Douglas Steven McIlroy

Corporal, U.S. Army

Douglas Steven McIlroy was born on 22 April 1948. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Douglas McIlroy of Detroit. Douglas was an only child, and the family lived on Lincoln.

He went to Edison Junior High School before attending Edsel Ford High School, where he graduated in 1966. While at Edsel, Doug played football and basketball and excelled at both. Doug was described as being polite, cooperative and a very nice young man. He loved both playing and watching sports, and in the summers could be found playing baseball, or at the lake.

Doug joined the Army in July of 1967 with 2 of his high school friends, Michael Miezgoda and Chuck Hanselman. The three young men were together as they completed Basic Training at Fort Knox, KY, and then Advanced Individual Training at Fort McLellan, AL. The three soldiers spent Thanksgiving together in Dearborn before departing for Southeast Asia. They made a pact to spend Christmas of 1968 together.

On 9 January 1968, Private First Class Douglas Steven McIlroy was serving with D Company, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry, 196th Infantry Brigade, Americal Division, in Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam.

On that day, PFC McIlroy was killed in action after sustaining wounds from small arms fire. His body was recovered. He received a posthumous promotion to Corporal.

Badge and Medals

Combat Infantryman Badge
Purple Heart
National Defense Service Medal
Vietnam Service Medal
Vietnam Campaign Medal

Honors

The name Douglas S McIlroy is located on Panel 34E Line 9 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.

Doug's friends Mike Niezgoda and Chuck Hanselman were also killed in Vietnam.

Burial

Corporal Douglas Steven McIlroy is buried at Grand Lawn Cemetery in Detroit, MI.

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