Information on U.S. Army helicopter AH-1G tail number 68-17053
The Army purchased this helicopter 0269
Total flight hours at this point: 00001936
Date: 05/09/1972 MIA-POW file reference number: 1847
Incident number: 72050943.KIA
Unit: 361 AVN
South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: YB872252 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 48PYB872252)
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: 1847 ()
Loss to Inventory
Crew Members:
P 1LT CONRY JOHN TIMOTHY KIA
AC CPT REEDER WILLIAM SPENCER JR POW
REFNO Synopsis:
SYNOPSIS: The Bell Aircraft AH1 Huey Cobra came into being as a result of a crash program initiated by the U.S. Army when the Vietnam War revealed the need for a fast, well-armed helicopter to provide escort and fire support for the CH47A Chinook. From initial orders in April 1966, the Army stores grew to 838 AH1Gs by the Spring of 1968. The "Cobra" had greater speed, better armor, and better armaments than its predecessor and demonstrated well their ability to attack accurately enemy positions (and even kill enemy tanks), and to absorb punishment. Capt. William S. "Bill" Reeder Jr. (released 03/27/73) was onboard an AH1G on a combat mission in South Vietnam on May 9, 1972. The precise nature of the mission is not known, but during the mission, the helicopter was shot down and Reeder was taken prisoner by the Vietnamese. His location at the time of capture was in Kontum Province, South Vietnam, near the border of Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. As far as the U.S. Army was concerned, Reeder was Missing in Action. It had no information regarding his capture until he was released the following March. Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project (919/527-8079) 01 April 1991 from one or more of the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews. Copyright 1991 Homecoming II Project.
This record was last updated on 11/19/2004
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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
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