Name: CPT James Garland Siddons
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 02/12/1971 while performing the duty of Pilot.
Age at death: 25.9
Date of Birth: 03/13/1945
Home City: Chicago, IL
Service: EN branch of the regular component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 187 AHC
Major organization: 1st Aviation Brigade
Flight class: 70-14
Service: EN branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 05W-100
Short Summary: Shot down, received ground fire after autoration. Siddons ran upslope to suppress fire with pistol, cut in two by rotor blade.
Aircraft: AH-1G tail number 66-15297
Call sign: RAT PACK
Country: Laos
MOS: 1981 = 19 Rotary Wing Aviator (Unit Commander)
Primary cause: Ground Casualty
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: vehicular accident
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: aircraft commander
Vehicle ownership: government
Started Tour: 08/26/1970
"Official" listing: ground casualty
The initial status of this person was: hostile dead - killed out-right
Length of service: *
Additional information about this casualty:
Rodney K. Woods took enemy fire and the 90 degree gear box was damaged causing loss of tail rotor effectiveness. Landed and hit dike tilting the aircraft to the left. Siddons exited and got hit by the main rotor blades. Siddons was flying in the front seat as gunner. from Skip Davis at reunion 2001. The Combat Area Casualty File (CACF) incorrectly indicates this incident in Laos. It was actually in Cambodia.
Reason: misadventure
Casualty type: Hostile - killed
married 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: officer
This record was last updated on 05/02/2002
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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
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