THE WALL OF FACES

I wore an MIA bracelet with his name for many years. Never took it off until it wore out and fell off. I think of him on Flag Day, his MIA day. I didn’t know him but I remember.

hello, i’m the youngest granddaughter of David McLeod. my mother was his only child, and she has little to no information about what happened to him during this time. she’s made attempts to reach out to many people that knew him, but with no luck. for once, i would love to at least give a little bit of information to my mother about her father.

Master Sergeant David Vance McLeod Jr., Served with the 40th Aerospace and Recovery Squadron, 3rd Air Rescue Group, 7th Air Force.

On June 14, 1973, a U.S. Air Force helicopter HH-53C (tail number 68-10362) from the 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron with a crew of five was participating in a rescue mission. The crew included pilot 1LT Gilbert A. Rovito, co-pilot 1LT Francis E. Meador, flight engineer MSGT David V. McLeod Jr., and pararescuemen SGT Karl Morgan and SGT Stephen Caldwell. The aircraft had just completed aerial refueling and, as it backed away from the HC-130 tanker, suddenly pitched up as it lost its tail rotor blade. The aircraft then pitched down and entered an uncontrolled spiraling descent, impacting into the Tonle Sap Lake in an inverted position. The wreckage lay in water only about two feet deep. The force of the impact left the aircraft fuselage buried about five feet deep into the lake’s silt bottom. About three to four feet of the aircraft projected above the water. The aircraft was an altitude of about 7000 feet when the incident occurred. During its descent, two of the crew, both pararescuemen, successfully parachuted from the aircraft. They landed in the lake and were recovered by the accompanying HH-53. After pick-up, the aircraft overflew the wreckage searching for survivors. Finding none, and lacking the equipment to continue the search, the aircraft returned to its home base in Thailand. The pilot, co-pilot, and flight engineer were unaccounted for. The HC-130 stayed on station overnight. The next day search and rescue (SAR) forces returned to the site with rafts, scuba gear, and additional assorted equipment. The aircraft was inverted in the water. The tail rotor had separated and was approximately 150 feet from the fuselage. An engine was located about 20 feet from the wreckage. The paramedics were unable to enter the cockpit of the aircraft as it was buried in the muddy bottom. They did recover the body of the co-pilot; it was located outside the wreckage on his side of the aircraft. On June 17, 1973, SAR forces were aided by a CH-53 helicopter. It was able to extract the fuselage of the downed helicopter from the lake and subsequently took it to the airport in Phnom Penh. Where the cockpit was extracted from the lake bottom, the body of the pilot was recovered. The body of MSGT McLeod was never located. This incident was an operational loss as no hostile action was noted in the area. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and vhpa.org]

Dear MSGT David Vance McLeod Jr, sir

As an American, I would like to thank you for your service and for your sacrifice made on behalf of our wonderful country. The youth of today could gain much by learning of heroes such as yourself, men and women whose courage and heart can never be questioned.

May God allow you to read this, and may He allow me to someday shake your hand when I get to Heaven to personally thank you. May he also allow my father to find you and shake your hand now to say thank you; for America, and for those who love you.

With respect, and the best salute a civilian can muster for you, Sir

Curt Carter