28 Jul 2007 We just called Jerry "McManus". Very few of us even knew his first name. I had only been flying for a few weeks when 080 went out towards the Valley on 4/25/68 and had not gotten to know him very well, but what I knew of him was all good. He was a quiet, very articulate sort of guy, a great gunner. McManus was riding left gun that day. That was his job every day. Charlie ambushed them from the left the hardest. McManus was one of our gunners and was so short (very few days left in Vietnam) that I was surprised he volunteered for that flight. He loved flying, though, and the chance to be a part of a rescue mission was just his style. McManus died that day with Bolen McGee, Linden Eiler, and Kenneth Delp. Our CO, Major Jerry Matthews, and the crew chief, Dan Dazell, were both wounded. Charlie Company took a loss that we will never forget. I miss them all. Well Jerry, you did good, brother. Later, Mel "Tex" Chappell mrchap2k@yahoo.com

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall When CH-47A tail number 66-19080 departed Camp Evans on 25 April to pick up a downed UH-1 via a sling lift she carred her normal aircrew, maintenance personnel, and two air cargo specialists from the 561st Trans Co who would rig the sling. The location was northeast of the A Shau Valley, about 14 kilometers due north of A Luoi village. Once the sling was rigged the CH-47 came to a hover overhead so it could be connected to the sling. As it hovered, the aircraft was hit by enemy fire and crashed, killing four crewmen and injuring others - but as it turned out the two cargo specialists weren't killed when 66-19080 went down. Later that day, at 1915H (7:15 pm local time), a UH-1 was "observed flying over an ARVN ground engagement with NVA. Hit by enemy fire, descending in flames. Received more enemy fire while descending, with main rotor head and transmission separating prior to impact. A/C hit flat and was totally consumed by fire." The 1st Battalion, 26th Marines was tasked to respond to the downed aircraft and by 10 pm had airlifted a platoon to the crash site. A preliminary search failed to find any survivors, and the Marines established a defensive perimeter around the aircraft while awaiting sunrise. At 0930 26 April the 1/26 Marines reported they had identified the aircraft as BuNo 154761, found a pilot's kneepad with the name "Cawley" on it, and recovered six bodies from the wreckage. The six bodies subsequently were identified as four aircrewmen from Marine Observation Squadron 6 (VMO-6) and two soldiers: SP4 Joseph Burkes and PFC Ronald J. Campbell, 561st Trans Co. The two men apparently had obtained a lift from the Marines in order to get to Quang Tri Airfield. Ten men died in the two separate incidents: In UH-1E BuNo 154761, 11 kilometers east-northeast of Quang Tri Airfield: Capt James P. Cawley, Scranton, PA, VMO-6, pilot 1stLt Robert C. Kimmel, East Islip, NY, VMO-6, copilot Pfc Edgar C. Laye, Chicago, IL, VMO-6, crewman Pfc Brock R. Schramm, San Carlos, CA, VMO-6, crewman SP4 Joseph Burkes, Detroit, MI, 561st Trans Co, passenger PFC Ronald J. Campbell, Philadelphia, PA, 561st Trans Co, passenger In CH-47A 66-19080, 25 kilometers southwest of Camp Evans Airfield: SP5 Bolen P. McGee, Osceola, AR, C Co, 228th ASHB CPL Linden D. Eiler, Peru, IN, C Co, 228th ASHB CPL Jerry D. McManus, Atlanta, LA, C Co, 228th ASHB PFC Kenneth H. Delp, Los Angeles, CA, C Co, 228th ASHB Nine of the ten men appear in Lines 3 through 11 of Panel 52E of the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial. By error, PFC Delp's name appears on Panel 06E, which contains the names of men who died on and between 10 March 1966 and 26 April 1966.

Contact Us

© Copyright 1997-2019 www.VirtualWall.org, Ltd ®(TM)

Last update 08/15/2019.