THE WALL OF FACES

Colonel Dale Jackson Crittenberger, Served with the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Brigade, 9th Infantry Division, United States Army Vietnam.

During the period of July 1 - October 31, 1969, the 3rd Brigade, 9th Infantry Division, conducted combat operations in Long An Province, RVN, and the border areas of the three adjacent provinces; Hau Nghia, Gia Dinh, and Dinh Thuong. The brigade participated in Operation Toan Thang (“Complete Victory”) Phase III. The mission objective was to aggressively seek out the enemy to prevent his employment of men and equipment. The brigade was involved in combat during every day (123 total) of the period. On September 17th, the 3rd Brigade suffered the loss of its commander, COL Dale J. Crittenberger, when his Command-and-Control UH-1H helicopter collided with an AH-1G Cobra gunship while monitoring a unit from 5th Battalion, 60th Infantry Regiment, in contact with the enemy. Company A, 5/60, was conducting air mobile operations in the Plain of Reeds, an area of 2500 square miles across several provinces which served as a base for Viet Cong forces. The troop lift was provided by aircraft from B Troop, 3rd Squadron, 17th Air Cavalry. Immediately upon landing, the Americans came under heavy fire from a large Viet Cong force in well entrenched positions. The contact was supported by artillery and three hunter-killer teams consisting of one AH-1G Cobra attack helicopter and one OH-6A “Loach” light observation helicopter from B/3-17 Cavalry. The collision occurred when an AH-1G in the hunter-killer team was covering an OH-6A at tree top level over the contact area. The Cobra was orbiting at an altitude of approximately 800 feet south of the target area when it began a dive for a rocket run. Crittenberger’s Command-and-Control aircraft was using approximately the same orbit pattern as the AH-1G, only much lower. As it came inside the orbit of the Cobra, it began climbing, striking the attack helicopter in the underneath left side with his main rotor blade. A total of twelve U.S. were killed in the accident. The lost UH-1H crew included aircraft commander WO1 Robert P. Mayer, pilot 1LT Richard A. Snowdon, crew chief SP5 William A. Fitch, and gunner SP5 Gary L. Haught. The passengers were Crittenberger, LTC Leo P. Sikorski, MAJ David R. Mackey, MAJ William T. McNair, MAJ Dana W. Mitchell, and CPT Donald W. Dietz. The crew of the AH-1G were aircraft commander AC WO1 Gary J. Davis and co-pilot WO1 Theodore V. Skiles. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org, vhpa.org, and “Lessons Learned, (Headquarters, 3d Brigade,) 9th Infantry Division, period ending 31 Oct 1969” at dtic.mil]

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. The remembrance from your son Billy is touching. As long as you are remembered you will remain in our hearts forever.....

The “Friends of Rocky Versace” remember one of Rocky’s fellow alumni from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Colonel Dale Jackson Crittenberger, USMA Class of 1950, on what would’ve been his 94th birthday - 21 May 2021. His father, LTG Willis Crittenberger, was USMA Class of 1913, and a brother was USMA Class of 1942.

The “Friends of Rocky Versace” again remember one of Rocky’s fellow alumni from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Colonel Dale Jackson Crittenberger, USMA Class of 1950, on what would’ve been his 93d birthday - 21 May 2020.