MCCOIG DONALD B

Name: WO1 Donald B. Mc Coig
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 03/29/1968 while performing the duty of Pilot.
Age at death: 22.2
Date of Birth: 01/21/1946
Home City: Ventura, CA
Service: AV branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 281 AHC
Major organization: 1st Aviation Brigade
Flight class: 67-5
Service: AV branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 47E-003
Short Summary: A single round over left eye lid while providing smoke screen to insert ARVN & U.S. Rangers in support of project Delta.
Aircraft: UH-1H
Call sign: INTRUDER 227
Service number: W3155950
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 062B = Helicopter Pilot, Utility and Light Cargo Single Rotor
Primary cause: Hostile Fire
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: small arms fire
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: aircraft commander
Started Tour: 06/17/1967
"Official" listing: ground casualty
Length of service: 02
Location: Thua Thien Province I Corps.

Additional information about this casualty:
The following was received from Lance H. Ham? (Wolf Pack 35) during 9th VHPA reunion in July 92 on Donald B. McCoig: McCoig was hit by a single round between the eyes while attempting to lay down a smoke screen to insert troops (ARVN and U.S. Rangers) to get out a team in Ranger Valley just E. of A Shau. McCoig had been shot down earlier that morning and rescued uninjured and requested to fly the smoke screen. He stated that he needed one more medal to round out three rows - he got it. I was flying lead gun behind him. Lance H. Ham. FROM Ken Kunke, 23 November 1992: I was the assistant operations officer for the 281st AHC during the period of action stated in the after action statement. The statement does not make mention that WO1 Robin Hicks carried WO1 Donald McCoig's body from the time of being shot down in the LZ through the action of the night and the next day until being extracted from the LZ. I know the U.S. personnel on the ground were in continous contact with the enemy and receiving small arms an mortar fire during the entire time on the ground.

Reason: gunshot or small arms fire
Casualty type: Hostile - killed
married male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Religion: Protestant - no denominational preference
Burial information: ASHES SCATTERED AT SEA
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 07/27/1994


This information is available on CD-ROM.

Additional information is available on KIAs at http://www.coffeltdatabase.org

Please send additions or corrections to: The VHPA Webmaster Gary Roush.

KIA statistics

Return to the Helicopter Pilot KIA name list

Return to the KIA panel date index

Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023


Copyright © 1998 - 2023 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association