Name: WO1 James Arther Barefield
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 05/24/1972 while performing the duty of Aircraft Commander.
Age at death: 31.3
Date of Birth: 02/17/1941
Home City: Midland City, AL
Service: AV branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 62 CAC
Prior Unit: 178 ASHC 72
Major organization: 1st Aviation Brigade
Flight class: 71-13
Service: AV branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 01W-029
Short Summary: Hit by 60 mm mortar while on short final to ARVN radar site near Quang Tri w/Harry Thain pilot.
Aircraft: CH-47C tail number 68-15854
Call sign: ROYAL COACHMAN
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 100C = Cargo Helicopter Pilot
Primary cause: Mortar Attack
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: artillery or mortar
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: co-pilot
Vehicle ownership: government
Started Tour: 08/31/1971
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - other aircrew
The initial status of this person was: missing in action - P I D
Length of service: *
Location: Thua Thien Province I Corps.
Military grid coordinates of event: YD516219
Additional information about this casualty:
He spent nine years in the USMC with two tours in Vietnam then entered the Army and completed Army flight school. He then returned to Vietnam for a third tour flying Chinooks. His Chinook helicopter was shot down and burned while flying as a co-pilot. from the Suthern Star newspaper in Alabama.
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - died while missing
married male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Religion: Methodist (Evangelical United Brethren)
Burial information: ECHO METHODIST CHURCH CEMETERY, ECHO, AL
The following information secondary, but may help in explaining this incident.
Category of casualty as defined by the Army: battle dead Category of personnel: active duty Army Military class: warrant officer
This record was last updated on 06/06/2007
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Additional information is available on KIAs at http://www.coffeltdatabase.org
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Date posted on this site: 08/17/2025
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