Hospital Corpsman Third Class Manuel Reyes Denton, USN, was assigned to the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific. On October 8, 1963, he was a crewman on board a Marine UH-34D helicopter conducting a search mission for a downed friendly aircraft. The helicopter crashed some 43 miles west of Da Nang, Republic of Vietnam, in mountainous jungle terrain which was then hostile territory.

Petty Officer Denton's cause of death is not known. Petty Officer Denton was listed as Missing In Action which was changed to Killed In Action/Body Not Recovered.

Petty Officer Denton was born June 18, 1941, in San Antonio, Texas, and listed Kerrville, Texas, as his Home of Record.