THE WALL OF FACES

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. It remains my fervent hope you will be returned home after the passage of so many years.

Just read an article on how the government is still searching for MIA servicemen. I hope they try harder. Bring all of you home.

Always remembered, God Bless

Chief Warrant Officer Jim Ray Cavender, Served with the 281st Assault Helicopter Company, 10th Aviation Battalion, 17th Aviation Group, 1st Aviation Brigade, United States Army Vietnam.

On November 4, 1969, a U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H (tail number 67-19512) from the 281st Assault Helicopter Company disappeared while flying east in deteriorating weather conditions from Duc Lap to its base in Nha Trang. The pilot made its last known radio contacts with Blue Star Control at the 48th Aviation Company Operations center in Ninh Hoa at approximately 7:20 PM. At the time contact was made, the pilot said he was flying in IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) weather and thought that he was somewhere in the Duc My Pass. He received an FM homing count from Blue Star and said that he thought that Blue Star Control was somewhere to the left rear of his aircraft. Blue Star asked him to say his heading, and he answered that he was flying on a heading of 210 degrees. At approximately 7:30 PM, Blue Star heard over the radio, "I've got it, I've got it, let go of it, I've got it!" Blue Star control tried to contact the aircraft and heard, "We're upside down, what's happening?! Oh my God, what do I do?!" Blue Star tried to contact the aircraft three or four more times, but received no answer. No further contacts were heard and search and rescue operations conducted over the next several days were negative. The four lost crewmen were aircraft commander CW3 Terry L. Alford, pilot CW3 Jim R. Cavender, crew chief SSG John A. Ware, and gunner SFC James R. Klimo. Their remains have not been located. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and vhpa.org]