THE WALL OF FACES

In late 1968, the U.S. Army’s 17th Field Hospital was located at Camp Radcliff near An Khe in Binh Dinh Province, RVN. At 8:20 PM on December 15, 1968, hospital administration informed the command group of 1st Battalion, 50th Infantry, 173rd Airborne Division, that one of its medivac aircraft, call sign Dustoff 62, from the 498th Medical Company (Air Ambulance) was missing. The helicopter had crashed on Hill 559, approximately four miles east of An Khe while conducting an urgent medivac mission for the 4th Battalion, 503rd Airborne Division. Helicopter gunships and a flareship were dispatched but were unable to locate the downed ship. Due to darkness and the tactical situation on the ground, search teams were not able to reach the crash site until the following morning. An infantry unit from 1/50th was vectored to the crash site by OH-6A helicopters from D Troop, 2nd Squadron, 1st Cavalry. Two crewmen were found alive with injuries and two others were dead. The crew chief and medic, SP4 Teddy R. Sininger and SP5 Charles E. Gay, were killed in the crash. The surviving aircraft commander and pilot reported that they chose to attempt the flight in marginal weather since the patient was classified as urgent. Near the An Khe Pass, where mountains rise as high as 5000 feet, they entered a solid overcast. The helicopter gained altitude, and with a vector provided by Phu Cat Airbase, the aircrew attempted to reach the pick-up site. Both pilots became disoriented by weather and darkness and lost control of the aircraft and crashed. The helicopter burned after impacting the mountain. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org, vhpa.org, and “History of 1st Battalion (Mechanized), 50th Infantry, 173rd Airborne Brigade, 1 October 1968 – 31 December 1968” at ichiban1.org]

Dear Sp4 Teddy Sininger, Thank you for your service as an UH-1 Helicopter Repairer with the 498th Medical Company. Thank you for the lives you saved. Saying thank you isn't enough, but it is from the heart. Happy Presidents' Day. Please watch over America, it stills needs your strength, courage, guidance and faithfulness, especially now. Rest in peace with the angels.

Never forgotten.

HOOAH

On the remembrance of your 73rd birthday, your sacrifice is not forgotten.

HOOAH

I never personally met Teddy, I encountered his legacy when I was on an 8th-grade field trip to DC and the Vietnam Memorial---Little did I know the simple text to my father "Did we have any relatives in Vietnam" would effectively change my life as a whole. I never looked up to any "Super Heros" as a child, I didn't look up to Superman or Spiderman, However, Teddy is someone I sculped my life after and looked up to, I hope one day I can fill his shoes as a son, hero and person. Even as a cousin once removed, he will always be my personal hero.