“Happy Valley” Phan Rang AB, RVN the History of Phan Rang AB and the Stories of Those Who Served There
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The History of Phan Rang AB and the stories of those who served there. “Keeping the memories alive” Newsletter 155 In this issue: Casualty List for Ninh Thuan Province - Casualty list for Phan Rang AB Assigned personnel Note: Footnotes give Event leading to death or cause. “Happy Valley” Phan Rang AB, RVN The History of Phan Rang AB and the stories of those who served there. Phan Rang AB News No. 193 “...keeping the memories alive” NAME CASUALTY BIRTH CAUSE OF DEATH PICTURE Service/GRD DATE DATE Aamold, Daniel Lawrence Aug 20, 1970 Aug 23, 1951 Non-hostile, ground Air Force/435th MMS* casualty accidental self- A1C destruction1 Abbott, Robert William Dec 17, 1965 Oct 19, 1920 Hostile, died while missing, Air Force/4th ACS fixed wing Pilot Maj Air loss, crash on land2 Abernathy, Robert Lloyd Dec 17, 1965 Sep 3, 1928 Hostile, died while missing, Air Force/4th ACS fixed wing-crew Maj air loss-crash on land3 Adkison, Carl Elmus Aug 12, 1969 May 31, 1949 Non-hostile, died of Army illness/injury, ground SP4 casualty, other accident4 Albright, James Milton Mar 10, 1967 Apr 13, 1936 Non-hostile, fixed wing non Navy/NAVSUPACT crew air loss, crash on land5 Lt Aldridge, Herbert Ray Mar 6, 1968 Nov 28, 1949 Hostile, died outright Marine/G Co, 2nd BN Air loss or crash over land 6 PFC Fixed Wing - Noncrew 1 ACCIDENT AT PHAN RANG AIR BASE, 9 KM N-NW OF PHAN RANG 2 AC-47D HIT MOUNTAIN 16-1/2 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF PHAN RANG 3 AC-47D HIT MOUNTAIN 16-1/2 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF PHAN RANG 4 Undetermined. 5 VC-47 WING FAILURE 5 MILES NORTH OF PHAN RANG 6 C-123K 54-0590 shot down 8 km east of Khe Sanh combat base. Page 2 The Phan Rang AB News No. 155 “Happy Valley” Phan Rang AB, RVN The History of Phan Rang AB and the stories of those who served there. Phan Rang AB News No. 193 “...keeping the memories alive” Alves, Moses Lopes Oct 11, 1969 Nov 23, 1934 Non-Hostile, fixed wing- Air Force/17th SOS* crew 7 Maj. Air Loss, Crash on Land Andersen, Martin Aug 19, 1967 May 22, 1930 Hostile, fixed wing-crew Air Weigner loss, crash on land8 Air Force/13th Bomb Sq.* Maj Anderson, David George Mar 6, 1968 Jun 13, 1949 Hostile, died outright Marine/H&S Cim 1st BN Air loss or crash over land 9 PFC Fixed Wing - Noncrew Andrews, George Oct 12 1969 Nov 4, 1943 Hostile, died while missing Robert Air loss or crash over land Air Force/615 TFS* Fixed wing-pilot10 Capt Anselmo, William Frank Mar 6, 1968 Aug 22, 1944 Hostile, died while missing USAF/15th Aerial Port Sq Air loss or crash over land 11 SSgt Fixed Wing - noncrew Arthington, Marvin S Nov 27, 1969 Oct 22, 1946 Non-hostile, died while Air Force/315 TAW* missing 1Lt Air loss or crash over land Fixed wing - pilot12 7 An AC-119 52-5907 gunship, radio call sign Shadow 76, crashed as it was taking off from Tan Son Nhut when an engine failed and caught fire. With all its armament and ammunition together with a full fuel load the single-engined performance of the AC-119G was insufficient to enable it to stay airborne. Six of the 10 crew were killed in the accident. SSgt Bradford was a photographer with the 600th Photo Squadron. 8 STRIKE ON STORAGE AREA 5 MILES WEST OF LAI KHE 9 C-123K 54-0590 shot down 8 km east of Khe Sanh combat base. 10 F-100D 56-3069 vicinity Thuy Dong, 30 miles west of Saigon (kien Tuong Province) 11 C-123K 54-0590 shot down 8 km east of Khe Sanh combat base. Body not recovered. 12 C-123K 55-4574 hit mountain 17 miles southwest of Nha Trang, 6 US and 73 Vietnamese killed Page 3 The Phan Rang AB News No. 155 “Happy Valley” Phan Rang AB, RVN The History of Phan Rang AB and the stories of those who served there. Phan Rang AB News No. 193 “...keeping the memories alive” Arthur, Johnny Jun 10, 1971 Sep 6, 1949 Hostile, died outright Air Army/192nd AHC* loss or crash over land, SP5 Helicopter-Crew13 Baker, Robert Lee Nov 27, 1970 Jun 7, 1930 Non-hostile, died while Air Force/315 TAW* missing Maj Air loss or crash over land 14 Fixed Wing - crew Beale, George Eugene Mar 6, 1968 Jan 2, 1949 Hostile, died outright Marine/2nd Bn, 26th Marines Air loss or crash over land PFC Fixed Wing - Noncrew15 Beauford Jr., Willis Mar 6, 1968 Dec 17, 1946 Hostile, died outright Marine/B Co, 1st BN Air loss or crash over land PFC Fixed Wing - Noncrew16 