Information on U.S. Army helicopter CH-21C tail number 56-02134
Date: 01/17/1964
Incident number: 64011700.KIA
Unit: 121 AVN
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was REPAIRED IN THEATER
for Close Air Support
Unknown this helicopter was on Take-Off at 0150 feet and 060 knots.
South Vietnam
Helicopter took 1 hits from:
Small Arms/Automatic Weapons; Gun launched non-explosive ballistic projectiles less than 20 mm in size. (7.62MM)
The helicopter was hit in the Passenger Cargo Section
Systems damaged were: PERSONNEL
Casualties = YES . .
The helicopter Continued Flight.
The aircraft continued and accomplished all mission objectives.
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center Helicopter database. Also: CH21P, 00261 ()
Crew Members:
G PFC CHRISTMAS LOYE THOMAS KIA
War Story:
On January 17, 1964, a U.S. Army helicopter CH-21C (tail number 56-02134) from the 121st Assault Helicopter Company was on a troop-ferrying mission near Can Tho when it was taken under fire by enemy small arms. A single round entered the passenger cargo area, striking forward gunner PFC Loye T. Christmas and fatally injuring him. The aircraft continue flight, unaware that PFC Christmas had been hit until an adjacent helicopter pilot noticed no one at the forward gun and radioed over what he was seeing. [Taken from armyaircrews.com, vvmf.org, and vhpa.org]
This record was last updated on 01/13/2016
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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
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