23 Sep 2002 Thomas E. Williams, Jr. was unfortunately lost in a helicopter crash over Vietnam. From his second cousin, LoLoWill@aol.com

 

The Virtual Wall Summary On 02 May 1969 a flight of four helicopters from C Company, 158th Avn Bn, were assigned to inserting a reconnaissance team into an area about 20 nautical miles west of Dong Ha. The flight (2 gunships and 2 troop carriers) departed Camp Evans at about 0800, but upon arrival at the landing zone they were advised that tactical air support was not available and the insertion was aborted. The UH-1 flight began their return to Camp Evans, flying in an easterly direction at about 1300 feet above sea level. At the same time, USMC CH-46 helicopters from HMM-262 were conducting a large troop lift in an unrelated operation. As one of the Army UH-1H's (tail number 67-17596, pilot WO2 J G Mills, 4 crew and half the recon team) transited above the CH-46 landing zone the door gunner observed a CH-46D lifting off and warned his pilot that the CH-46 was about a quarter mile astern and 200 feet below the Huey. WO2 Mills directed the gunner to keep the CH-46 in sight and advise. As the Huey continued, the gunner observed that the CH-46 was overtaking the Huey and apparently would pass beneath it in a starboard quarter to port bow direction. The gunner advised WO2 Mills and passed the contact off to the crew chief, who was on the port side of the Huey. The crew chief could not see the CH-46, which actually climbed through the Huey's altitude on the right side. As it did so, the rotor blades of the two aircraft collided. The CH-46 pitched up and to its right and its aft pylon separated from the aircraft. It continued in a right-hand roll until ground impact. The Huey experienced partial control loss and made a precautionary landing about 500 meters from the CH-46 wreckage. Two of the recon team had been injured, but the remaining men set up a hasty defensive perimeter. Another USMC CH-46 landed nearby; its crew checked the downed CH-46, finding no survivors. The CH-46 took the Huey crew and passengers aboard and took them to the Vandergrift combat base. The bodies of the men in the CH-46D were recovered separately, as was the UH-1. Twelve men died in the CH-46D (BuNo 152559): From HMM-262: 1stLt Robert Ernest Trigalet, pilot 1stLt Thomas Earl Williams, Jr., copilot LCPL Melvin Warren Eakins, crew chief LCPL Timothy Howard Pyle, gunner LCPL Larry David Stollar, gunner From Fox Company, 2/4 Marines: 1stLt Gary Earl Holtzclaw 1stSgt James Howell Sumner Sgt Richard Boyce Bennett LCpl Troy Everett Powell LCPL Charles Howard Shelton PFC David Franklin Osborne PFC Stephen August Vix, Jr.

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