THE WALL OF FACES

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

I knew and loved Jack when we were in high-school. He took me to my first prom. He will be forever loved and remembered by me. His family moved away and we lost touch through the years.

Warrant Officer Jackson Dillon Barnes, Served with the 190th Assault Helicopter Company, 145th Aviation Battalion, 12th Aviation Group, 1st Aviation Brigade, United States Army Vietnam.

On February 1, 1969, a U.S. Army helicopter UH-1D (tail number 66-00845) from the 190th Assault Helicopter Company crashed at the helipad of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) 30th Engineer Battalion in Hoc Mon, RVN. Three Americans and three ARVN passengers were killed in the incident. The lost U.S. personnel were pilot WO1 Jackson D. Barnes and passengers CPT Thomas E. Nichols and SP5 James H. Ward. Three others were injured. The incident occurred after the helicopter landed at the 30th ARVN Engineer Battalion helipad at approximately 1:40 PM with the three passengers on board. Four more passengers with some baggage were loaded on the UH-1D. The aircraft commander brought the helicopter to a hover in the northern corner of the helipad. The aircraft hovered at eight to ten feet above the ground for a period of two to three minutes. It was assumed that a hover-check was being conducted and the direction of the wind being assessed. The takeoff was made by aircraft commander who was sitting in the left seat of the aircraft. Without setting the aircraft on the ground, the helicopter took off directly into the wind, slightly to the left of a 40-foot tall flagpole. After the aircraft had traveled about 130 feet, its main rotor struck the flagpole which was constructed of a four-inch steel pipe with a faded yellow Vietnamese flag flying at its top. The strike caused the main transmission to be torn loose from the aircraft and the helicopter fell to the ground, landing on its right side. The tail boom was broken on impact and the engine continued to run at a high rpm after impact. The crew chief was unable to turn it off with the throttle or fuel switch. The aircraft did not burn due to the fact that personnel from the 30th Engineer compound used several fire extinguishers on it. The engine finally stopped about five to ten minutes after impact by the crew chief spraying a CO2 fire extinguisher into the engine inlet. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and vhpa.org]

DEAR WARRANT OFFICER BARNES,
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AS AN UTILITY & LIGHT CARGO SINGLE ROTOR HELICOPTER PILOT. WATCH OVER THE U.S.A., IT STILL NEEDS YOU. THANKSGIVING DAY IS APPROACHING, AND WE ARE THANKFUL FOR YOU. GOD BLESS YOU. MAY THE SAINTS AND ANGELS BE AT YOUR SIDE. REST IN PEACE....