HARLAMERT MICHEAL RAY

Name: WO1 Micheal Ray Harlamert
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 08/20/1968 while performing the duty of Pilot.
Age at death: 20.6
Date of Birth: 01/06/1948
Home City: Dixon, MO
Service: AV branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 117 AHC
Major organization: other
Flight class: 68-7/68-5
Service: AV branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 47W-009
Short Summary: Killed by a sniper while piloting his aircraft on a combat assault in the pineapple regions west of saigon supporting the 199 LIB.
Aircraft: UH-1D
Service number: W3159652
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 062B = Helicopter Pilot, Utility and Light Cargo Single Rotor
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: small arms fire
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: pilot
Started Tour: 07/13/1968
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - pilot
Location: Hau Nghia Province III Corps.

Additional information about this casualty:
I was a pilot in the 117th and was flying the day Mike was KIA. We were flying in support of an operation in the pineapple plantation area NW of Saigon. Mike was flying right seat (Copilot) in chalk eight with a WO by the name of Roger Clenny in the left seat (aircraft commander). I was left seat in chalk nine. Normally we flew combat assaults with ten aircraft but on that day chalk ten had developed mechanical problems and had returned to base, leaving me as "tail end charley". We had just landed to drop off troops and I was at left echelon to Mikes bird. We had been told to break right upon taking off from the LZ to avoid some reported enemy activity. When the flight lifted off, Roger broke left in stead of right and I followed him (it was our unit SOP the if an aircraft within the formation was having problems, the last aircraft in the formation was to follow them and lend assistance). Although I didn't know what had happened I knew something must be wrong or Roger would have broken right with the rest of the formation. I immediately told the lead aircraft that Roger was going the wrong way and that I was following him. I tried to raise Roger on the radio but got no response. By this time we were headed straight for Saigon. The lead aircraft tried to raise Roger with the same results I had. Our Platoon Leader Lt Tom Frame broke out of the formation and chased after us, when he caught up with us he told me to rejoin the formation and he would follow Roger to wherever he was going. It was about this time that the Aircraft Crewchief came up on the net to report to us that they had taking automatic weapons fire through the windshield in the landing zone. He informed us that Mike had taken a head shot and was still breathing but in real bad shape. He also told us that he'd sustained a bullet wound in his arm and that the cord connecting Rogers helmet to the aircraft radio system had been cut by a round (hence no communication). He also told us that they were headed for Hotel 3 (the army heliport in Saigon). Lt Frame called ahead and them we were coming and told them to have an ambulance standing by. Tom later told us that Mike had taken one round in the leg and another that had gone in one temple and out the other. He died on the operating table at Third Field Hospital. Remember that all this happened over thirty years ago and my memory isn't the best. I was relatively new to the unit at that point and Mike was the first person in my platoon to be KIA and it really shook me up. If I can be of any other assistance, please let me know. Keith Alleger (aka Sugar Bear) Warlord 24 Warlord_24@msn.com

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: STEELE MEMORIAL CEMETERY, HARTVILLE, MO
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 10/28/2002


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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023


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