THE WALL OF FACES

Warrant Officer William Phillip Harwood, Served with the 155th Assault Helicopter Company, 10th Aviation Battalion, 17th Aviation Group, 1st Aviation Brigade, United States Army Vietnam.

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. The remembrance from Tara Molloy is poignant. As long as you are remembered you will always be with us….

May those who served never be forgotten. Rest in peace WO. Harwood, I salute your brave soul. My heart goes out to you and your family.

Dear WO William Harwood,
Thank you for your service as an Utility & Light Cargo Single Rotor Helicopter Pilot. It is Holy Week. The war was years ago, but we all need to acknowledge the sacrifices of those like you who answered our nation's call. Please watch over America, it stills needs your strength, courage and faithfulness. Rest in peace with the angels.

On September 8, 1968, a U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H (tail number 67-17149) from the 155th Assault Helicopter Company was on a V.I.P. flight from Ban Me Thout to Duc Lap when it crashed after losing power 8 miles northeast of Duc Lap in Quang Duc Province, RVN. Four U.S. personnel and two Vietnamese were killed. Two crewmen, the gunner and crew chief, survived and were rescued. The aircraft was on a direct route from Ban Me Thuot to its destination at 2000 feet when a loss of power occurred while pilot WO1 William P. Harwood was at the controls. Loud popping and grinding noises from the transmission and engine area were heard by the gunner and crew chief simultaneously with the loss of power. Immediately, the aircraft commander, WO1 Redlick S. Koppel, took control of the aircraft, simultaneously initiating a mayday call and an autorotation. At this time the left cargo door was opened but the right cargo door was closed. Passenger MSGT Thomas W. Barnard had a PRC-25 FM radio on board and used it to make a distress call. With no forced landing areas to autorotate into, the aircraft commander was made to land into 200-foot-tall trees and extremely dense foliage. The autorotation terminated with zero airspeed at tree top level, causing the helicopter to fall straight through the trees. Upon nearing the ground the aircraft turned on its left side and hit the ground with the left front first. The tail boom remained intact but was severed from the fuselage and the main rotor and transmission were still in place. Upon contacting the ground, the gunner broke the window out of the right cargo door and pulled himself out. It appeared that all personnel in the cargo compartment were unconscious. The gunner attempted to pull one of the passengers through the window of the cargo door, but was unable. He then went forward to the right pilot door and attempted to open it, but could not get the door open. At this time the helicopter burst into flames and the gunner jumped back from the burning aircraft. The crew chief was able to crawl out of his position just prior to the fire. The flames were observed coming through the tree canopy by a forward air controller aircraft. Within ten minutes the forward air controller aircraft was on the scene and assisted a medivac into the area. A medic was lowered down to the crash area and assisted in getting the two survivors into the medivac aircraft. The lost U.S. personnel included pilots WO1 Harwood and WO1 Koppel, and passengers MSGT Barnard and COL Rex R. Sage. Two Vietnamese nationals also perished in the crash. [Taken from vhpa.org]