THE WALL OF FACES

Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I did not die.

Dear WO Gerald Young, Thank you for your service as an Utility/Observation Helicopter Pilot. 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.

PThe engine that failed on the Cobra Mr.Young was flying was my engine. #2 bearing oil seal blowing oil out the bleed band. Aircraft had 9 flying hours until a P.E. was to be preformed. Check with crew chief with the maintenance office present and determined because of low oil use it would be safe to but it on the hot spot to go ahead a get the 9 hours needed to get it to P.E. We did everything by the book but the engine failed and caused the death of two brave warriors. I didn't know the facts behind this crash until March 2010. Ever since then my life has been a living hell. Even though I did everything by the book, I fill responsible for the pilots death. This is my part of this event. RIP Brave warriors. You will never be forgotten

Warrant Officer Gerald Lee Young, Served with Battery A, 4th Battalion, 77th Artillery Regiment, 101st Airborne Division.

On October 23, 1969, a U.S. Army AH-1G (tail number 68-15109) from A Battery (Dragons), 4th Howitzer Battalion, 77th Aerial Rocket Artillery, 101st Airborne Division, crashed after suffering an engine failure in Thua Thien Province, RVN (just a short distance from Camp Eagle). The aircraft attempted autorotation but failed and experienced a hard landing resulting fatal injuries to both crewmen. The lost crewmen included pilot WO1 Gerald L. Young and aircraft commander WO1 Andrew J. Abramson. The following is an Army investigation report of the incident: On October 23, 1969, two AH-1G aircraft were assigned two-minute hot status. Aircraft 68-15109 was the wing ship of a flight of two aerial rocket artillery aircraft. The gross weight was 9400 lbs. at take-off. At 1443 hours, Battery Operations received a fire mission from the battalion TOC. The pilots scrambled to their aircraft and made an immediate departure. The lead aircraft was airborne at 1445 hours. On his downwind leg, CW2 Vance, the section leader, observed his wing ship just departing the A Battery heliport. Due to the positioning of the aircraft in their revetments and limited real estate, WO Young could not hover out for takeoff until the lead aircraft had moved out to the takeoff lane. After receiving the mission briefing on departure, CW2 Vance instructed WO Young to obtain artillery clearance to the target area, which was in the vicinity of FSB Tiger. WO Young received and relayed the artillery clearance to the lead aircraft at which time CW Vance briefed him on the mission. It was about this point that SP4 Manfred, the crew chief on a Black Widow aircraft, observed the AH-1G at approximately 150 feet passing under his UH-1H. As the Cobra continued its westerly course passing under the UH-1H he was observed by the gunner of the Black Widow aircraft. At this time the Cobra appeared nose low, which is the normal flight attitude of the AH-1G at high speed. A puff of white smoke was observed coming from the engine. The eyewitness stated that the rotor RPM was low. From this the (crash investigation) board concluded that the rotor RPM decayed to a dangerously low level before the crew was aware of the engine failure. The Cobra then assumed a decelerating attitude in an attempt to build the RPM. The board assumed that at this point the call, “Alpha, this is Echo, we're going down” was made. As ground contact became imminent, the pilot pulled pitch further decaying the RPM. This resulted in the loss of effective anti-torque control and an excessive rate of descent. At ground contact the aircraft was still in a decelerating attitude and was just beginning to rotate to the left. On initial contact the Stinger and right rear navigation light separated from the aircraft. The tail boom failed and the heel of the left skid struck the ground next and separated from the aircraft at the rear skid cross tube attachment point. The right rear cross tube failed and separated from the aircraft at the cross tube support assembly. Both skids separated from the forward cross tube and the four rocket pods separated from the bomb shackles. The forward cross tube rotated top forward and separated from the aircraft. The belly of the aircraft struck the ground and the white main rotor blade flexed down through the co-pilot gunner compartment, decapitating WO1 Abramson. At this point the already weakened main structural beams failed and the transmission and stub wings assembly separated from the aircraft as a unit. The aft fuselage, engine, and tail boom separated from the aircraft. The fuel cells ruptured and burst into flames. The remaining cockpit section and forward fuselage continued to turn to the left for approximately 90 degrees, throwing burning fuel over the uphill section of the crash area, and coming to rest on a heading of 080 degrees. As a result of the post-crash fire, the two left rocket pods exploded and the entire cockpit area and the honeycomb area of the red main rotor blade were destroyed by fire. [Taken from vhpa.org and firemission.s5.com]