THE WALL OF FACES

Say not in grief he is no more, but live in thankfulness that he was.

I met Peter one week before he was shot down in Kontum Provence. We were walking back from the helicopter pads and asked him his name. I could not believe he said Peter Miranda, I showed him my ID card , what a shocker we both got. I will never forget him.

Correction: Thank you Specialist 5th Class Peter Miranda for your service as a Huey, UH-1 Equipment Helper. Your sacrifice will not be forgotten, REST IN PEACE.

Dear PFC Peter Miranda, Thank you for your service as a Machine Gunner. Saying thank you isn't enough, but it is from the heart. Halloween is this week, Happy Halloween. Time passes quickly. Please watch over America, it stills needs your strength, courage and faithfulness, especially now. Rest in peace with the angels.

On December 6, 1969, a U.S. Army UH-1D helicopter (#66-16699) from the 57th Assault Helicopter Company, 52nd Aviation Battalion, was operating over a Central Highlands battlefield when it was shot down about 16 miles northeast of Kontum. Eleven persons were killed in the crash, including five Americans and five Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) personnel plus one Viet Cong detainee. The aircraft was observing an operation of the 42nd South Vietnamese Regiment and a Civilian Irregular Defense Group militia unit when it was hit by small arms fire. The helicopter lost power at a low altitude above thick jungle canopy and crashed. The lost Americans included (crewmen) aircraft commander 1LT Philip J. Schrock, pilot CPT Charles E. Ferrell, crew chief SP5 Peter K. Miranda, gunner PFC Rolland L. Durflinger, and passenger COL George L. Miller, an ARVN advisor from MACV. The lost ARVN personnel included COL Nguyen Ba Lien, the commander of 10,000 government troops plus two majors accompanying him. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org, vhpa.org, and “10 Killed in Huey Over Battlefield.” Pacific Stars & Stripes, December 8, 1969]