THE WALL OF FACES

The “Friends of Rocky Versace” once again remember one of the 67 men whose name is chiseled into stone beneath a Gold Star at the Captain Rocky Versace Plaza and Vietnam Veterans Memorial, SP5 Henry Linwood Page III, on what would’ve been his 73rd birthday – 20 September 2018.

The “Friends of Rocky Versace” once again remember one of the 67 men whose name is chiseled into stone beneath a Gold Star at the Captain Rocky Versace Plaza and Vietnam Veterans Memorial, SP5 Henry Linwood Page III, on what would’ve been his 72nd birthday – 20 September 2017.

The “Friends of Rocky Versace” remember one of the 67 men whose name is chiseled into stone beneath a Gold Star at the Captain Rocky Versace Plaza and Vietnam Veterans Memorial, SP5 Henry Linwood Page III, on what would’ve been his 71st birthday – 20 September 2016.

On June 25, 1968, the 240th Assault Helicopter Company was tasked with conducting a troop lift for a Royal Thai Army unit, moving into an area about 11 kilometers southeast of Bien Hoa. Eleven UH-1H Hueys were involved, including a command and control aircraft and ten lift ships. Since the weather was marginal the C&C ship departed first to recon the assault area and found that the weather in the operating area was acceptable. He directed the ten lift ships to depart BEARCAT base for the assault point. The subsequent accident investigation reported the following: "During takeoff, climb out, and enroute to the area of operation, the flight encountered fog, clouds and haze that restricted visibility. The flight of ten lift helicopters proceeded northwest from Bearcat at an altitude of 1000 feet in a staggered right formation until over the area of operation. The flight leader (Blue 1) had visual contact with the command and control aircraft and gunships, but stated that the command and control aircraft did not have the flight in sight. After proceeding northwest of the area of operations, the flight leader informed the command and control aircraft of his location and that he was encountering clouds at 1000 feet. He did not have visual contact with the ground or the command and control aircraft at that time. He informed the command and control aircraft he was going to establish a left hand orbit, as he was passing the area of operations. The command and control ship acknowledged the left orbit and suggested the flight go to 900 feet as the weather was better at that altitude. The flight leader established a standard turn to the left and descended to 900 feet. After turning from northwest through south and east to a heading of 060 degrees, he entered a cloud. Immediately upon emerging from the cloud the flight leader saw an unidentified helicopter approaching at his immediate right front at the same flight level." The approaching aircraft was the C&C ship. BLUE 1 and the C&C ship both took immediate evasive action and missed each other. However, BLUE 2's rotors hit the C&C ship's fuselage, which promptly exploded. BLUE 4, immediately behind BLUE 2, sustained severe damage as it flew through the debris, while the remaining eight Hueys avoided damage. Twenty-nine men--twelve 240th AHC aircrew and 17 Thai soldiers--were aboard the three Hueys (tail numbers 66-16601, 66-16592 and 66-16206). All suffered fatal injuries in the accident. They included CAPT Franklin J. Hiner, CWO Thomas J. Smith, WO1 Harvey C. Addison, WO1 Ralph M. Havnaer, WO David R. Hoffman, WO Arvi Rohtvali, SP5 Joseph G. Catoir, SP5 George D. Dell, SP5 Henry L. Page III, SP4 Robert Powell, SP4 Charles C. Sales, and SP4 Wayne M. Smith plus seventeen Thai soldiers, names and ranks unknown. [Taken from virtualwall.org]

SP5 Henry Linwood Page III is one of the 67 men from Alexandria, VA remembered with his name chiseled into stone beneath a Gold Star at the Captain Rocky Versace Plaza and Vietnam Veterans' Memorial. Shown is an artist's rendering of the Memorial. The "Friends of Rocky Versace" remember SP5 Page on the 46th anniversary of his loss in Vietnam.