08 Jul 2006 Tom Underwood is my father. I was only 2 months old when he went missing, and unfortunately don't know much about him. I have been piecing together his past through his friends and the men who served with him. The Marine Corp was his life, and he was known by many people. I have been fortunate enough to meet many of them who have shared stories and pictures with me. My hope is to find more. Please contact me if you knew my Dad at any time throughout his life. AJ Underwood Arrow504@yahoo.com

 

On 21 March 1970 HML-167 lost an aircraft, UH-1E BuNo 152427. HML-167's Command Chronology for March 1970 contains the following entries regarding the loss: "Our second loss occurred when the aircraft was shot down while attempting the emergency extraction of a reconnaissance team deep in enemy controlled territory. All 4 crew members aboard the aircraft perished." "21 March 1970 - TV-27 crashed BuNo 152427         CASTLE, R. E. 1/Lt, 0105474, Pilot, Alpha Injury         PARSONS, L. D. 1/Lt, 0101271, Co-pilot, Alpha Injury         GONZALES, D. Cpl, 2348336, Crew Chief, Alpha Injury         UNDERWOOD, W. SSgt, 1892041, Aerial Gunner, Alpha Injury"         Investigation details were scarce, but it appeared the aircraft went down in flames and impacted in an apparently unsurvivable crash. However, 21 days later 1stLt L. D. Parsons was picked up by an Army Huey which was conducting the same kind of mission. 1stLt Parsons had been thrown from the flame-filled cockpit and evaded the NVA for three weeks. During his debrief, 1stLt Parsons said he was unaware of any other survivors, but the fact of his survival was enough to cause a ground team to be inserted with the sole mission of searching the area around the wreckage. The ground team verified the aircraft had been completely burned out, but there were footprints around the crash site. Although some skeletal and dental remains were recovered from the hulk, only the pilot, 1stLt Castle, could be positively identified. The three missing men who were declared to be dead from the crash of BuNo 152427 were: 1stLt Robert Edward Castle, Santa Ana, California SSgt Thomas Wayne Underwood, Zanesville, Ohio Sgt David Gonzales, Ventura, California. - - The Virtual Wall, 22 February 2020

 

Thomas was officially listed by the Defense Department as Missing - Body not recovered on 21 March 1970. Next below was the initial notice published in area papers: He was declared dead on 27 March with category of Killed in Action - Body not recovered. The local area papers covered it with articles similar to the following: The notice below mentions four brothers but with only three named. It's believed that he was survived by brothers Charles and Edward Underwood along with Richard and Donald Weiner. SSG Thomas Wayne Underwood has an In Memory Marker at Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery, Fort Leavenworth, Leavenworth County, Kansas. His mother Wanda Louise (Atkinson) Underwood (1914-1991) and father Rodney Roy Underwood (1902-1948) are buried in New Lexington Cemetery, New Lexington, Perry County, Ohio. - - The Virtual Wall, 4 February 2023