Name: CPT Arnold John Rahm
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 04/19/1972 while performing the duty of Aircraft Commander.
Age at death: 22.9
Date of Birth: 06/07/1949
Home City: Bossier City, LA
Service: IN branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: D/229 AHB 1 CAV
Prior Unit: 116 AHC 68-69
Major organization: 1st Cavalry Division
Flight class: 68-25/68-15
Service: IN branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 01W-003
Short Summary: Shot down and gunned in the cockpit before he could get out near Dau Tiang with 1LT George K. Barsom.
Aircraft: AH-1G tail number 66-15343
Service number: W3162142
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 1981 = 19 Rotary Wing Aviator (Unit Commander)
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
Vehicle ownership: government
Started Tour: 10/11/1971
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - pilot
The initial status of this person was: missing in action - interim
Length of service: *
Location: Binh Duong Province III Corps.
Military grid coordinates of event: XT509498
Additional information about this casualty:
Aircraft was shot down near Dau Tieng and made successful emergency landing. Crew was killed by small arms fire before they could egress the cockpit.
I served with Cpt Rahm on his second tour, from late October 1971 in C/4/77 ARA 101 ABN (Camp Evans), A/4/77 ARA 101 ABN (Phu Bai), and D/229 AHB 1 Cav (Bien Hoa), when he was shot down and KIA 19 Apr 1972 flying AH-1G 66-15343. I understand Cpt Rahm served with 116 AHC "Stingers" at Cu Chi his first tour.
From: Jimmie D. Ferguson
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
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Date posted on this site:
11/13/2023
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Casualty type: Hostile - died while missing
married male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Religion: Latter Day Saints (Mormon)
Burial information: ALEXANDRIA NATIONAL CEMETERY, PINEVILLE, LA
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: officer
This record was last updated on 08/10/2011