THE WALL OF FACES

You gave your life for your country and for this we Salute You.

THE CREW OF AH-1G, SN 67-15519, WAS ON A NIGHT COVER MISSION OVER A LOW-FLYING UH-1H EQUIPPED WITH A XENON SEARCHLIGHT. THE AH-1G, SN 67-15519, WAS ASSIGNED TO THE NIGHT COVER MISSION AND SCRAMBLED ABOUT 2000 HOURS ON 1 AUG 70. ITS MISSION WAS TO PROVIDE OVERHEAD COVER FOR THE LOW-FLYING UH-1H. THE UH-1H PRIMARY MISSION WAS TO SEARCH VIA SEARCHLIGHT FOR ANY UNUSUAL ACTIVITY IN THE VICINITY OF THE PHUOC VINH BASE CAMP. THE CEILING CONSIDERED USUABLE BY THE PILOTS WAS 1000 TO 1200 FEET ON THE AIRCRAFT ALTIMETERS, OR APPROX. 800 TO 1000 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL BECAUSE OF THE ABOVE SEA-LEVEL ALTITUDE OF THE PHUOC VINH AREA. THE UH-1H WAS MANUEVERING AROUND AN AREA THAT HAD BEEN REPORTED TO HAVE SUSPECT VEHICLE ACTIVITY DURING THE DAY. THE AH-1G WAS FLYING JUST UNDER THE DESCRIBED CLOUD CEILING. THE UH-1H REQUESTED THE AH-1G EXPEND SEVERAL 10 POUND ROCKETS INTO A BAMBOO THICKET SO AS TO CLEAR THE AREA FOR OBSERVATION. THE AH-1G AGREED TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUEST AND BEGAN SEVERAL ROCKET FIRING PASSES INTO THE MARKED AREA. THE TARGET WAS ATTACKED FROM SEVERAL DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS AND EACH TIME THE UH-1H RETURNED TO THE TARGET AREA AND COMPLETED VISUAL OBSERVATIONS. ON THE RUN THE UH-1H MARKED THE TARGET WITH A 40MM FLARE AND DEPARTED THE AREA. THE AH-1G, FROM AN ALTITUDE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 800 TO 1000 FEET, COMMENCED ITS FINAL DIVE INTO A GENERALLY SOUTH TO NORTH DIRECTION. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED DOWN ITS DIVE ANGLE PATH, FIRING THREE PAIR OF ROCKETS AND THEN A FOURTH PAIR. THE AIRCRAFT AT THIS TIME WAS AT AN EXTREMELY LOW ALTITUDE ABOVE THE GROUND. AFTER THE LAST PAIR OF ROCKETS WERE FIRED, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN A LEFT TURN, TOWARD THE NORTHWEST, TO PULL OUT OF THE FIRING PASS DIVE. APPARENTLY THE PULL OUT PROCEDURE WAS BEGUN TOO CLOSE TO THE GROUND, AS THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND IN LEVEL, LEFT SIDE LOW, ALTITUDE. ONE MAIN ROTOR BLADE APPARENTLY STRUCK THE GROUND OR A TREE TO THE LEFT OF THE IMPACT POINT, SEVERING IT. ANOTHER TREE TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT APPARENTLY SEVERED THE RIGHT SKID AND THE VERTICAL FIN FROM THE TAIL BOOM. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED IN A STRAIGHT LINE DIRECTION AND PORTIONS OF IT CAME TO REST DIRECTLY DOWN THE AVENUE OF IMPACT. THE INITIAL CONTACT POINT CONSISTED OF A 15 FOOT TRENCH DUG ABOUT 12 INCHES DEEP. THE TRENCH WAS STRAIGHT AND ALL WRECKAGE LAY IN THE SAME DIRECTION, ON AN APPROX. AXIS OF 285 DEG. [Taken from vhpa.org]

David was my room mate and friend during flight school. I was there at the end. He was a great pilot and a greater person and I'll always remember him.

FOREVER REMEMBERED

"If you are able, 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.....Be not ashamed to say you loved them....
Take what they have left and what they have taught you with their dying and keep it with your own....And in that time when men decide and feel safe to call the war insane, take one moment to embrace those gentle heroes you left behind...."

Quote from a letter home by Maj. Michael Davis O'Donnell
KIA 24 March 1970. Distinguished Flying Cross: Shot down and Killed while attempting to rescue 8 fellow soldiers surrounded by attacking enemy forces.

We Nam Brothers pause to give a backward glance, and post this remembrance to you, one of the gentle heroes lost to the War in Vietnam:

Slip off that pack. Set it down by the crooked trail. Drop your steel pot alongside. Shed those magazine-ladened bandoliers away from your sweat-soaked shirt. Lay that silent weapon down and step out of the heat. Feel the soothing cool breeze right down to your soul ... and rest forever in the shade of our love, brother.

From your Nam-Band-Of-Brothers

David is buried at Ft Leavenworth Nat Cem.