"Louis T Mills was my friend. Everyone who knew him called him Ricky as a nick name. He sent me the attached photo of himself from Viet Nam in 1969 just before his death. Please add it to his profile. Thank you." -- Unsigned request, September 29, 2012

In response to a request for a name of submitter, and any other details about PFC Mills, "Robert" answered with the following: "I have shared the info you sent with my sisters too. We are the closest to family that Louis has left. He has no other living blood relatives. He was like an older brother to me keeping an eye out for me in the neighborhood. Thanks again for helping to honor his memory by being a link between our fond memories and how he died."

On 3 Sep 1969, PFC Mills' rifle company was being extracted from their position preparatory to making an airborne combat assault. Fourteen UH-1 Huey helicopters from B Company, 158th Aviation Battalion (AKA Assault Helicopter Battalion), were to extract the company and insert it into its new position. The extraction zone was studded with tall trees, requiring that on take-off the aircraft had to fly in a particular direction. The first seven Hueys successfully maneuvered among the trees. The eighth Huey was waved off on its first approach due to artillery strikes near the pickup zone, but landed without difficulty on its second approach. Five passengers were loaded and the aircraft begain its takeoff. After becoming airborne, the pilot failed to maintain sufficient clearance from a 60' tall tree and had a main rotor strike. The aircraft skimmed along the jungle canopy until it collided with an even taller tree, then fell off to the side, passing downhill along the side of a ravine before crashing into a small river. The aircraft immediately burst into flames. The four crewmen and five passengers who died in the crash were: B Company, 158th Assault Helicopter Battalion (AHB) CWO Ben F. Sutton, Palmetto, FL WO Carl P. Hughes, Savannah, GA SGT Michael M. Cox, Sacramento, CA SP4 Marvin E. Screen, Miami, FL D Company, 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment (1/502nd Inf) CPT Richard C. Miller, Jacksonville, AL SGT Gary L. Evans, Pebworth, KY CPL Leroy Rutherford, Burlington, VT SP4 Neal D. Epifanio, Fairfield, NJ PFC Louis T. Mills, Asheville, NC -- The Virtual Wall

Louis was the son of Mrs. Sarah Mills of Asheville, North Carolina. He was foster brother to Mrs Louise M Bland, Detroit, Michigan. PFC Mills and his mom, who predeceased him, are both interred in Violet Hill Cemetery, Ashville, North Carolina. -- The Virtual Wall

Contact Us

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

Last update 08/15/2019