Name: WO1 Donald Lynn Delaplaine
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 06/28/1971 while performing the duty of Pilot.
Age at death: 21.7
Date of Birth: 10/23/1949
Home City: Bayville, NY
Service: AV branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: HHC 196 BDE 23 INF
Major organization: 196th Light Infantry Brigade
Flight class: 70-37
Service: AV branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 03W-092
Short Summary: N of LZ Mary Ann. Shot down in early pm in the River Delta South of Da Nang. Door gunner Charles Cook thrown out & executed by NVA.
Aircraft: OH-6A tail number 67-16417
Call sign: CHARGER
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 100B = Utility/Observation Helicopter Pilot
Primary cause: Hostile Fire
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: small arms fire
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: pilot
Vehicle ownership: government
Started Tour: 01/07/1971
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - pilot
The initial status of this person was: no previous report
Length of service: *
Location: Quang Nam Province I Corps.
Military grid coordinates of event: AT820555
Additional information about this casualty:
The following was provided by Joseph R. Kane on Donald Lynn DeLaplaine in July 1992:
DeLaplaine died in the river delta south of Danang. He was shot down in early p.m. - in right side out left side. The door gunner, Charles Cook was knocked out on impact of the OH-6A and was executed (shot through the head) by the NVA. Cook was taken to Da Nang alive, CW2 Joseph R. Kane sat with him till 4:30 p.m. when he died.
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - killed
single male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Religion: Protestant - no denominational preference
Burial information: ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, VA
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 05/25/1998
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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
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