jr. I have visited your website and
read through his bio. The information on there is basically
the information that was given to me by my father. The
reason I am writing is because for so many years since my uncle
was declared KIA/BNR my father has been searching for answers
and/or possessions of my uncle. He was told by the army what
happened or what they think happened to my uncle, but he never
received any of his possessions and was never able to contact
anyone that knew of my uncle or possibly fought with him.
This has put a huge void into my father's heart. Since time
has passed my father has started to lose hope, which is
completely understandable. However, I was hoping to pick up
the slack for him and find something that he could hold onto and
close the wound that was left so many years ago. I don't
know if there is anything your organization can do, my father
seems to think he has exhausted every avenue. But, if there
is anything that you could tell me or anyone that you could put me
in contact with I would really appreciate it. I commend you
for the beautiful website you have created in memory of all the
fallen and/or missing soldier's and may God bless you!
Sincerely,
Michele Myler
|
Sept 8, 2009
On the ground witnesses state Blevins and Graniela were lost in the same
incident.
Say, any chance you remember
Jose A. Graniela Jr.?
Click here
http://327infantry.org/327thmemorial/graniela for additional information.
His family is looking for some closure and if you could help, we certainly
would appreciate it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
01/2020
https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000KZ4lEAG
On August 16, 1968, a platoon from the 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, was conducting a combat operation in Thua Thien Province, South Vietnam, when they came under enemy fire in the vicinity of grid coordinates YD 344 024. The soldiers of the platoon took cover, but two men were hit and killed. Due to the intensity of the enemy fire, their bodies could not be evacuated, and the unit was forced to pull back without them. The following day, the area was subjected to air strikes and artillery bombardment. The remains of one of these two men were later recovered and identified, but the other remains missing.
Private First Class Jose Antonio Graniela Jr., who entered the U.S. Army from New York, served with Company D, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Mobile). He was one of the two men killed during this action on August 16, 1968, and his remains were not recovered, and he remains unaccounted-for. Today, Private First Class Graniela is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Based on all information available, DPAA assessed the individual's case to be in the analytical category of Active Pursuit.
If you are a family member of this serviceman, DPAA can provide you with additional information and analysis of your case. Please contact your casualty office representative.
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