THE WALL OF FACES

CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER

QUENTIN RIPPETOE BEECHER


served with

COMPANY C

227th AVIATION BATTALION ( ASSAULT HELICOPTER )

11th AVIATION GROUP

1st CAVALRY DIVISION ( AIRMOBILE )

and was a recipient of the

PURPLE HEART

NATIONAL DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL

VIETNAM SERVICE MEDAL

REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM CAMPAIGN SERVICE MEDAL

and was entitled to wear

ARMY AVIATOR WINGS


The 227th Aviation Battalion (Assault Helicopter), 11th Aviation Group was attached to the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile).

From the end of October 1966 into February 1967, the 1st Cavalry Division battled clearing Binh Dinh Province in Operations THAYER II and PERSHING, the latter concentrated in the rich northern coastal plain as well as the Kim Son and Luoi Ci Valleys to the west.

Throughout the rest of 1967 the division combated the North Vietnamese Army's 610th Division and Viet Cong Units in the II Corps Tactical Zone.

There were over 7100 known enemy casualties in the two operations.

On 11 June 11 1967,

WO1 Thomas Frederick Riggs, pilot;

WO Dean Eddie Clinton, co-pilot;

SP5 James Raymond Nelson, crew chief;

and passengers,

WO1 Quentin Rippetoe Beecher

and

SP4 Ralph Edward Uhlmansiek

departed Landing Zone Uplift, Qui Nhon airfield in the southern coastal region of Binh Dinh Province, South Vietnam.

The crew and passengers were aboard a UH1D helicopter ( serial # 63-12958 ), call sign " Bamboo Viper 47 ", on an operations mission in the province.

At 1900 hours, " Bamboo Viper 47 " left the LZ at Qui Nhon.

While en route, bad weather was encountered, and the pilot requested assistance in determining his position.

Efforts by Tuy Hoa and Qui Nhon airfields, and airborne search and rescue control aircraft failed to locate the aircraft to guide it to the airfield.

At 2057 hours, the pilot reported that he was out of fuel, and was willing to make a water landing.

Search and rescue efforts started immediately, and continued until 13 June, but was unsuccessful in locating either the helicopter or its crew and passengers.

All were declared Missing in Action, Category 5 (which indicates that it is not felt that remains can be recovered).





YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN

NOR SHALL YOU EVER BE

Quentin, Although we never met, I just want you to know you are not forgotten. You gave the ultimate sacrifice, your life for what you believed in. Sleep well my friend, and thank you for protecting the freedoms we have today.

I have not forgotten you. I chair the Adoption Committee for The National League of Families of Prisoners of War and Missing in Action in Southeast Asia. We will always remember the 1,889 Americans still unaccounted for in Southeast Asia and the thousands of others that lost their lives. We will not stop our efforts until all of you are home where you belong.

We need to reach the next generation so that they will carry on when our generation is no longer able. To do so, we are attempting to locate photographs of all the missing. If you are reading this remembrance and have a photo and/or memory of this missing American that you would like to share for our project, please contact me at:

Candace Lokey
PO Box 206
Freeport, PA 16229
[email protected]

If you are not familiar with our organization, please visit our web site at :

www.pow-miafamilies.org