unit history information
for A/1 AVN
attack on Plei Me SF Camp
91 ARVN RNG

For date 651021


A/1 AVN was a US Army unit
91 ARVN RNG was a Vietnamese Army unit
Primary service involved, US Army
Incident reference: 0D087ACD This information is available on CD-ROM.
Pleiku Province, II Corps, South Vietnam
Location, Plei Me
A/1 AVN losses were 4 KIAs
Aircraft lost in A/1 AVN were 1 UH-1B
Description: The A Company, 1st Aviation Battalion unit history states that they were called on to lift 240 ARVN Airborne Rangers from Camp Holloway to an LZ four kilometers north of the besieged camp. During the reconnaissance of the LZ one UH-1B suffered mechanical failure which resulted in separation of the main rotor from the aircraft at 2,000 feet. The helicopter crashed and exploded on impact. The aircraft was commanded by 1LT Harold A. Preisendefer, piloted by WO Joseph S. Huwyler, the crewchief was SP5 William J. Johnson, and the gunner PFC Michael E. Davis. The crew was the first lost by Company A in Vietnam.
Comments: 1LT Preisendefer, Harold A.; AC; KIA; WO1 Huwyler, Joseph S.; P; KIA; SP5 Johnson, William J.; CE; KIA; PFC Davis, Michael E.; G; KIA;

The source for this information was STAGECOACH, History of the 155th AML by CPT John A. Geurin


Additional information is available on CD-ROM.

Please send additions or corrections to: Gary Roush Email address: webmaster@vhpa.org


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Date posted on this site: 05/13/2023