THE WALL OF FACES

A butterfly lights beside us like a sunbeam
And for a brief moment its glory
and beauty belong to our world
But then it flies again
And though we wish it could have stayed...
We feel lucky to have seen it.

Dear WO Thaddeus Yonika, Thank you for your service as an Attack Helicopter Pilot with the 1st Cavalry. Saying thank you isn't enough, but it is from the heart. Lent has begun. Time passes quickly. Please watch over America, it stills needs your strength, courage, guidance, and faithfulness, especially now. Rest in peace with the angels.

On the morning of December 21, 1969, a U.S. Army helicopter OH-6A (tail number 67-16142), call sign Apache 13, from A Troop, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division, was conducting a reconnaissance mission in an area known as Pearson’s Field near the Cambodian border in Tay Ninh Province, RVN. While scouting the area, the helicopter encountered a large North Vietnamese Army (NVA) force which took the aircraft under fire. The helicopter received a heavy volume of AK-47 fire over an estimated 1000-yard radius. While trying to evade away from the enemy fire, the crippled aircraft crashed and exploded, killing all three crewmen. The lost personnel included pilot WO1 Thaddeus M. Yonika Jr., crew chief SP5 Christopher J. Gray, and observer SGT Barry P. Kaletta. The aircraft was totally destroyed. A Blues Team aero-rifle platoon repelled into the crash site and the bodies of the three crewmen were extracted at 10:55 AM. Airstrikes and artillery placed in the area killed thirteen NVA. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org, vhpa.org, and bullwhipsquadron.us]

Warrant Officer Thaddeus Michael Yonika Jr., Served with A Troop, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, United States Army Vietnam.

We last met over 52 years ago and will meet again one day. You are thought of more often, but especially on Memorial Day every year. God bless.