JOHNSON DALE LLOYD

Name: CW2 Dale Lloyd Johnson
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 06/08/1969 while performing the duty of Pilot.
Age at death: 24.7
Date of Birth: 09/27/1944
Home City: Benton Harbor, MI
Service: AV branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: D/3/4 CAV
Prior Unit: D/3/4 CAV 67-68
Major organization: 25th Infantry Division
Flight class: 65-15W
Service: AV branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 23W-111
Short Summary: Mortar attack at Tay Ninh. Ground Casualty.
Aircraft: AH-1G
Service number: W3152841
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 100B = Utility/Observation Helicopter Pilot
Primary cause: Ground Casualty
Compliment cause: rockets or missiles or torpedoes
Started Tour: 12/12/1968
"Official" listing: ground casualty
Length of service: 04
Location: Tay Ninh Province III Corps.

Additional information about this casualty:
CW2 Dale Johnson was a second tour pilot, with D Troop 3/4 Cavalry, 25th Infantry Division. He also served his first tour with D-3/4 CAV/25 IN. He was AH-1G qualified at Hunter-Stewart and returned to D, 3/4 Cav. On 06/08/1969 he was flying as the A/C of a Hunter-Killer team in the Tay Ninh/Cambodian border area of the 25th A/O. These missions typically came out of Cu Chi, where the unit was located, and served the 25th AO west to Cambodia. After an uneventful Dawn Patrol from Cu Chi up highway 1, followed by an area reconnaissance, in the Tay Ninh AO, the teams broke for lunch. Dale probably thought this was going to be an easy day, unaware it was his last day. After shutting down his Cobra, at the transient parking area (where there were no revetments), CW2 Johnson was walking to the transient mess hall for lunch when a rocket cut short his second tour. I knew Dale for only a short time. Because he was second tour guy he was advanced quickly as a Cobra A/C but only served about 8 weeks of his second tour. He was the consummate career military professional.

SIDE NOTE: We call Tay Ninh 'Rocket City' for a very good reason: Our communist buddies let their gunnery skills loose 24/7/365. What they lacked in accuracy they made up for in volume.

From: Eugene J. Carolan , D-3/4 CAV 25 INF, OCT 68 - DEC 69

Reason: artillery or rocket
Casualty type: Hostile - killed
single male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Religion: Protestant - no denominational preference
Burial information: ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, VA
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 02/10/2008

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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023