13 Jul 2003 Gary Dowell had previously served with HMM-163. In September 1965, HMM-163 rotated to Okinawa where it was waiting to return to the U.S. A number of the squadron's personnel were ordered back to Vietnam and sent to separate squadrons, with Dowell joining HMM-364. On 27 October 1965 he was aboard a UH-34 conducting a resupply mission. While in the landing zone, Corporal Dowell was shot and killed by sniper fire. Gary Dowell, and the other Purple Foxes who served in Vietnam, are remembered by the women who waited at home, whether mothers, sisters, daughters, or friends. Those women, the Purple Foxy Ladies continue to support today's Purple Foxes of HMM-364 as they serve our country. Visit the Purple Foxes on-line or go to our unit page on The Virtual Wall A memorial initiated by the Purple Foxy Ladies Foxyladiesgroup@aol.com

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall From the MAG-36 Command Chronology for November 1965: "Twelve (12) HMM-364 aircraft along with HMM-362 took part in a strike/troop lift in support of the 7th Marines. The strike was flown from coordinates BS510095 to BT530025 and BS550875. Four (4) aircraft were hit by small arms fire in the supposedly secure pickup zone (BS510095). Corporal Gary Dowell, the gunner in YK-6, was fatally wounded as a result of this fire."

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