02 Oct 2001 The clock of life is wound but once, And no man has the power To tell just when the hands will stop, At a late or early hour. A memorial from his cousin, Dennis Thibault E-mail address is not available.

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall On 14 Dec 1971, a U-21A liaison aircraft (tail number 66-18041, call sign "LONG TRIP 041") departed Phu Bai airfield for a short flight to Da Nang air base, about 42 miles to the southeast. The aircraft's crew and passengers included CW2 Otha L. Perry, pilot, Cmd Acft Co, 165th Avn Grp CPT Cecil C. Perkins, co-pilot, Cmd Acft Co, 165th Avn Grp LTC John Boyanowski, passenger, Trng Directorate, MACV CPT Gregg N. Hollinger, passenger, Trng Directorate, MACV SSG Floyd D. Caldwell, passenger, Trng Directorate, MACV SP4 Dwight A. Bremmer, passenger; HHC, 11th Avn Grp As an administrative flight with no combat role, its flight plan was intended to keep it out of harm's way. Upon departure from Phu Bai, the aircraft was to continue out over the Gulf of Tonkin before making a starboard turn to the approach path for Da Nang, remaining over water for virtually the entire trip. During the flight, CW2 Perry reported that he had lost his #2 (starboard) engine and that the aircraft was on fire, giving their location and requesting airborne SAR support. Very shortly thereafter radio and radar contact with the aircraft was lost. By the time SAR aircraft arrived at the U-21's last known position there was no sign of the U-21A or its crew and passengers. Inclement weather and poor visibility curtailed immediate search efforts, but extensive searches were conducted for the next three days, over water and the adjacent shore area, but no trace of the aircraft or personnel was ever found. The last known position placed LONG TRIP 041 approximately 8 miles seaward of the tip of the Vung DaNang peninsula, Thua Thien Province, South Vietnam. When the search effort was terminated, the six men were placed in MIA status. Sixty days after LONG TRIP 041 disappeared, a case study of the loss incident was completed. After careful review, the board of inquiry determined the aircraft was lost at sea and the crew and passengers died in the mishap. Under the circumstances of loss, it was further determined the remains of all six men were probably not recoverable. The status of the six men was changed to Died, Body Not Recovered. Additional information is available on the POW Network and Task Force Omega sites.

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