FRASCH ROBERT LOUIS

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Name: WO1 Robert Louis Frasch
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 08/21/1970 while performing the duty of Pilot.
Age at death: 23.2
Date of Birth: 06/21/1947
Home City: Belton, MO
Service: AV branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 240 AHC, 222 CAB
Major organization: 1st Aviation Brigade
Flight class: 70-11/70-9
Service: AV branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 08W-126
Short Summary: After being shot down while acting as copilot on 2nd or 3rd flight, Frasch was decapitated by main rotor blades exiting the aircraft.
Aircraft: UH-1H tail number 66-16735
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 100B = Utility/Observation Helicopter Pilot
Primary cause: Decapitated M/R
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: vehicular accident
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: passenger
Vehicle ownership: government
Started Tour: 06/21/1970
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - non-aircrew
The initial status of this person was: no previous report
Length of service: *
Location: Bien Hoa Province III Corps.

Additional information about this casualty:
WO1 ROBERT LOUIS FRASCH, WAS CO-PILOT IN THE ACTION THAT KILLED HIM. I WAS THE FLIGHT PLATOON SERGEANT, FOR BLUE FLIGHT PLATOON, 240TH AHC,222 CAB, 1ST AVIATION BRIGADE. WO FRASH BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WAS A FLIGHT ENGINEER IN THE 240TH AHC, AND HAD COMPLETED A TOUR OF VIET NAM, THEN RE-ENLISTED FOR FLIGHT SCHOOL, AND, LUCK OF THE DRAW WAS RE-ASSIGNED TO THE SAME UNIT. IN JUST 53 DAYS OF THIS SECOND TOUR, HE WAS DEAD. HE WAS CO-PILOT ON A MILK RUN MISSION. THE 240TH WAS AT BEARCAT VIET NAM, AND THE MISSION WAS TO RE-SUPPLY AN ARVN FIRE SUPPORT BASE ABOUT 30 CLICKS FROM BEARCAT. WHAT HAPPENED, AS THE ARVN'S WENT OUT SIDE THE BASE, TO GET THEIR SUPPLIES WHEN THE HELICOPTOR CAME, THEY WERE SURROUNDED BY VC. THE VC TOLD THEM TO ACT NATURALLY OR DIE. AS THE HUEY CAME IN, THE DOOR GUNNER SAW THEN IN THE WEEDS AND OPENED FIRE, BUT IT WAS TOO LATE AND THEY WERE TOO CLOSE AND TOO SLOW TO AVERT. WHEN THE UH1H SLICK CRASHED, NATURALLY THEY ALL JUMPED OUT, HUGGED THE GROUND AND RETURNED FIRE. BUT AS WO1 FRASCH JUMPED OUT OF THE DOOR, HE WAS HIT BY ABOUT 1/3 OF THE BROKEN MAIN ROTOR BLADE. HIS HEAD WAS REMOVED INSTANTLY FROM THE EARS UP IT SPLIT THE HELMENT FROM THE EYE BROWS UP. THE BROKEN TRANSMISSION MOUNT CAUSED THE ROTOR TO REVOLVE AT AN ANGLE WHICH WAS JUST OUTSIDE THE CO-PILOT DOOR. IN 53 DAYS HE MANAGED AS PETER PILOT TO BE THE BEST. HE NEVER GRUMBLED WHEN A CREW CHIEF NEEDED A RUN UP, EVEN AT 0300 HRS, NEVER. HE HAD BEEN A CREW CHIEF, AND HE KNEW THE MUCH LONGER HOURS THAN A PILOT , AS WE HAD NO 135 HOUR LIMIT. OFTEN HE WOULD DO THE 25 HOUR PM WITH THE CREW CHIEF, OR A POST FLIGHT INSPECTION. OLD 66-16720 AND OUR CREW WAS RETURNING FROM A MISSION AT SONG BAY AND WAS DIVERTED TO FIGHT OFF THE VC AND EFFECT RESCUE. IT IS AMAZING THE INFORMATION GATHERED ABOUT THE PILOTS, AND AMAZING NOTHING AS FAR AS I KNOW GATHERED ABOUT THE CREW. IT WAS THE GUYS IN THE BACK, EITHER IN SLICKS OR GUNSHIPS( AS IN CHARLIE MODEL GUNSHIPS) THAT EVERY SINGLE SURVIVING PILOT OWES THEIR VERY SURVIVAL TO. SO DIFFERENT THEN. EVERY NIGHT WE WOULD ALL GO TO THE BOQ CLUB UNTILL THE ENLISTED PIGS WERE RUN OUT. THEN THE PILOTS WOULD GO WITH US TO THE NCO/EM CLUB, UNTILL THE OFFICERS WERE ASKED TO LEAVE. THEN THE PIOLTS WOULD GO WITH US TO THE EM FLIGHT PLATOON BARRACKS BUT BY THEN, ABOUT 0100 WE WERE ALL WALKING WOUNDED ANYWAY WITH AN 0530 FLIGHT. ANY WAY I THOUGHT THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THIS PILOT, AFTER 36 YEARS I STILL MISS HIM. FROM: JIM HOOD

Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - killed
single male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Religion: Protestant - no denominational preference
Burial information: MELBA CEM, MELBA, ID
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 11/25/2006

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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023