19 Mar 2007 REMEMBERED by a friend. burnsdennyb@aol.com

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall Six Marines died on 10 May 1969 when a CH-46 (BuNo 152560) of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 262 was shot down while making a combat assault landing: Aircrew, CH-46 BuNo 152560: Cpl Peter Gibson, Gunner, H&MS-39 Cpl Kennith W. Wheeler, Crew Chief, HMM-262 From Bravo Co, 1st Bn, 9th Marines: LCpl Virgil Lee Larkins LCpl Paul D. Mannerow Pfc Gerald Gene Broussard Pfc Roy James Mrosewske The HMM-262 Command Chronology for the date of his death contains the following information: "HMM-262 launched an 8 A/C (aircraft) assault lifting troops of First Battalion Ninth Marines, into Landing Zone Erskine located at YD-162106 (UTM grid coordinates). Small-arms fire was received by one of the A/C while in the zone during the first wave, yet no hits were taken. On the second wave, 93-8 (aircraft mission number) while approaching the zone had a power loss, fell short of the zone, crashed and burned. The pilot, copilot, and one gunner, Major Whitfield, 1/Lt P. J. Traube, and L/Cpl J. W. Stewart, received minor injuries. However the crew chief and second gunner, Cpl K. W. Wheeler and Cpl P. Gibson (H&MS-39) received fatal injuries ... " In addition to the six dead, six other Marines were injured in the crash - and on 18 May one of them died from his injuries: Private Daniel J. Giordano.

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