Name: MAJ Sayward Newton Hall, Jr.
Reason: multiple-fragment wounds
This information is available on CD-ROM.
Additional information is available on KIAs at http://www.coffeltdatabase.org
Please send additions or corrections to: The VHPA Webmaster Gary Roush.
KIA statistics
Return to the Helicopter Pilot KIA name list
Return to the KIA panel date index
Date posted on this site:
11/13/2023
Copyright © 1998 - 2023 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 02/07/1965 while performing the duty of Pilot.
Died 73 days later on 04/21/1965.
Age at death: 36.3
Date of Birth: 12/26/1928
Home City: Thomaston, ME
Service: IN branch of the regular component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 119 AHC
Major organization: other
Service: IN branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 01E-106
Short Summary: Commanded 119 from 11/4/64 until 2/7/65 the night Camp Holloway was mortared. Seriously wounded by mortars and later died as result.
Service number: O70743
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 1983
Primary cause: Ground Casualty
Compliment cause: weapons
"Official" listing: ground casualty
Length of service: 12
Location: Pleiku Province
Additional information about this casualty:
I would like to submit the following information about the referenced attack: Camp Holloway was oriented with the airstrip being east and west. The camp, at that time, was rather small with only a small signal unit being assigned there, a small canine unit, the Headquarters for the 52nd Avn Bn and the 119th Aviation Company. The 119th was made up of three slick platoons and one gun platoon. The Gun Platoon Leader was Captain Lee Pondexter Biggs (rank at that time). I was the "gun ship" leader for the yellow tails. Since our gun ship teams were identified by their tail colors, two for each team, I was the leader for two "gun ships", both were armed with quad 60's and cylindrical rocket pods (7 rockets in each). The pilots were in four man hooch's and located on the furthermost side of the billet area of the compound. My hooch was directly on the east side of Lee's and he was next the latrine which was next to the gun ships. I was on alert status that night which meant that we had one gun ship located to the east of the airfield tower. When the mortar rounds began to fall I was awakened I jumped out of bed and got out of the front door of the hooch. My hooch took a direct hit and small arms fire killed the company commander directly in front of me and at the corner of my hooch. I saw Lee coming out of his hooch but he was disoriented and could only make it to the ditch beside by hooch where he lay not able to get oriented. I grabbed him underneath his arm in a carry position and told him to hold onto me and ran toward the "gun ship" that was on "stand by". I got Lee into the "gun ship" and ask him if he could start the aircraft - he said that he though he could. I told him when I had the rotor blades untied for him to fire up the engine - I untied the rotor blades and called for him to start the engines - he was able to do that and I locked in the gun barrels on the 60's and jumped into the aircraft. I got the rpm's to an operational level and told Lee that I was going to make a rear take-off with a 180 degree turn as the rounds were coming from the South West just outside the compound. I pulled pitch did a 180 degree take-off turn toward the west then reached up and armed my rockets and guns climbed to an altitude of about 300 feet above the airfield and executed a 180 degree climbing right turn and leveled an armed attack against the enemy. We made a direct run on the enemy firing the machine guns and the rockets. We silenced the enemy with the second gun run; however, Lee was not fully oriented as a round had landed next to him when he exited his hooch but did gain his senses later. By that time the fuel dump was on fire and the damage had been done - however, from the time the attack began until we repelled the enemy was only about 15 minutes. If we had not been able to get our ship off the ground and repel the enemy I am certain that many more men in our unit and on the compound would have been killed. There was not another gun ship that got off the ground and able to fight as several ships were destroyed and were burning on the gun ship parking area. We lost several ships that evening and one crashed killing the pilot as he was not buckled in when he attempted a take off from the gun ramp and when he crashed he had extensive injuries to the head. Many of the ships, slicks, were evacuated to Kontum for the rest of the evening. Several were killed that evening and a hooch that housed our medics took a direct hit - killing several. We had our ship flying for the next 48 hours except for refueling and rearming. This action was when I received my first purple heart along with the other wounded and dead.
from: "Claude Broussard"
Casualty type: Hostile - died of wounds
married male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Religion: Roman Catholic
Burial information: THOMASTON VILLAGE CEMETERY, THOMASTON, ME
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 11/13/2003