THE WALL OF FACES

1LT James Leroy Smith was an alumnus of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, NY. He was one of 335 men from West Point who died or are MIA in Southeast Asia/Indochina during the period October, 1957 – September, 1972. “Well done; Be thou at peace.”

On February 15, 1971, a U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H (tail number 68-16554) from B Troop, 2nd Squadron, 17th Cavalry attempted to extract a wounded Ranger in stormy monsoon weather and crashed with the loss of seven personnel. The aircraft departed Camp Eagle, RVN, on an emergency night evacuation mission at approximately 1840 hours during a period of marginal weather. The pilot reported 300 to 400 feet and one-half mile visibility. Fifty minutes into the mission, a difficult extraction of the wounded man was made using a McGuire rig and the aircraft lifted off. The aircraft almost immediately encountered instrument flight conditions. Flight was made back to Phu Bai and a ground-controlled approach (GCA) approach initiated with the wounded man still rigged beneath the aircraft. During this phase of the flight, notation has been made of the pilot making a transmission to the effect he was experiencing vertigo and turning over controls of the aircraft to the co-pilot. As the aircraft approached Phu Bai at 5500 feet, contact was made with approach control. An attempt was made to establish radar identification. The transponder and automatic direction finder (ADF) proved inoperative. After turning the aircraft 030 degrees contact was established. The aircraft was then told to climb to 6000 feet for terrain clearance. Downwind was established and the aircraft was told to descend to 1600 feet. Once under final controller authority the aircraft was vectored with some difficulty experienced in ground track, attributable to the McGuire rig, wind, and 40 knots airspeed, to the final approach course and told to begin a three degree rate of descent. All appeared normal, with the aircraft responding to directions, until approximately three miles on final. At this point the aircraft descended below the glide path in a right turn, and was lost from the GCA scope. Radio contact was also lost at this time. It was later observed by ground witnesses proceeding north of the village of Phu Thu executing a right turn. The impact of the aircraft at approximately 1952 hours indicated as nose low, right front corner of the fuselage first with skid touching simultaneously. Upon impact the aircraft separated, the transmission, rotor head and mast leaving the airframe and the engine staying with the major fuselage portion. The forward fuselage was destroyed by fire. It is believed that GCA forgot about the McGuire Rig and it became entangled in trees causing the aircraft to go inverted and crash. The lost crewmen included pilots CW2 Richard N. Concannon and WO1 Joseph S. Burke, crew chief SGT James P. Cobb, and gunner SP4 Zebulon M. Johnson Jr. There were two passengers aboard, 1LT James L. Smith and SGT Gabriel Trujillo. The Ranger who was the focus of the extraction was SGT Steven G. England. [Taken from vhpa.org]

Dear 1LT James Leroy Smith, 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

Rest in peace with the warriors.

Rest in peace with the warriors.