More detail on this person: I served with Wayne
in the same companies, in both Vietnam and
immediately afterwards at Ft Lewis, WA. As you
will note by doing the math, Wayne was 50 when
he died, rather than 49 (Note: According to the
dates I could find as well, it appears he died
exactly on his 50th birthday: 12/12/94; have been
unable to determine cause of death.) This information was last updated 05/18/2016
Please send additions or corrections to: HQ@vhpa.org VHPA Headquarters
Return to the Helicopter Pilot DAT name list
Return to VHPA web site
Date posted on this site:
03/10/2024
Copyright © 1998 - 2024 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association
Wayne actually served three tours in Vietnam; his
first was as an enlisted combat engineer; his
second was as a pilot in the 162nd, as is
correctly listed; and his final was with me in the
18th Aviation Co. (Corps), from either November or
December 1972 through March 1973. His primary
call sign was Green Delta 22.
He also served as a A/C flying as a member and in
support of the JMC, which was the four-power
(U.S., RVN, NVA, VC), Joint Military Commission,
formed after the Cease-Fire and which operated
from Jan - Mar 73.
Wayne was the only Eskimo I have ever known or
served with; tragically, he was acting as the
Aircraft Commander of the unarmed UH-1H which
was hit by small arms fire just a few hours
following the cease-fire, on 28 Jan 73, in which
his co=pilot, WO1 Anthony Dal Pozzo, was hit,
then died from his wounds the following day, which
made Dal Pozzo, the last Army Pilot KIA in
Vietnam.
FYI: Wayne never got over the trauma of having
lost Tony as the last Army pilot KIA, and blamed
himself, as the A/C, for the loss. (Wayne told me
personally that he had never lost a soldier before
on either of his previous two tours.)
From: John M. Harris