Name: MAJ Arthur Gene Ecklund
Status: Remains were returned on 08/07/03 from an incident on 04/03/1969 while performing the duty of Pilot.
Declared dead on 07/19/1979.
Age at death: 25.9
Date of Birth: 05/05/1943
Home City: Phoenix, AZ
Service: FA branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 183 RAC, 223 CAB
Major organization: 1st Aviation Brigade
Flight class: 68-512/68-20
Service: FA branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 27W-006
Short Summary: Got fixed wing transition before going to Vietnam.
Aircraft: O-1G tail number 51-12078
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: *
Primary cause: Hostile Fire
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: vehicular accident
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: pilot
Vehicle ownership: government
Started Tour: 10/25/1968
"Official" listing: fixed wing air casualty - pilot
The initial status of this person was: non-hostile missing - bonified
Length of service: *
Location: Ninh Thuan Province II Corps.
Military grid coordinates of event: BP800110
Additional information about this casualty:
Shot down 03 April, 1969 flying an O1G "Bird Dog" (was rated in both fixed
and fling wing). Original reports had both he and CPT Perry H. Jefferson,
intelligence officer, being held captive by the VC. He was declared PFOD,
Presumtive Finding of Death, on 19 July, 1979. Remains identified 07 August,
2003.
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Non-hostile - died while missing
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: non-battle dead Category of personnel: active duty Army Military class: officer
This record was last updated on 01/19/2004
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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
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