Information on U.S. Marine Corps helicopter AH-1G tail number 68-15080
Date: 11/12/1969
Incident number: 69111222.KIA
Unit: VMO-2
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was LOSS TO INVENTORY
This was a Rescue and Recovery mission for Rescue or Rescue Support
While in Operations Area this helicopter was Attacking at 1500 feet and 100 knots.
South Vietnam
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, 12.7MM)
Systems damaged were: PERSONNEL
Casualties = 02 DOI . .
The helicopter made a Forced Landing. 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: JSIDR, NSC, CASRP, OPERA (Naval Safety Center. Operations
Report. Joint Services Incident Damage Report. Casualty Report. )
Summary: Made a successful forced landing in tall grass after sustaining battle damage. Pilots exited & were killed by rotor blade.
Loss to Inventory
Crew Members:
P MAJ HENRY HOWARD BOYD KIA
AC 1LT LOFTON JOSEPH ALAN KIA
War Story:
"During my second tour, on 11/12/69, I was returning from a mission flying the OV-10 when a May Day went out from VMO-1 squadron mates, Major Henry and Joe Lofton. When arriving over the area, I observed their Cobra landing in tall grass. The scene is still vivid in my memory, even a quarter century later. The grass was being compressed by the rotor wash as both pilots made their egress from the up-right helicopter. I felt relief. When both disappeared into the grass, I thought that they were staying low until rescued. However, both had been struck by the rotor blades and killed." by Dick Clifton January 1995.
Major H. Henry and 1LT J. Lofton were killed as a result of being hit by their main rotor after they were shot down. Major Henry was carrying Lt. Lofton, who was wounded from the Cobra when the main rotor struck and killed both of them. Their squadron was not VMO-1, it was VMO-2. I was a corporal in their squadron before going to HML-367.
Semper Fi, Jim Wilkening, March 1999.
This record was last updated on 03/17/1999
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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
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