Name: CPT John Melvin Wheeler
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 10/13/1969 while performing the duty of Pilot.
Age at death: 28.3
Date of Birth: 07/09/1941
Home City: Comer, GA
Service: EN branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 336 AHC
Major organization: 1st Aviation Brigade
Flight class: 69-2
Service: EN branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 17W-075
Short Summary: Crash returning to Soc Trang from Dong Ba Thin when lost control due to maintenance problem.
Aircraft: UH-1H tail number 68-16176
Service number: O5243282
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 1981 = 19 Rotary Wing Aviator (Unit Commander)
Primary cause: A/C Accident
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: weapons
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: pilot
Started Tour: 04/20/1969
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - pilot
Length of service: 10
Location: Phuoc Tuy Province III Corps.
Military grid coordinates of event: YS583582
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Non-hostile - died of other causes
married male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Religion: Baptist - other groups
Burial information: MARIETTA NATIONAL CEMETERY, MARIETTA, GA
The following information secondary, but may help in explaining this incident.
Category of casualty as defined by the Army: non-battle dead Category of personnel: active duty Army Military class: officer
This record was last updated on 10/23/2012
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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
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