Name: 1LT John Irving Lassitter
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 12/04/1970 while performing the duty of Pilot.
Age at death: 24.2
Date of Birth: 09/10/1946
Home City: Summerdale, AL
Service: reserve component of the U.S. Marine Corps.
Unit: HML-367
Flight class: 69-36
Service: U.S. Marine Corps.
The Wall location: 06W-106
Short Summary: Drowned after escaping for a crashed AH-1G in Da Nang harbor
Aircraft: AH-1G tail number 68-15073
Call sign: SCARFACE
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 7565 = Pilot AH-1 Qualified
Primary cause: Hostile Fire
Started Tour: 07/30/1970
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - pilot
Length of service: 03
Location: Offshore, MR 1 Province I Corps.
Additional information about this casualty:
Was the HAC in an AH-1G with Walt Pinkerton in the front seat. They were part of a section of Cobras returning to Marble Mountain after covering a medevac mission. They were asked to check out some boats moving up the coast. After making one pass and getting ready for a gun run, their aircraft was hit by hostile fire and the engine quit. The canopy shattered when they crashed in Da Nang harbor. After some struggle, Walt was finally able to release his harness and get to the surface. John was wearing a vest in addition to his "bullet bouncer". Walt saw John on the surface and after his rescue, was surprised to learn that John had not been rescued. Two days later John's body washed ashore.
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed at sea
Casualty type: Hostile - killed
married male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Religion: no religous preference
Burial information: PINE CREST CEMETERY, MOBILE, AL
This record was last updated on 02/21/1994
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Date posted on this site: 10/25/2024
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