Name: WO1 Wade Lynn Ellen
Status: Body Not Recovered from an incident on 04/24/1972 while performing the duty of Pilot.
Age at death: 20.5
Date of Birth: 10/25/1951
Home City: Norfolk, VA
Service: AV branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 57 AHC, 52 CAB
Major organization: 1st Aviation Brigade
Flight class: 71-31/71-25
Service: AV branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 01W-005
Short Summary: Shot down by 51 cal. AC Hunsicker KIA. Two crew members & one passenger E&E for 2 weeks before rescued. See memo, Hunsicker.
Aircraft: UH-1H tail number 69-15715
Call sign: GLADIATOR 17
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 100B = Utility/Observation Helicopter Pilot
Primary cause: SVN-BNR .51 Cal
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: small arms fire
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: co-pilot
Vehicle ownership: government
Started Tour: 10/05/1971
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - other aircrew
The initial status of this person was: missing in action - interim
Length of service: *
Location: Kontum Province II Corps.
Military grid coordinates of event: ZB028208
Additional information about this casualty:
Wade Ellen and Danny Platt grew up together, and went to high school, basic training, and flight school together. Wade went to Vietnam one month ahead of Danny.
From Danny Platt 4 Jul 88.
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - died while missing
single male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Religion: Baptist - other groups
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 06/20/1992
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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
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