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Dennis Nye Hudson
Corporal
HHC, 2ND BN, 506TH INFANTRY, 101ST ABN DIV, USARV Army of the United States Riverside, California June 28, 1950 to October 23, 1969 DENNIS N HUDSON is on the Wall at Panel W17, Line 110 |
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Dennis was our next door neighbor and I watched him grow up. What a smile he had! He was easy-going and fun to be around. The Hudsons were a devout Catholic family and Dennis was child #4 out of 6. We were a devout Latter Day Saint (Mormon) family and my brother David was child #4 out of 5. Dennis and David were buddies. David went to Vietnam and Dennis followed shortly. David was Killed on May 28th, 1969 and Dennis was killed five months later on October 23, 1969. They are neighbors still today, with their final resting places a few feet apart in Riverside's Crestlawn Memorial Cemetery in the Military section. Dennis, we love you and will never forget you and your brave determination to serve your fellowmen. You gave your life for freedom. You are remembered!
Linda Tiffany
lindamtiffany@hotmail.com
This photo depicts the beautiful Hudson Family at Dennis's posthumous Award Ceremony. Left to right are his father, Paul; mother, Rose; and siblings Lee, Russell, Karen, Susan, and Jane. |
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Dennis was our platoon medic. He was killed on the ground when a helicopter crashed and a piece of debris struck him. His death was so shocking that the entire company staged a short mutiny. I had been in-country for six months and that was the first time we collectively mourned the loss of a fellow soldier. To this day, I have never forgotten him or the incident. Rest in peace, Dennis. From a fellow Platoon "Brother", |
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The accident of the UH-1H Model "Huey", tail number 68-16274 (158th Aviation Battalion flying out of Camp Evans) involved in the incident and mentioned in local newspapers, occurred as follows: A UH-1H helicopter (4 crew/10 passengers) were in the middle of a combat assualt of inserting 180 soldiers from A Co, 2nd Bn, 506th Infantry - 101st Abn. The aircraft involved in the accident was the lead of 6 helicopters. The initial lift into the LZ was without incident. This was their third time there that day dropping off infantrymen. The LZ was small and had several large tree stumps. The area had been cleared out as a Landing Zone by the engineers, but there were some tree stumps still there - some about 3' high. The ground was inclined about 10 degrees. 6 men exited to the right, the other 4 men exited to the left...and all moved about 30' away from the helicopter. The aircraft commander lifted off to a stabilized 2' hover and did a take-off check. The gunner and crew chief responded with a "clear right" and "clear left". As maximum power was going to be needed to prevent hitting some stumps in front of him, the craft was put into the 2' hoover. All guages looked fine, and power was applied. What the pilot didn't know was that on the right side there was a stump protruding at about a 60 degree angle. The skid had slid under it, but didn't touch it (which would have registered a signal). On full take-off, the skid connected - causing the helicopter to roll and topple hard to the right. The helicopter crashed, and the large rotor blades impacted the ground and the six soldiers next to it....killing all 6 and wounding 4. All of the crew survived, with only the door-gunner receiving a lacerated leg. There were no injuries to the other soldiers that had exited to the left. The helicopter was destroyed but did not burn. Although the 6 men's death was classfied as an aircraft accident, not under enemy fire, they were completing a combat air assault with the unit. The men who were killed were:
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CPL Dennis Nye Hudson's final resting place is Pierce Brothers Crestlawn Memorial Park & Mortuary Riverside, California. Note his cemetery marker below indicates he was awarded Bronze Star and Purple Heart Medals. His parents are also buried in Crestlawn. His father, Paul, a Tec 4 in the Army during WWII, passed away on March 4, 1998 and his mother Rose, passed away on November 27, 2012.
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