THE WALL OF FACES

Semper Fi, Marine

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. While all deaths in Vietnam are tragic that you died so shorty after your 18th birthday is especially so. Another life taken way too soon....

As your birthday approaches, your sacrifice is not forgotten.

Forever 18.

Semper Fi, Marine.

On August 24, 1965, a United States Marines Corps Lockheed KC-130F Hercules (#149802) from Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152 (VMGR-152) was scheduled to ferry a group of U.S. Marines back to South Vietnam from a rest-and-relaxation leave in the former British Hong Kong. The 10:00 AM flight crashed on take-off from Kai Tak Airport, killing 59 out of 71 on board. The cause of the accident was attributed to the aircraft commander disregarding standard operating procedure and choosing to make a three-engine takeoff with the No.1 engine's prop unfeathered and operating only on limited power. The pilot lost control of the aircraft and veered left shortly after leaving the runway. The port (left) wing struck a sea-wall, causing the plane to burst into flames before crashing into Kowloon Bay. This was the first Hercules hull loss in Marine Corps service. Two crewmen perished in the crash, navigator SGT Gordon H. Blexrude and radio operator CPL Jerry L. Gerry. The 57 lost passengers included LCPL Major Arnold Jr., PFC Dennis D. Backen, PFC George A. Bell Jr., LCPL Narciso Bertomen Jr., LCPL Harold J. Brazen, LCPL Joseph E. Brunelle, LCPL Cecil W. Burton, PFC Terry A. Chase, LCPL Joseph A. Clancy, PFC Thomas M. Crow, LCPL Ronald L. Davis, LCPL Harold V. Dayringer Jr., LCPL Maarten DeGroot, HN Robert T. Efaw, LCPL Carroll E. Fankhauser, LCPL Joseph A. Ford III, CPL James A. Gilford, PFC Frank A. Given, BUL3 Gary W. Grimes, PFC Barry N. Hambleton, LCPL Donald D. Hansen, LCPL Lonnie D. Hartsock, SSGT Kelly K. Heinze, SGT Gerald V. Johnson, LCPL Richard L. Jossendal, LCPL Robert J. Kuzmanko, SGT Dahl J. La Porte, CPL John W. Lake, BUL3 Robert M. Lathrope, PFC Jack B. Leaf, LCPL Dennis R. Martin, SGT James Massey, LCPL Harry C. McCartney, PVT Ricardo Mesa, PFC John S. Michel, LCPL Edward J. Monahan Jr., CPL Grat G. Myers, LCPL David C. Ney, LCPL James B. O’Kane, PFC Warren W. Pfefferle, CPL John T. Povey, LCPL Ronald L. Powell, LCPL Felix Rodriquez, LCPL John P. Roland, 1LT Paul E. Rudeen Jr., LCPL Ronald L. Runkel, CMH3 Thomas A. Sagen. LCPL Jerry J. Sanders, LCPL William K. Shoup, CPL Richard Smith, CPL Otha T. Thompson, BUR3 John H. Van Wyk, LCPL James J. Votava Jr., LCPL Roland L. Wafford, LCPL Richard F. Wallace, LCPL Donald R. Wiest, and LCPL Richard A. Willis. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org, aviation-safety.net, c-130.net, cgibin.rcn.com, wikipedia.org, and the book “U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps Aircraft Damaged or Destroyed During the Vietnam War” by Douglas E. Campbell]

Private First Class Dennis Donald Backen, Served with Marine Air Base Squadron 11 (MABS-11), Marine Aircraft Wing 11 (MAG-11), 1st Marine Aircraft Wing (1st MAW), Third Marine Amphibious Force.