14 June 2005 "Phil Jacobs" was my best friend in high school and we began college together at Weber State in Ogden, Utah in the fall of 1965. After a poor attempt at academics we both decided to join the army together so off to Fort Ord, California we went. I went through infantry training and then airborne training. I was then assigned to the 101st Airborne in Vietnam. Phil qualified as officer candidate material and went off to school to become an infantry officer. I had already been in Vietnam for some time when Phil was sent over with an infantry unit. Not long after that, I heard he took 7 rounds from an automatic weapon, yet lived. He was sent back to the states where he found out his recent bride had cancer. Those two events would overwhelm most of us, but he reenlisted as a warrant officer and became a gunship pilot. The last letter I remember receiving from him was "I'm going to go back over there and kill everyone of those dirty son of a bitches!" That bitterness cost him his life. Phil and I were the best of buddies. He had a chance to start a new life with his lovely bride Lynn McKay but he chose to go back to Vietnam. I cannot judge his actions. I did two voluntary tours myself. Sometimes I wonder if his parents are still alive. He was their only child. It must have been a super heart break. We graduated from Clearfield High School together in 1965. This year Clearfield High is having its 40th class reunion. I don't think I'll go. If Phil was still around, I'm sure I'd feel differently but so much has changed. But one thing has remained the same. This country doesn't seem to have learned anything about the tragedy and the insanity of inflicting war. God bless you, Phil. Better luck next time around. Your friend, Douglas Ericksen douglasdragon@yahoo.com

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall Four men from the Headquarters Company, 101st Airborne Division, were killed when their UH-1H (tail number 68-15359) went down during a night instrument training flight. Although conducted in heavy weather, the flight was normal until radio and radar contact was abruptly lost. The Huey was found the following morning in a rice paddy about 2-1/2 miles from Hue. It had crashed inverted and burned, killing the four crewmen. The wreckage distribution pattern indicated that the aircraft had broken up while in flight, perhaps due to severe turbulence. The four men were CPT Phillip H. Jacobs, Hill AFB, UT CPL Steven H. Krupkin, Van Nuys, CA CPT William J. Langman, Tigard, OR SGT John W. Parsells, Miami, FL

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