EASLEY LEONARD EUGENE

Name: WO1 Leonard Eugene Easley
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 08/14/1967 while performing the duty of Pilot.
Age at death: 34.9
Date of Birth: 09/11/1932
Home City: Brady, TX
Service: AV branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 282 AHC
Major organization: other
Flight class: 66-13
Service: AV branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 24E-109
Short Summary: Shot in the neck near Da Nang while flying with the 282 out of Marble Mountain.
Aircraft: UH-1B
Service number: W3154153
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 062B = Helicopter Pilot, Utility and Light Cargo Single Rotor
Primary cause: Hostile Fire
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: small arms fire
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: pilot
Started Tour: 10/05/1966
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - pilot
Length of service: 08
Location: Quang Tin Province I Corps.

Additional information about this casualty:
I wasn't flying that day, but I remember that Gene was the AC flying with WO Hugh Johnson who was the pilot. It was near Tam Ky and Gene's aircraft was one of three ships in a heavy fire team. The team was led by Capt Ted Kearns who was the gunship section leader. I think the third aircraft was being AC'd by Jim McGuire. There was a single round that came into the aircraft from the right side and struck Gene in the neck. Hugh Johnson flew the aircraft back to a medical facility. I don't know the tail number of the aircraft, but all we had at that time were UH1B's for the guns and UH1D's for the slicks. I don't know exactly what happened but the aircraft was in a right turn after a gun run and the single round either came in thru the window, or the open cargo area and struck Gene in the neck. I don't recall hearing that the round even struck the aircraft, so there probably won't be a maintenance report available that would help find the tail number. From: Tom Hardy at swilliamsfamily@bellsouth.net

Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - died of wounds
married male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Religion: Baptist - other groups
Burial information: RESTHAVEN CEMETERY, BRADY, TX
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: warrant officer
This record was last updated on 10/05/2005

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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023