THE WALL OF FACES

Appreciation from your home state, Sir.

On March 9, 1966, pilot CAPT Willard M. Collins, co-pilot LT Delbert R. Peterson, navigator CAPT Jerry L. Meek, flight engineer SSGT John G. Brown, and aerial gunners SSGT James Turner Jr. and SSGT Robert E. Foster comprised the crew of a C-47 gunship, call sign "Spooky 70," that departed Da Nang Airfield on a close air support mission for the A Shau Special Forces Camp, Thua Thien Province, South Vietnam. At 1300 hours, when the gunship was approximately 2 miles south of the Special Forces camp, CAPT Collins initiated a left hand turn to position the aircraft for a firing pass. At the same time the enemy opened up with anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) fire and hit the C-47 several times in the right engine. CAPT Collins feathered the #1 engine and notified the crew they "were going in." After they crash landed, the crew got out, surveyed the damage and collected their survival equipment and weapons. SSGT Foster was injured in the crash and LT Peterson began first aid on him. At the same time CAPT Collins began working the survival radio. CAPT Meek loaded all the M-16s and set up a perimeter defense outside the aircraft. About 10 minutes later, CAPT Meek was shot and wounded by a Viet Cong (VC) guerrilla who was closing on the downed aircraft. The pilot of an L-19 Bird Dog Forward Air Controller (FAC) aircraft spotted the aircraft and crew through the dense jungle and called in A-1 Skyraiders to provide air cover for the downed aircrew. CAPT Meek told LT Peterson they needed a sentry at the rear of the airplane because it was a blind spot. Delbert Peterson put on his survival vest and crawled around past the tail into the undergrowth with his M-16. Before the Skyraiders could make a pass, the right side of the C-47 was raked with enemy machine gun fire, killing SSGT Foster outright and mortally wounding CAPT Collins. CAPT Meek called out to LT Peterson and SSGT Brown. John Brown acknowledged he was all right, but there was no response from Delbert Peterson. At approximately 1520 hours, search and rescue helicopters arrived on site and made a circular pass over the crash site. While one descended to a ground hover approximately 25 feet away from the nose of the C-47, the other remained overhead. CAPT Meek ordered SSGT Brown to make a run for the helicopter. SSGT Turner, who had been on the inside of the aircraft, kicked the remnants of the emergency exit door out of the right side. John Brown, James Turner and Jerry Meek all made it to the rescue helicopter at the same time. As it lifted off the ground, the crew and passengers searched the area around the C-47 for Delbert Peterson, but none saw any trace of him. About 20 minutes after the three crewmen were rescued, a Special Forces ground team arrived at the crash site. They found the bodies of CAPT Collins and SSGT Foster where they had fallen near their aircraft. However, during their search, which included the area in and around where the co-pilot was last seen, they could find no sign of LT Peterson. Further, they found blood spots or blood trails leading away from the crash site. Because of the heavy enemy presence in the area, the Special Forces team was unable to bring the bodies of Willard Collins and Robert Foster out with them. Willard Collins and Robert Foster were immediately listed Killed in Action/Body Not Recovered. Because there was a strong probability Delbert Peterson was captured, he was listed Missing in Action. The location of loss placed the gunship 10 kilometers north of the A Shau Valley and 2 miles south of the Special Forces Camp they were to provide air support for. [Taken from ac47-gunships.com]

He sacrificed his life to save my father Ssgt John G. Brown before I was born. My father was rescued from the crash site.

I wore a POW/MIA bracelet with Maj. Peterson's name on it for many years. Even though I never met him or knew anything about him, he mattered to me. I still remember his loss, and that of all the others who didn't come home.

Dear Major Delbert Ray Peterson, 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.

With respect, Sir

Curt Carter