MCDOWALL FRANCIS JR

Click here for more information about this incident

Name: WO1 Francis Mc Dowall, Jr.
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 08/12/1969 while performing the duty of Pilot.
Age at death: 24.9
Date of Birth: 09/03/1944
Home City: Lawrenceville, GA
Service: AV branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: C/2/20 ARA 1 CAV
Major organization: 1st Cavalry Division
Flight class: 68-511/68-17
Service: AV branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 19W-018
Short Summary: Hit by RPG during refuel and rearm while under ground attack at Quan Loi. Terminal at atlanta named in his honor see memo.
Aircraft: AH-1G tail number 67-15723
Call sign: BLUE MAX
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 100E = Attack Helicopter Pilot
Primary cause: RPG in POL
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: rockets or missiles or torpedoes
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: pilot
Started Tour: 11/01/1968
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - pilot
Length of service: 02
Location: Binh Long Province III Corps.

Additional information about this casualty:
MEMORIAL DEDICATION IN HONOR OF WARRANT OFFICER FRANCIS MCDOWALL, JR. KILLED IN ACTION 12 AUGUST 1969 REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM CONCOURSE A HARTSFIELD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT 2:00 PM 11 NOV 1991. CWO McDowall was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross posthumously for the following action: On August 12, 1969 CWO McDowall was serving as a helicopter pilot with Battery C, 2d Battalion (Airmobile), 20th Artillery during a landing zone defense near Landing Zone Andy. When the landing zone came under heavy rocket and mortar attack and the perimeter was being probed at several locations, CWO McDowall came from Landing Zone Buttons to aid in the defense of the embattled landing zone. When he began to fire his rockets down on the green line, he started taking heavy machine-gun fire and had to break off his attack. CWO McDowall's wing ship also started to roll in and was taken under fire by the same enemy machine-gun. CWO McDowall immediately placed his ship in a position to cover his wing ship, and by so doing, drew the enemy fire upon himself. After he had exhausted his armament and was low on fuel, he decided to land at the embattled landing zone to cut down on his turn-around time even though the area was still taking mortar and rocket fire. As his ship landed, it was hit by an enemy mortar round, killing him.

Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - killed
single male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Religion: Presbyterian
Burial information: WESTVIEW CEMETERY, ATLANTA, GA
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 08/20/1995

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