Information on U.S. Army helicopter OH-6A tail number 66-07894
The Army purchased this helicopter 0168
Total flight hours at this point: 00000657
Date: 11/02/1969
Incident number: 69110222.KIA
Unit: B/7/17 CAV
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was LOSS TO INVENTORY
This was a Recon mission for Armed Recon
While On Target this helicopter was Attacking at UNK feet and UNK knots.
South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: YU791665 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 48PYU791665)
Count of hits was not possible because the helicopter burned or exploded.
Small Arms/Automatic Weapons; Gun launched non-explosive ballistic projectiles less than 20 mm in size. (12.7MM)
causing a Fire.
Systems damaged were: PERSONNEL
Casualties = 01 DOI . .
The helicopter Crashed. Aircraft Destroyed.
Both mission and flight capability were terminated.
Burned
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense
Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis
Center Helicopter database. Also: OPERA, LNNF, JSIDR, HUGHS, CASRP (Operations Report.
Lindenmuth New Format Data Base. Joint Services Incident Damage Report. Casualty Report. )
Loss to Inventory
Crew Members:
P WO1 GREGA GEORGE WILLIAM KIA
OB SGT SHEPARD VERNON C POW
War Story:
The following is an extract from SGT Shepard's debriefing after he was repatriated: I was the aerial observer and WO Grega was the pilot on a reconnaissance mission out of Bu Prang. We were part of a team consisting of one other LOH (WO Nowicki - Pilot, LT. Curran - Observer) and two Cobra gunships. At approximately 1600 hours while five miles east of Bu Prang I spotted three foxholes along QL14. The LOH drew AK-47 fire from the position. I was injured in the foot, the ship's radio system was destroyed and oil began spraying over the ship. As soon as the LOH received fire we withdrew east as the Cobra ships rolled in. Approximately five miles east of the location where we took fire, the other LOH signaled for us to put the ship down. The ship was put down in an open field near QL14 (YU793658). WO Grega and I exited the ship and ran for the sister LOH. As we got in the ship and it began to rise, the ship received heavy machine gun fire. The LOH tore apart, fell to the ground and burned. WO Nowicki, LT Curran and I got away - WO Grega was pinned under the burning ship. I received a flesh wound in the right buttock from the machine gun fire that destroyed the LOH. We ran down a slope to some high weeds. A Cobra rolled in expending on the area and seemed to indicate a pick up point. At this time (dusk) LT Curran crawled away. We heard the Cobra receive fire and crash. I heard Curran crawling around behind us but thought it might be the enemy. Then I saw a strobe light blinking (LT Curran) and a Huey came in and picked up Curran. The Huey drew fire and left before Nowicki and I could get to it. At this time we were approximately 100 meters southwest of the crash site, (YU793655 - approximately). We remained there for the night.
The rest of Shepard's story was printed in Vol 2 of the Historical Reference Directory. Briefly, he and Nowicki E&Eed for several days, were captured and taken to the same POW camp with the others. Nowicki was not injured and after a few weeks was sent up the trail to North Vietnam. SGT Shepard was released with WO1 Michael Peterson on 10 Dec 1969 at Duc Lap.
This record was last updated on 05/25/1998
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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
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