Name: 1LT James Dean Opsahl 
    
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 02/04/1969 while performing the duty of Aircraft Commander.
Age at death: 23.7
  
Date of Birth: 05/19/1945
Home City: Britton, SD
 
Service: reserve component of the U.S. Marine Corps.
Unit: HMM-362
   
Flight class: 10-66       
Service: U.S. Marine Corps.
The Wall location: 33W-058
 
Short Summary: Mid-air with USMC UH-34D 143965 over Marble Mountain Air Base.
     
Aircraft: UH-34D tail number 150212  
     
Service number: 0103215
  
Country: South Vietnam
  
MOS: 7561 = FRS Basic CH-46 Pilot
   
Primary cause: Mid-air
  
Started Tour: 01/31/1968
  
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - other aircrew
Length of service: 04
Location: Quang Nam Province I Corps.
   
 
Web site(s) refering to this casualty: 
http://www.popasmoke.com/kia/690204/notforgotten.html
 
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - killed
single male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
  
Religion: Protestant - no denominational preference
Burial information: BRITTON CEMETERY, BRITTON, SD
      
This record was last updated on 05/20/2000
 
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Date posted on this site: 08/17/2025
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