THE WALL OF FACES

Remember to save for them a place inside of you, and save one backward glance when you are leaving, for the places they can no longer go...

Dear Sgt Willian Whitney, Thank you for your service as an UH-1 Helicopter Repairer. Saying thank you isn't enough, but it is from the heart. It is the 5th Day of Christmas (date on this site is wrong), Merry Christmas & Happy New Year. Please watch over America, it stills needs your strength, courage, guidance, and faithfulness, especially now. Rest in peace with the angels.

Dear SGT William Arthur Whitney, 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

The USMC CH-46’s were having maintenance problems and were grounded, so elements of the 190th Assault Helicopter Company were assigned to the Marines for SOG support. A Special Forces team with two Americans and some Nungs were inserted into Laos by the 190 AHC. The team got attacked and requested an emergency extraction. William Zanow was aircraft commander of 66-00847 and Ira Taylor was aircraft commander of 66-00848. During the extraction attempt Zanow's Huey was shot down by an RPG and rolled down a hill. The crew chief, SGT William A. Whitney was killed and the other three crew members injured. A King Bee UH-34 attempted a rescue and was shot down. The crew evaded and escaped until the next morning. An Air Force HH-3E 66-13279 was called in to rescue the Special Forces team and it was shot down, crashed and burned after picking up two members of the team. The next morning, Taylor from the 190 AHC, protected by Gladiator gunships, inserted a recovery force which found the three surviving Huey crew members and the ARVN crew from the UH-34. The ARVN crew had run away from the pursuing VC all night and discovered at first light that they had made a complete circle and were back at the crash site. The rescue team found the HH-3 and noted that all of the human remains were badly burned. According to Taylor, the rescue team collected all of the heads and put them on his helicopter. One of the Air Force pilots, CPT Young, survived the crash and was rescued. [Taken from vhpa.org]

I did not know SGT Whitney personally or serve in the same unit. However, as a fellow Army Vietnam Vet helicopter pilot and member of Army-TogetherWeServed.com, I just want to point anyone visiting his profile here to a Fallen Remembrance Profile in his honor on that website. It can be viewed at the following URL:

http:army.togetherweserved.comprofile74200

If anyone has more information about him or pictures that would enhance his profile, please contact that pages Administrator.