Information on U.S. Army helicopter OH-6A tail number 67-16078
The Army purchased this helicopter 0568
Total flight hours at this point: 00002355
Date: 04/08/1972
Incident number: 72040843.KIA
Unit: H/16 CAV
South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: XT975270 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 48PXT975270)
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Also: OPERA, Mike Sloniker (Operations Report. )
Loss to Inventory
Crew Members:
P CPT HARRIS JOSEPH RICHARD KIA
War Story:
CPT Joseph Richard Harris was killed just east of the Bu Dop Special Forces camp by NVA automatic weapons fire. He was flying reconnaissance missions around Bu Dop in support of the ARVN evacuation mission by the Chinooks from 362d ASHC, 1st CAV. Harris was known for his blue freckles, which he got as the result of an accident as a teenager when he was loading shotgun shells. He had not put the pellets in the shell, when the powder went off and inbedded in his face. He was 6'2'' and weighed 220. As this was occurring, a CH-47A flown by CPT Tom Wallace took a load of 108 Vietnamese out and was hit in the main rotor blades on departure. CPT Mike Sloniker and WO1 Joe Layman, A/229th, were over the OH-6 crash site when the crew chief was being brought up the hoist by a 1st Cav Dustoff. The Dustoff pilot received a Silver Star for the rescue that was conducted under heavy fire.
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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