THE WALL OF FACES

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

On December 30, 1970, a U.S. Army Bell OH-58A Kiowa helicopter (#68-16964) from B Troop, 3rd Squadron, 17th Cavalry, while supporting 2nd Brigade forces, crashed and burned after hitting a power line at Xa Gia on National Highway QL-20, eleven miles northwest of Xuan Loc in Long Khanh Province, RVN. Three crewmen were killed. They included pilot 1LT Brian A. Horinek, observer SP4 Steve S. DeNike, and crew chief PFC Howard W. Bramlett Jr. The aircraft was enroute to Xuan Loc to refuel upon completion of a visual reconnaissance mission. It was flying at an approximate altitude of 1200 feet directly behind an accompanying AH-1G Cobra gunship. While enroute, the pilot of the gunship reported that Horinek called to tell him that he was going to contact his unit commanders via radio. That was the last time he had radio contact with Horinek. Sometime within the next fifteen minutes, the Kiowa sustained a mechanical problem, lost altitude, and made contact with the high tension lines (about 75 feet above the ground). Its skids and cross tubes were torn off before crashing to the ground. Two crewmen were thrown from the wreckage after impact. The OH-58A was completely destroyed by fire and impact forces except for the tailboom and main rotor. A U.S. mechanized infantry unit from A Troop, 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry, plus some Vietnamese Regional Forces arrived at the crash site and secured the downed aircraft. A memorial service was later conducted for the lost crew members at their base in Di An. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org, vhpa.org, and “Operational Report – Lessons Learned, 2d Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, Period 1 November 1970 to 28 February 1971” at dtic.mil]

We flew together and I remember the day you and Wayne Bramlett went down. I toast you both every Memorial Day.

On the remembrance of your 70th birthday, your sacrifice is not forgotten.

HOOAH

Why do the best men have to die so young, I will never understand.