Doyle Foster

Doyle Foster (Sept. 15, 1936 – March 25, 1971) was a soldier from Oneida who died during the Vietnam War.

See Also: Scott Countians killed in war

Biography

Born Sept. 15, 1936, Doyle Foster was the son of Clay Foster (1916-1998) and Cordelia Wilson (1918-1984). He had five sisters: Gertie Ellen Reagan (1947-1977), Bonnie Foster, Dorothy Robinson, Gloria Faye Malone, and Arnie Tubles.

He had three uncles, Glen Clyde Foster (1919-1991), Loy Chester Foster (1921-2006) and Arthur Columbus “Art” Foster (1925-2010) who served in World War II. His grandfather, Ephraim Foster, was also a military veteran. He had another uncle on his mother’s side — Mitchell Wilson (1925-1994) — who served in World War II, and two — Murton H. Wilson (1930-2014) and Charles Edward King Jr. (1934-1999) — who served in the Korean War. He also had an uncle, Merrell Denny Wilson (1945-2023) who served in the Vietnam War.

He married Evelyn Patsy Byrd, and they had three children: Doyle Wade Foster, Paul Allen Foster and Teresa Lynn Foster.

Vietnam War

Sgt. Foster enlisted in the U.S. Army and was assigned to the 174th Assault Helicopter Co., 14th Aviation Battalion, 16th Aviation Group. He was an aircraft maintenance senior sergeant.

Sgt. Foster died at Quang Tri Airfield in Quang Tri Province on March 25, 1971. It was reported that he took his own life. He had volunteered to fly as a gunner, and was scheduled to fly on the day of his death. He had previously been denied a request for his assignment to Vietnam to be delayed for compassionate reasons.

Aftermath

Sgt. Foster’s body was returned to Scott County. A funeral service was held on April 3, 1971 at Pentecost Baptist Church in Oneida, and he was buried at Carson Memorial Park.

He is listed on the Scott County Veterans Memorial in Huntsville and the East Tennessee Veterans Memorial in Knoxville, but not on the VFW Post 5669 Memorial Wall in Oneida. He’s also listed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.