THE WALL OF FACES

Your sacrifice is not forgotten.

HOOAH

A butterfly lights beside us like a sunbeam
And for a brief moment its glory
and beauty belong to our world
But then it flies again
And though we wish it could have stayed...
We feel lucky to have seen it.

Operation Klamath Falls (December 1, 1967 – January 8, 1968) was a 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division and 2nd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment search and destroy operation in Binh Thuan, Binh Tuy, and Lam Dong Provinces, RVN. On December 14th, a UH-1H (#66-16211) from the 240th Assault Helicopter Company (Greyhounds) flying in support of Klamath Falls experienced a transmission failure in the Boa Loc Pass in Binh Thuan Province, RVN, causing the aircraft to crash and burn. There were no survivors. The lost crew included aircraft commander 1LT Haron L. Brown II, pilot WO1 William K. Clawson, crew chief SP5 Matthew P. Amaral III, and gunner SP4 Ronny K. Kindred. Reportedly, this aircraft was “Red X’ed” (grounded) the evening before by Amaral and another crew chief at Bearcat Base Camp after they detected a rubber seal failure on the input-output quill connecting the helicopter engine and transmission. The two crew chiefs determined sand had gotten behind the rubber seal causing the input-output oil reservoir to leak. They believed the leakage was serious enough to place the aircraft on a non-flyable status. Paperwork was turned into the flight tower, and they retired for the night. However, sometime before morning, the flightline Sergeant took the helicopter off Red-X status and put it back into service as a flyable helicopter. Around noon the following day, word got back to the base camp that a helicopter was lost. An inquiry into the accident was conducted with unreported results. A memorial service for the four lost crewmen was performed by the base chaplain at Bearcat in the days following the loss. [Taken from vhpa.org and information provided by Roger D. McLean (June 2022)]

Dear Sp4 Ronny Kindred, Thank you for your service as an Infantryman. Saying thank you isn't enough, but it is from the heart. It is Advent, and almost Christmas. The time passes quickly. Please watch over America, it stills needs your strength, courage, guidance and faithfulness. Rest in peace with the angels.

My name is Tim Hastings a brother of SSGT Steven M Hastings, Crew Chief of Mad Dog 36 which went missing 8/1/68. I am presently the POW/MIA Outreach Coordinator for “Run For The Wall” 2019 Midway Route. It my Honor and duty to put together Bio’s for the riders to carry with them from Ontario, CA to the Vietnam Memorial Wall. Since my brother was a member of the 240th AHC I am making sure that every man from the 240th AHC that lost his life in Vietnam or is still MIA, has his Bio carried to the Memorial Wall in 2019. While preparing these Bio’s I am very emotional because some of these men may have been forgotten by their communities but I will never forget them. As long as we remember them and say their names they will always be with us and never forgotten. Thank You for your service.