THE WALL OF FACES

I never had the chance to meet my uncle Dick. However, I have read many of his letters while he was in Vietnam and in California.

Reading those letters have moved me to tears at times. I feel like I know him. I am very proud of him.

I would like to thank the people that have previously posted thoughts to my brother, your comments are very much appreciated. My brother Richard (Dick) served his country to the fullest and gave his life for this country. He is loved and greatly missed. My mother was 41 years old when my brother died at the age of 21. She is 84 now and still can't talk about him without crying. We love you Dick, you are in our thoughts and prayers, may you rest in peace.

On 02 May 1969 a flight of four helicopters from C Company, 158th Avn Bn, were assigned to inserting a reconnaissance team into an area about 20 nautical miles west of Dong Ha. The flight (2 gunships and 2 troop carriers) departed Camp Evans at about 0800, but upon arrival at the landing zone they were advised that tactical air support was not available and the insertion was aborted. The UH-1 flight began their return to Camp Evans, flying in an easterly direction at about 1300 feet above sea level. At the same time, USMC CH-46 helicopters from HMM-262 were conducting a large troop lift in an unrelated operation. As one of the Army UH-1H's (tail number 67-17596, pilot WO2 J G Mills, 4 crew and half the recon team) transitioned above the CH-46 landing zone, the door gunner observed a CH-46D lifting off and warned his pilot that the CH-46 was about a quarter mile astern and 200 feet below the Huey. WO2 Mills directed the gunner to keep the CH-46 in sight and advise. As the Huey continued, the gunner observed that the CH-46 was overtaking the Huey and apparently would pass beneath it in a starboard quarter to port bow direction. The gunner advised WO2 Mills and passed the contact off to the crew chief, who was on the port side of the Huey. The crew chief could not see the CH-46, which actually climbed through the Huey's altitude on the right side. As it did so, the rotor blades of the two aircraft collided. There weren't any windows above the CH-46 pilot's position which prevented them from seeing the UH-1. The CH-46 pitched up and to its right and its aft pylon separated from the aircraft. It continued in a right-hand roll until ground impact. The Huey experienced partial control loss and made a precautionary landing about 500 meters from the CH-46 wreckage. Two of the recon team had been injured, but the remaining men set up a hasty defensive perimeter. Another USMC CH-46 landed nearby; its crew checked the downed CH-46, finding no survivors. The CH-46 took the Huey crew and passengers aboard and took them to the Vandergrift combat base. The bodies of the men in the CH-46D were recovered separately, as was the UH-1. Twelve men in the CH-46D lost their lives. Crew members were 1LT Robert E. Trigalet, pilot, 1LT Thomas E. Williams, Jr., copilot, LCPL Melvin W. Eakins, crew chief, LCPL Timothy H. Pyle, gunner, and LCPL Larry D. Stollar, gunner. The Fox Company, 24 Marines passengers included 1LT Gary E. Holtzclaw, 1SGT James H. Sumner, SGT Richard B. Bennett, LCPL Troy E. Powell, LCPL Charles H. Shelton, PFC David F. Osborne, and PFC Stephen A. Vix, Jr. [Accounts taken from virtualwall.org and vhpa.org]

Semper Fi, Sergeant.

Richard is buried at Redwood Estates Cemetery, Taylorsville, UT.