THE WALL OF FACES

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. As long as you are remembered you will always be with us….

Dear WO Gary Mason, Thank you for your service as an Utility/Observation Helicopter Pilot. The 51st anniversary of the start of your tour is in 3 days. Saying thank you isn't enough, but it is from the heart. Independence Day just passed. Time passes quickly. Please watch over America, it stills needs your strength, courage and faithfulness, especially now. Rest in peace with the angels.

Gary.....Honoring you on your birthday......God Bless

Warrant Officer Gary Richard Mason, Served with the 189th Assault Helicopter Company, 52nd Aviation Battalion, 17th Aviation Group, 1st Aviation Brigade, United States Army Vietnam.

On September 14, 1969, a U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H (tail number 67-17316), “Ghostrider 316,” from the 189th Assault Helicopter Company, suffered a catastrophic mechanical failure while in flight and crashed. Four crewmen were killed in the incident. They included pilots WO1 Larry G. Marsh and WO1 Gary R. Mason, crew chief SP5 Gale S. Pritchard, and gunner SP4 Thomas E. Champagne. The accident occurred after the crew had just dropped off the commanding officer for II Corps and another passenger at the II Corps landing pad. They were released to return to Camp Holloway to have their noon meal and later return for further missions in the afternoon. Tape recordings of radio transmissions were reviewed and it was learned that at 1218 hours Ghostrider 316 called Pleiku AFB tower for permission to depart from the II Corps pad. The request was approved and 316 made a normal takeoff and flew to the southwest. Upon crossing Highway QL-14, the direction of the flight was changed to a more southerly direction parallel to the road. Upon passing the western extent of Pleiku AFB, the flight path was again changed to a southeasterly direction. At this point, it is normal to gain several hundred feet of altitude and contact Holloway tower for landing. Crossing highway QL-14 and ready to enter Holloway's control zone, the aircraft was seen to assume a nose-high attitude. Because of the various locations and distances that eyewitnesses viewed the aircraft, it is believed that the aircraft did not execute a loop, but having assumed a nose-high attitude with the length of the aircraft becoming near perpendicular to the ground, forward airspeed was dissipated, and fifty- to one hundred-feet of altitude was gained. As the aircraft reached a point of zero forward airspeed, it began falling to earth. At this point, the aircraft was in a severe nose-low attitude with excessive vertical descent. The aircraft continued its near vertical descent and had assumed an almost level attitude when it impacted the ground. Evidence at the crash site indicated that there was very little airspeed and that the left hand skid contacted the ground first. The tape recordings, located at Pleiku AFB, indicate that a Cessna O-2 Skymaster on departure from Pleiku AFB observed the fireball of the impacting helicopter and notified the tower of the crash. The time was recorded as 1220 hours (local). The control tower having also observed the fireball was in the process of notifying the crash rescue crew located at that installation. A HH-43 Kaman Husky rescue helicopter was dispensing firefighting foam over the aircraft approximately three minutes later, and the crash rescue ground vehicles arrived at the sight at approximately 1227 hours. The bodies of the crash victims were removed from the burning wreckage and flown to graves registration. [Taken from vhpa.org]