THE WALL OF FACES

Never forgotten.

HOOAH

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. May you rest in eternal peace.

Specialist 4 (SP4) Gregory Allen Blakeney, Combat Engineer, served in Vietnam with C Company, 8th Engineer Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division, US Army, from May 11, 1970 to May 25, 1970. (14 days) May God bless his soul.

You will forever remain in our hearts and prayers

On May 25, 1970, the crew of a U.S. Army helicopter OH-6A (tail number 68-17201) from 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, was assigned the mission of transporting a passenger from Tay Ninh to Phuoc Vinh, RVN. The aircraft landed at the passenger pick-up point at Pine Ridge Pad at Phuoc Vinh at approximately 11:10 AM. After the passenger got off the aircraft, the pilot called for clearance to take off. The tower asked the pilot if he could take a couple of passengers back to Tay Ninh. The pilot said he could and waited for the passengers to come out from the passenger terminal. One passenger came out and asked the pilot if he was going to Tay Ninh. The pilot said yes, and the passenger climbed aboard the aircraft. The pilot motioned for the second passenger, SP4 George A. Blakeney, a Combat Engineer from C Company, 8th Engineer Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division, to come to the front of the aircraft. Meanwhile, the first passenger got out of the aircraft and returned to the tower. SP4 Blakeney walked toward the aircraft carrying a large box. As he was approaching the aircraft from the right rear, he stumbled, dropping the box, and fell under the tail boom. Blakeney was fatally injured when his head hit the rotating tail rotor blades. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and vhpa.org]