THE WALL OF FACES

On March 31, 2013 our baby brother would have been 60 years old. We will remember Richard this Memorial Day as we all do everyday. Rest in Peace Richard.

While operating in the Dinh Tuong Province with a crew of five and 17 passengers on board, 69-17119 was struck in flight by a SA-7 'Strella' shoulder launched heat seeking missile. The aircraft crashed into a flooded rice field in the Mekong Delta, southwest of Saigon, and was destroyed. There were no survivors. The helicopter was on a courier run from Saigon to Can Tho when it was hit near My Tho, about 35 miles from Saigon. The crew consisted of CAPT Steven D. Howard, CW2 Ronald L. Vanlandingham, SP5 David E. Wischemann, SP4 Richard B. Freeman, and SP4 Timothy A. Thomas. Passengers included SP4 James D. Brown, SP4 Louis O. Calderon, SP4 Roger R. Chambliss, SP4 Raymond L. Goodchild, SP4 Milton C. Hunter, SP4 Charles L. Stewart Jr., SP4 Delbert R. Wood, CAPT Dennis W. Finnegan, SSGT Charles A. McSwiney Jr., and 1LT Kenneth J. Spencer. [Taken from vhpa.org]

HI RICHARD - THIS IS YOUR SISTER IN LAW LINDA FREEMAN, WHO WOULD BE VERY CLOSE TO YOUR AGE - I HEARD SO MUCH ABOUT YOU FROM TOM AND JAN THAT I FEEL I KNOW YOU ALREADY - MAY GOD KEEP YOU ALWAYS IN HIS CARE, AND I HOPE TO MEET YOU IN THE NEXT LIFE, AS I KNOW YOU ARE IN HEAVEN - YOU ARE OUR SPECIAL ANGEL, AND I KNOW THAT YOU NOT ONLY WATCH OVER ME, TOM, PUGS AND MARILYN, BUT YOU ALSO WATCH OUT FOR YOUR NEPHEW JASON, WHOM I LOVE VERY MUCH AND IS WITH YOU IN PARADISE!!!THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU HAVE DONE FOR US AND YOUR COUNTRY, AND YOU TRULY ARE MY HERO!!! LOVE, LINDA AND FAMILY

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To my little Brother. You are always in our hearts. You left us at such a young age, but you live on with us each and everyday!