Name: CW2 Henry Joseph Vad (posthumously promoted)
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 11/06/1969 while performing the duty of Pilot.
Age at death: 28.5
Date of Birth: 05/01/1941
Home City: New York, NY
Service: AV branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: D/1/4 CAV 1 INF
Major organization: 1st Infantry Division
Flight class: 68-517/68-31
Service: AV branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 16W-041
Short Summary: While returning home after a VR, went to investigate movement in an open field, was killed instantly by enemy fire.
Aircraft: OH-6A tail number 68-17269
Call sign: DARK HORSE 9
Service number: W3162334
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 100B = Utility/Observation Helicopter Pilot
Primary cause: Hostile Fire
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: fire or burns
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: pilot
Started Tour: 12/09/1968
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - pilot
Length of service: 08
Location: Binh Duong Province III Corps.
Military grid coordinates of event: XT845355
Additional information about this casualty:
Narrative in Low Level Hell by Mills states they were the LOH part of a Hunter-Killer team with Chuck Koranda, DARKHORSE 39, in the Cobra. They were at altitude, returning from a VF in the Catcher's Mitt, when Downing, the CE in the LOH, saw movement in an open field about two and a half miles south of Lai Khe. They reported this to the gunship and went down to investigate as the gun crew observed. Vad was a very experience Scout pilot. They approach the field at high speed reported seeing a VC with a weapon and weapons pouch. About 100 yards and closing, the VC turned and ripped off a burst from his weapon. One round hit Vad squarely in the forehead, killing him instantly. The LOH, travelling about 85 knots, rolled right and then left and then violently flipped over onto its back and crashed. The aircraft exploded and killed Downing instantly. The ARP was inserted and everything extracted.
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - killed
married male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Religion: Roman Catholic
Burial information: ST RAYMONDS CEMETERY (NEW), BRONX, NY
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 08/08/1996
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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
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