Beedy, George Nov 29, 1970 Oct 13, 1949 Non-hostile, died missing, Army/B Btry, 5th BN fixed wing - non-crew air SP4 loss, crash on land17 Bell, David Leroy Feb 14, 1969 Feb 4, 1949 Hostile, ground casualty Army/21st S&S Co Other explosive device18 SP4 13 UH-1C 66-00597 33 KM S-SW OF PHU NHON AFLD We were flying cover for a sniffer mission. I was the aircraft commander of UH-1C 66-00597 when we crashed in the jungle and the crash site was not accessible due to the fire in the immediate area and the jungle cover. The low bird (UH-1H) made a pass of the area and the crew chief Greg Shepard jumped into a tree top and started to climb down the tree when he was blown out of the tree by the rotor wash of his aircraft breaking his arm. He pulled both pilots away from the fire. Both the crew chief and gunner (Arthur and Montoya) on the UH-1C were killed. Steve A. Watson July 1997. The aircraft started a steep descent to make an LZ recon. A slick pilot, Eugene J. Breslin, observed the aircraft from 3 to 4 miles away. He observed a bright orange flame from the area of the engine when the gunship was approximately 400 feet AGL. Copilot Robert E. Goolsby made a mayday call. The aircraft continued a steep descent and disappeared into the high canopy jungle followed by an explosion at ground impact. 14 C-123K 55-4574 hit mountain 17 miles southwest of Nha Trang 15 C-123K 54-0590 shot down 8 km east of Khe Sanh combat base. 16 C-123K 54-0590 shot down 8 km east of Khe Sanh combat base. 17 C-123K 54-0649 HIT MOUNTAIN 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CAM RANH BAY IN BAD WEATHER 18 Undetermined. Page 4 The Phan Rang AB News No. 155 “Happy Valley” Phan Rang AB, RVN The History of Phan Rang AB and the stories of those who served there. Phan Rang AB News No. 193 “...keeping the memories alive” Bennett, James Harvey Feb 15, 1968 Sep 23, 1943 Hostile, died while missing, Air Force/14th ACS* Fixed Wing Crew air loss, Sgt (Aerial Gunner) crash on land19 Bestmann, Charles Nov 28, 1968 Sep 1, 1946 Non-hostile, died of Edward illness/injury, ground th 20 Air Force/99 SPS casualty vehicle crash Sgt Blackwell, Joseph Carlton Nov 29, 1970 Sep 19, 1948 Non-Hostile, died missing, Army/A BTRY 5th BN Fixed Wing - Non-crew Sgt Air loss-crash on land21 Bledsoe, Milard Luther Oct 10, 1968 Jan 10, 1938 Non-hostile, helicopter Air Force/35th CES* crew air loss, crash on 22 SSgt land Bodin, James Allen Nov 27, 1970 Jan 19, 1950 Non-hostile, died while Air Force/315 TAW* missing Sgt Air loss or crash over land Fixed Wing - Noncrew23 Boggs, Donnie Rex Apr 26, 1970 Nov 14, 1950 Non-hostile, died of Army illness/injury, ground SP4 casualty accidental 24 homicide Boone, Alan Ransom Oct 19, 1971 Dec 4, 1947 Non-hostile, fixed wing- Army/299th Eng Bn crew Air Loss, crash on 25 Capt land 19 AC-47D 43-49859 5 MILES SOUTH OF PHAN RANG AFLD 20 Undetermined. 21 C-123K HIT MOUNTAIN 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CAM RANH BAY IN BAD WEATHER 22 HH-43E Helicopter with MECHANICAL FAILURE, CRASHED AT PHAN RANG AIR BASE 23 C-123K 55-4574 hit mountain 17 miles southwest of Nha Trang 24 Undetermined. 25 AIRCRAFT ENTERED INSTRUMENT CONDITIONS, HIT MOUNTAIN 24 KM SOUTH OF PHAN RANG AIR BASE Page 5 The Phan Rang AB News No. 155 “Happy Valley” Phan Rang AB, RVN The History of Phan Rang AB and the stories of those who served there. Phan Rang AB News No. 193 “...keeping the memories alive” Boyer, Charles Goodhue Mar 6, 1968 Feb 28, 1949 Hostile, died outright Marine/H&S Co, 1st BN Air loss or crash over land 26 PFC Fixed Wing - Noncrew Bradford, Ellsworth Smith Oct 11, 1969 Jun 18, 1925 Non-Hostile Fixed Wing- Air Force/600th Photo Sq. Noncrew 27 SSgt. Air Loss, Crash on Land Bradshaw, Jesse John Dec 17, 1968 Dec 16, 1931 Non-hostile, died outright Air Force/309 SOS* from other causes SSgt Air loss or crash over land Fixed wing-crew28 May Brice, Ronnie Jan 19, 1971 Oct 28, 1959 Non-hostile, ground Army/A Btry, 4th Bn casualty vehicle crash29 Pvt Brignac, Joseph Paul Mar 6, 1968 Nov 6, 1943 Hostile, died outright Marine/B Co, 1st BN Air loss or crash over land CPL Fixed Wing - Noncrew30 Brooks, Donald Ray Oct 10, 1968 Sep 30, 1931 Non-hostile, helicopter Air Force/38th ARRS* crew 31 Maj air loss, crash on land Brown, Donald George Mar 10 1967 Jul 19 1932 Non-hostile, fixed wing- Navy/TF 115, HQ non-crew air loss, crash on LCDR land32 26 C-123K 54-0590 shot down 8 km east of Khe Sanh combat base.