From the VMO-2 Squadron Command Chronology, 28 March 1967: "UH-1E (BuNo 152419) on recon flight of Dong Ha TAOR was stuck by an undetermined number of .50 cal and small arms fire in cockpit and cabin area, incapacitating pilot and flight surgeon [observer], causing aircraft to enter uncontrolled flight and inverted nose-down attitude. Aircraft exploded on impact at YD 195625, and fire resulted. Fire caused 2.75" rockets and 7.62 mm machine gun ammunition to explode, preventing crew of chase aircraft from assisting crew. As a result, the pilot, flight surgeon, crew chief and gunner were killed." Comments on Incident: Shot down by 50-cal during perimeter sweep of Dong Ha - flying at 50 feet altitude in evening. Aircraft exploded on impact, inverted. N. Shinnick was flying chase as copilot with MAG-16 CO. Four men died in this incident: MAJ Jack Coleman Owens, Pilot LT Curtis Richard Baker, USN, Flight Surgeon (observer) CPL Paul Edward Albano, Crew Chief PFC George Mark Stevenson, Gunner Curt Baker was a dear friend. As with most Navy medical personnel assigned to Marine units, he was more Marine than Navy. He was assigned as the VMO-2 Squadron Flight Surgeon. His first task in "combat" was stitching up my head from the impact of a falling 4x4 (center beam of a GP tent). We spent many hours together, both in the air and on the ground and it was a severe loss to me when he joined Chesty and other Marines "over there" with the rest of his crew. Visit the USMC/Vietnam Helicopter Association

 

A memorial initiated by the Historian, USMC/Vietnam Helicopter Association, Alan H Barbour ahbarbour@popasmoke.com  25 May 2002

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