Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 68-16512
The Army purchased this helicopter 1169
Total flight hours at this point: 00000437
Date: 05/02/1970 MIA-POW file reference number: 1610
Incident number: 70050224.KIA
Unit: B/229 AVN
Cambodia
UTM grid coordinates: XU243013 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 48PXU243013)
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Reference Notes. Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Also: 1610 ()
Loss to Inventory
Crew Members:
P CW2 VARNADO MICHAEL BANARD RR
Passengers and/or other participants:
MAJ RICHARDSON DALE WAYNE, AR, PX, BNR
SGT GRIFFIN RODNEY LYNN, AR, PX, KIA
SSG PRICE BUNYAN DURANT JR, AR, PX, KIA
REFNO Synopsis:
Cambodia Dale W. Richardson
Rodney D. Price, Jr.
Bunyan D. Price
Robert M. Young
(1610)
On May 2, 1970, eight U.S. Army personnel were flying in a UH-1H in
northern Tay Ninh Province, South Vietnam. They crossed into
Cambodia and were shot down by hostile ground fire, crashing
southwest of Memot City. One Army Private evaded capture and was
rescued. Four were captured. Two of those captured, Warrant
Officer Maslowski and Specialist Crowson, were released in February
1973 during Operation Homecoming. Warrant Officer Varnado was
wounded in the right side and left leg. He was taken to a hospital
after captured and was never seen by U.S. POWs as alive after that
time. A wartime report was received describing an American POW who
died at Hospital K-21 on 26 August 1970, wounded in the left thigh
during a helicopter crash in June 1970. The unit which shot down
the helicopter was Z26 Company, 75th Artillery Group.
In January 1973, the Provisional Revolutionary Government
acknowledged the death in captivity of Captain Young and Warrant
Officer Michael B. Varnado. Varnado's returns were repatriated on
April 27, 1989. The death of Captain Young was witnessed by nine
U.S. POWs who were repatriated during Operation Homecoming. In
February 1975, a Viet Cong defector who had served as a guard at
prison camp TB.22 described Captain Young's death and located his
burial site.
In April 1970, a Viet Cong defector reported having seen an
American in Kampong Cham Province in April 1970. This report was
believed associated with Specialist Price. In 1981 three South
Vietnamese Army escapees from prison B-7 in Kratie Province
reported an American POW there in 1971 who had reportedly been
there for one year. During their only one hour interview they
identified one of two photographs of Price as similar to the
individual imprisoned at their camp. This identification led to a
reclassification of Price from missing in action to POW.
Specialist Griffin and Captain Richardson were last seen alive
after their crash and prior to the capture of Captain Young and the
three others. Although those surviving into captivity were kept
together and joined other U.S. POWs then in custody inside
Cambodia, returning U.S. POWs never saw Richardson, Price or
Griffin alive in captivity. A classified document last believed in
the possession of Captain Richardson was shown to Captain Young.
Captain Richardson was last seen alive and firing his pistol at
enemy forces and was then hit by hostile fire while running.
After the end of hostilities, all unaccounted for crewmen were
eventually declared dead/body not recovered.
This record was last updated on 06/25/2013
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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
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