Name: CPT John Alexander House II
Status: Remains were returned on 2013 from an incident on 06/30/1967 while performing the duty of Pilot.
Age at death: 28.2
Date of Birth: 04/16/1939
Home City: Pelham, NY
Service: regular component of the U.S. Marine Corps.
Unit: HMM-265
Service: U.S. Marine Corps.
The Wall location: 22E-087
Short Summary: Copilot Ted Pittman now in Dallas, TX. FMF = Fleet Marine Force.
Aircraft: CH-46A tail number 152501
Service number: 086844
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 7562 = Pilot CH-46 Qualified
Primary cause: SVN-BNR
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - pilot
Length of service: 04
Location: Thua Thien Province I Corps.
Additional information about this casualty:
My name is Robert House, brother of John (Jack) House (Service number: 086844). I have more detailed information of this incident, based on a letter sent to my parents on JackÆs death (incident number 67063013.KIA). According to Lieutenant Colonel William R. Beeler (U.S. Marine Corps, July 1, 1967 letter), the account of the incident is as follows: As Jack helicopter approached the landing zone, his plane was unexpectedly hit by ground fire. The aircraft was severely damaged but he was able to fly for about a half mile before he crash landed in a thick jungle canopy. The co-pilot (Ted Pittman now in Dallas, TX) managed to escape along with the two enlisted crew members and four of an eight man reconnaissance team. Prior to being rescued, two of the lesser injured reconnaissance team members returned to the scene of the crash and verified the crash scene. As I recall, by parents were contacted by the co-pilot and he told them that Jack was not injured from fire or the crash, but tree branches stopped his exit from the helicopter and just before he was able to get free the plane exploded.
IÆm still baffled why they never were able to recover some of his remains, since they knew the exact location of the crash. I believe some of his bones must have survived the explosion. It sure would be nice to have some remains for JackÆs wife, Amy House and son Eric, who was born months before Jack's death.
Please donÆt hesitate to contact me if you need further information on JackÆs death.
Robert House
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
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Date posted on this site:
11/13/2023
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Casualty type: Hostile - killed
married male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Religion: Protestant - no denominational preference
Burial information: NATIONAL MEMORIAL CEM OF THE PACIFIC, HI (IMO)
This record was last updated on 12/26/2008