BURCHFIELD JOE STUART

Name: CPT Joe Stuart Burchfield
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 12/02/1971 while performing the duty of Pilot.
Age at death: 25.4
Date of Birth: 07/02/1946
Home City: Limestone, ME
Service: AR branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: A/2/17 CAV 101 ABN
Prior Unit: C/229 AHB 1 CAV
Major organization: 101st Airborne Division
Flight class: 67-24
Service: AR branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 02W-082
Short Summary: Received AK-47 fire. Hit in chest area, died 2 or 3 days later at 95th EVAC in Da Nang. Joe was LOH platoon leader.
Aircraft: OH-6A
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 1981 = 19 Rotary Wing Aviator (Unit Commander)
Primary cause: AK-47
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: small arms fire
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: aircraft commander
Vehicle ownership: government
Started Tour: 07/29/1971
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - other aircrew
The initial status of this person was: hostile wounded in action - serious hospitalization
Length of service: *
Location: Quang Tri Province I Corps.
Military grid coordinates of event: YD232145

Additional information about this casualty:
 Joe was killed shortly after he assumed command of the LOH platoon A/2/17 (Nov 71). He had been lift platoon leader and took over after Bobby Baker was killed. He was training on the mission and received small arms (AK-47) fire directly to the chest area. He died 2 or 3 days later at 95th EVAC in Da Nang. Joe was an excellent pilot, a fine soldier and my best friend. Mike Collins A/2/17 2nd tour.

Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - died of wounds
single male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Religion: Protestant - no denominational preference
Burial information: FLORAL GARDEN MEMORIAL PARK, HIGHPOINT, NC
The following information secondary, but may help in explaining this incident.
Category of casualty as defined by the Army: battle dead Category of personnel: active duty Army Military class: officer
This record was last updated on 08/20/1995


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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023


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