Douglas John Itri, Age 22

MOS: 84B20: Still Photographic Specialist

Killed in GhostRiders 079 shootdown
Virtual Wall page

Doug was a graduate of Saint Augustine's Grammar School and Brighton High School, Boston. He went to the photo school at Fort Monmouth and then to the 221st in Vietnam, serving as a combat photographer. Doug had many friends in the unit and is well remembered as a very promising young photographer.

I remember talking to Doug about photography maybe a couple of months before he was killed. He said to me, “No matter what ever happens to me, my life is complete now that I’m a photographer.”  I always remember that very vividly. It sticks with me. Once, while in Boston, I went to South Boston to the park he played in as a kid. His name is there on a plaque.  That day, I just imaged him as a kid playing in that park. I so much miss Doug to this day. He was a great guy.   - Sp5 Ray Linn

Some of Doug’s last negs

The Leica camera assigned to Doug, with his last roll of film still in it, was retrieved at the crash site by Ken Hoffman.  Bob Swartz, who became CO of the 221st after Bill Kelly, describes what happened to the film and his changed opinion of the last image on the role in a video interview Meet up in San Antonio Part 1

If someone else would like to post their memories of Doug Itri please e-mail me: pberk@berks.com

Painting of Doug by Leroy Jesfield, 221st Signal

Photo by Ray Linn

Ray Linn   Doug Itri

This sketch of Doug was done by Jim Hardy, 221st Combat Artitst, just weeks before Doug was KIA.