THE WALL OF FACES

On April 24, 1969, a U.S. Army UH-1C helicopter gunship (#65-09428), call sign Griffin, from C Battery, 4th Battalion (Aerial Artillery), 77th Artillery (Airmobile), was on alert at Camp Evans northwest of Hue in Thua Thien Province, RVN, when it and another gunship were scrambled for a fire mission near the A Shau Valley. While enroute to their objective, aircraft 428 was forced to negotiate a hazardous route at low altitude due to haze and clouds. The helicopter received hostile ground fire and lost power, crashing into the jungle five miles northwest of the hamlet of A Luoi. Pilot WO1 James A. Brown II was critically injured in the tangle of the wreckage, his injured crew chief unable to free him. The crew chief was able to extricate the unconscious aircraft commander and provided medical assistance and comfort to both pilots. He then crawled through the foliage to a clearing where he signaled rescue aircraft overhead, placing the freed aircraft commander on a rescue hoist. The crew chief again attempted to remove Brown, but was unsuccessful, and after urging from the medical evacuation team, put himself in the hoist and was lifted out. He was later awarded the Silver Star medal for valor. Brown’s remains were subsequently recovered. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org, vhpa.org, and “ARMY 1969 4TH BN-77 AERIAL ROCKET ARTILLERY - Annual Historical Supplement for C Battery 4th Battalion (Aerial Artillery) 77th Artillery (Airmobile)” at ttu.edu; also, information provided by Chester J. Uszynski (March 2022) and the crew chief’s Silver Star citation]

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. The remembrance from Bill Hartbarger is especially poignant. As long as you are remembered you will always be with us....

I visited the travelling Viet Nam Memorial today in Sanford, FL. I did a rubbing of your name and left an American. You are remembered as a good friend and a contagious sense of humor. RIP and GOD BLESS!
Elaine Berol Taylor

Thank you for your service and your sacrifice. Thank you for stepping up and answering your country's call. Rest easy knowing you will never be forgotten.

Jim, it has been almost 50 years since I brought you home and presented the flag from your casket. I loved you as a brother and mourn you still. This week I volunteered to work the mobile replica of The Wall. Your name still evokes the same tears as when I accompanied you home for burial. I showed your name and told your story to many visitors to The Wall. Some of them took a rubbing of your name, though they didn't have the pleasure of knowing you in life. You are not forgotten!!

Bill