MATOCHA, DONALD JOHN Remains Found 03/2004 - Identified 08/2004
Name: Donald John Matocha Branch/Rank: United States Marine Corps/O1 Unit: D CO 3 REC BN 3 MAR DIV Date of Birth: 31 January 1945 Home City of Record: SMITHVILLE TX Date of Loss: 05 April 1968 Country of Loss: South Vietnam Loss Coordinates: 164854 North 1065815 East Status (in 1973): Killed In Action/Body Not Recovered Category: 2 Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: GROUND Missions: Other Personnel in Incident: Refno:
Source: Compiled by P.O.W. NETWORK from one or more of the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews and CACCF = Combined Action Combat Casualty File.
REMARKS:
CACCF/GUNSHOT OR SMALL ARMS FIRE 3 YRS USMC/QUANG TRI
No further information available at this time.
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Remains of Marine killed in Vietnam coming home to Texas 08/12/2004 http://www.fox23news.com/news/national/story.aspx?content_id=739AF512-1EBE-4345-8322-A5CE2C182176
SMITHVILLE, Texas (AP) - The remains of an American soldier who had been missing since the Vietnam War are coming home after being located with help from a former enemy.
Marine 2nd Lt. Donald John Matocha of Smithville was killed in a firefight in April 1968 on Dong Ma mountain in what was then the Republic of South Vietnam, but his body was not recovered.
The Defense Department had essentially given up trying to locate his remains by 1993, said Hattie Johnson, a case officer with the Marine Corps casualty office in Washington.
"They had exhausted all means of looking," Johnson told the Austin American-Statesman.
Then in 1996, Nguyen Van Loc, a 58-year-old farmer who had been a squad leader of the 320th Division of the People's Army of Vietnam, appeared at the Army's POW/MIA office in Hanoi. He said he'd found a dead American on Dong Ma mountain in the spring of 1968 and helped bury him in a bomb crater.
Matocha's grave was found in March, and dental records established positive identification.
A nephew is scheduled to escort Matocha's remains to Smithville on Sept. 16.
Loretta Eiben, one of Matocha's eight younger siblings, said her family will always appreciate Nguyen Van Loc's help.
"We owe a debt of gratitude to him and his willingness to make a repeat visit to the site," she said.
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http://www.news8austin.com/content/headlines/?ArID=119410&SecID=2
Vietnam vet's remains return 9/14/2004 11:07 AM By: News 8 Austin Staff
The remains of a Marine from Smithville, missing in action in Vietnam for more than 36 years, will come home this week.
2nd Lt. Donald Matocha was killed in a firefight in April, 1968 and his body placed in a makeshift grave by Vietnamese soldiers on a mountain.
His remains were recovered earlier this year.
On Thursday, his remains will arrive at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. They will then be taken to Smithville.
The funeral and burial will full military honors are set for Saturday.