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HONORED ON PANEL 41W, LINE 2 OF THE WALL

CHARLES JAMES WALLACE

WALL NAME

CHARLES J WALLACE

PANEL / LINE

41W/2

DATE OF BIRTH

03/20/1939

CASUALTY PROVINCE

THUA THIEN

DATE OF CASUALTY

10/03/1968

HOME OF RECORD

NORTH LAS VEGAS

COUNTY OF RECORD

Clark County

STATE

NV

BRANCH OF SERVICE

ARMY

RANK

SSGT

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Contact Details

REMEMBRANCES

LEFT FOR CHARLES JAMES WALLACE
POSTED ON 6.17.2017

Final Mission of SSGT Charles J. Wallace

On October 3, 1968, a USAF C-7A Caribou (#63-9753) cargo aircraft from the 537th Tactical Airlift Squadron, 483rd Tactical Airlift Wing, 7th Air Force, based at Phu Cat, collided with an U.S. Army CH-47A Chinook helicopter (#66-19041) of the 228th Combat Support Aviation Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division, near Camp Evans in Thua Thien Province, RVN. The USAF C7-A departed Camp Evans airfield from runway 36. His last radio transmission after receiving tower clearance was "rolling". This aircraft was observed to make a climbing right hand turn before reaching the end of the runway. The CH-47 helicopter had departed LZ Nancy only a few minutes before. It was proceeding south along highway QL-1, on a heading of 170 degrees, in a shallow descent. The aircraft was on a scheduled daily passenger and mail shuttle. It was estimated that the CH-47 was cruising at approximately 95 to 100 knots. The C7-A with climb power would have been at about 105 knots. The two aircraft converged at an altitude of approximately 1100 feet. The cockpit section of the C7-A contacted the rear rotor of the helicopter. The C7-A had started a right bank, probably a last-minute attempt to avoid the collision. When the two aircraft collided, at least one of the helicopter rear rotor blades sliced through the cockpit section of the airplane, killing both pilots instantly and destroying all engine controls. At the same time, one of the rotor blades or debris from the cockpit struck the left propeller of the C7-A. One of the blades was severed from the propeller, and passed through both sides of the fuselage of the airplane. The left propeller then separated from the engine and fell to the ground. The C7-A made a steep descending right turn and struck the ground. The aircraft disintegrated, all personnel aboard perished, and there was no fire. The CH-47, at the moment of the collision, lost all of its rear main rotor blades. Neither rotor system could provide any thrust, and the helicopter became a free-falling body. The fuselage tumbled to earth and landed on its top left side. It exploded on impact. Two persons fell out of the helicopter as it tumbled through the air. They were fatally injured on contact with the ground. Those remaining in the helicopter died in the crash. The lost Caribou crew included pilot CAPT Wayne P. Bundy, co-pilot 1LT Ralph Schiavone, flight engineer SSGT James K. Connor, and crewman SSGT Donald G. Cleaver. Its nine U.S. Army passengers comprised SP4 Donald J. Cramer Jr., SGT David J. Dellangelo, SP5 David A. Disrud, SP5 Allen E. Gomes, SP5 Dale G. Granger, SP5 David B. Perreault, PFC Robert D. Tomlinson, SP4 Dennis A. Wirt, and PFC Joe Hibbler Jr. Some of the passengers on the Caribou were near the end of their tour of Vietnam and were heading back to the United States. The lost Chinook crew included aircraft commander CW2 Thomas E. Johnson, co-pilot WO1 Ronald L. Conroy, crew chief SP5 Jerry L. Pierce Jr., gunner SP4 Dennis D. Reese, and flight engineer SP4 Larry L. Costley. Its passengers were CPT Thomas E. Alderson, SFC Dawson Clements, SSGT William R. Young, PFC John W. Lucier, SSGT Charles J. Wallace, and SP4 Michael D. See. Many soldiers at Camp Evans were having dinner in the mess hall when this crash happened. Several were sent over to help search for bodies. This was the worst of several airspace control incidents during the war. It was reported that the air traffic controller was court-martialed for clearing both aircraft at the same time. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org, vhpa.org, and c-7acaribou.com]
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POSTED ON 9.24.2013
POSTED BY: Curt Carter

Remembering An American Hero

Dear SSGT Charles James Wallace, 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
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POSTED ON 10.17.2011
POSTED BY: Robert Sage

We Remember

Charles is buried at Palm Desert Memorial, Las Vegas, Clark County,NV.
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POSTED ON 6.16.2011
POSTED BY: Larry Hastings

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POSTED ON 10.3.2003
POSTED BY: Joel Campbell

Thank You

Although we have never met, I am extremely grateful for the sacrifice you unselfishly gave to our country. You gave up everything that was important to you in order to fight for our great nation. We are forever in debt to you for your brave gift of liberty to all Americans. Your death was not in vain. May you rest in peace. Gratefully, Joel Campbell
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