Information on U.S. Army helicopter OH-6A tail number 67-16387
The Army purchased this helicopter 1068
Total flight hours at this point: 00000502
Date: 05/30/1969
Incident number: 69053030.KIA
Unit: D/3/4 CAV
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was LOSS TO INVENTORY
This was a Recon mission for Unarmed Recon
While in Target Area this helicopter was Attacking at 0010 feet and 070 knots.
South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: XT638274 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 48PXT638274)
Count of hits was not possible because the helicopter burned or exploded.
Small Arms/Automatic Weapons; Gun launched non-explosive ballistic projectiles less than 20 mm in size. (7.62MM)
Systems damaged were: PERSONNEL
Casualties = 02 DOI, 01 KIA . .
The helicopter Crashed. Aircraft Destroyed.
Both mission and flight capability were terminated.
Burned
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense
Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis
Center Helicopter database. Also: OPERA, LNOF, 90616, CRAFX, JSIDR, CASRP (Operations Report.
Lindenmuth Old Format Data Base. Joint Services Incident Damage Report. Crash Facts Message.
Casualty Report. )
Loss to Inventory
Crew Members:
P WO1 HAYS THOMAS EARL KIA
AC CW2 HOHMAN JOHN MICHAEL KIA
OB SP4 VALLELONGA LARRY COSIMO KIA
War Story:
The following information was collected by Mike Vaughn in February 2003.
I believe I remember John. If I am thinking of the right person, he came to the unit from Fort Rucker of Hunter -Stewart where he had been a slick SIP. As I recall he had been married fairly recently and only had months left in the Army and was sent back to Viet Nam. He sat in my room one evening and told me about this.
He was a scout pilot and was lost in the spring of '69. He was shot down someplace up around the mushroom. He went down on fire and when they picked him up they said he had most of his clothes burned off and only had his belt and boots left. (They did not have nomex flight suits his size.) He lived a short period of time but didn't make it.
He was a nice guy and it was really a sad deal.
I can't remember if he came in OH-6 qualified or if I qualified him in the aircraft. I think he was qualified but I am not certain of that. I qualified a lot of people that year.
I think I have a picture of him. The picture I have shows him sitting on a cot and reading "Pilot" magazine. The picture is not labeled but I think that's who it is and what his name was. And telling you this I really hope I have the right person.
from Bruce Karn, Centaur 13 June '68 to June '69.
I remember John well. When he got to VN he only had about 6 months left in the Army. He did not want to be there for his second tour because he had recently married. Why the Army sent him with just 6 months left we'll never know.
I think the other fellow Hayes was a recently arrived WO fresh out of flight school who was flying with John as door gunner to learn the ropes from the experienced pilot.
They are both immortalized in the Life Magazine from June or July which showed all servicemen who were killed that particular week. It is a very sobering statement from a very turbulent time in American history.
I was on R&R with my wife that week and remember well being picked up at Long Bihn and learning of this tragic loss. When I got back to Cu Chi the pilots and crewmembers of the Scout platoon were very upset about having to still fly in Loach Alley. I told Major Laird that I couldn't in good conscious keep sending people into an area where you were almost guaranteed to be shot at. What was the point? Our job was to find the enemy and identify his location. We had done that. Now send in the troops and wipe them out. We had already B52'd the area into the stone age. Laird was not happy with me or the Scouts but the higher ups eventually decided to briefly suspend Scout missions in Loach Alley. By the way there was a reason they named this riverbed Loach Alley.
from Jerry Odom, Scout Platoon Leader at the time
Thanks for the clarification on Hays. I had the basic info in my diary, but
the name "Hayes" didn't ring a bell for me (that isn't such an uncommon
situation over the last few years!), so I assumed he must have been a new CC
or observer. I did have in my diary how we (scout crews) were up in arms
about it. How they should never have sent the LOH into that area with that
crew.
Turley and Matthews got hosed down in the Alley on the 29th, the same day
T-berry and Evans got hosed in the Michelin. On the 26th, Turley, Taylor,
and myself flew dusk patrol in the Hobo area, and got hosed and hit. A 47
round came through the bubble on Turley's side, and hit the radio between
Turley and myself. That round also hit one of my expended 60 round casings
lying next to the radio, which was thrown up and smacked me in the ass. I
thought I'd been hit for sure. It packed a hell of a wallop for a pinball.
Turley and I both got some bubble fragments embedded in our right arms.
Cheap PHs.
April and May '69 were bad days for Scouts.
I remember John Hohman was new in the troop in april Fist Lt Odom took me out then John and later mr. Evans. That day I remember Mr. Homan was taking out a new warrant Mr. Hayes who we had just met,for some reason they took a information person with them instead of ce or gunner. I was on the flight line when the scramble siren went off. Capt Sinclair was motioning me to get in his Cobra , I did but did not have my helmet. We circled the aircraft they said two were dead but Mr. Hohman was up and about ,I thought he would be alright. He died later. there was alot of grumbling about incident from most of us.
Holman was flying in what we called Loach Alley on the 30th of May, with crew chief Hayes, and a PIO (Public Information Officer) from squadron, when his ship came under fire. The ship caught fire and went down, and all were badly burned. Hayes died from his burns that day. Holman had 2nd/3rd degree burns over 80% of his body, and bullet wounds, and died the next day. The PIO had 55% burns, but I do not know what eventually happened to him. The slicks that went in to get our guys also came under fire. They restricted flying low level in that area for a while after that.
from Jim Kreil, ce
This record was last updated on 01/09/2013
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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
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