Information on U.S. Army helicopter
UH-1B tail number 63-08557
Date: 06/10/65
Incident number: 65061020.TXT Accident case number: 0C245 Total
Loss Accident
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was LOSS TO INVENTORY
for Air/land Assault , Hot Area.
While on Landing Zone this helicopter was on the Ground at 0000
feet and 000 knots.
South Vietnam
Helicopter took 1 hits from:
Explosive Weapon; Non-Artillery launched or static weapons containing
explosive charges. (MORTAR)
causing a Blast.
Systems damaged were: PERSONNEL
Casualties = 04 KIA . . Number killed in accident = 0 . . Injured
= 0 . . Passengers = 0
The helicopter was parked. Aircraft Destroyed.
Both mission and flight capability were terminated.
Burned
costing 193648
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was
created or updated: Army Aviation Safety Center database. Survivability/Vulnerability
Information Analysis Center Helicopter database. Also: UH1P1,
01509, CRAFX, CASRP, STMNT, CALTR (Crash Facts Message. Casualty
Report. )
Loss to Inventory
Crew Members:
AC WO1 SAEGAERT DONALD RUSSELL BNR
P CPT HALL WALTER LOUIS BNR
CE SSG COMPA JOSEPH JAMES JR BNR
G SGT HAGEN CRAIG LOUIS BNR
Passengers:
SFC OWENS FRED MONROE, AR, PX, BNR
SSG CURLEE ROBERT LEE JR, AR, PX, BNR
REFNO Synopsis:
South Vietnam Walter L. Hall Bruce G. Johnson Fred M. Owen Robert
L. Curlee Donald R. Saegaert, Joseph J. Compa, Jr. Craig L. Hagen
(0096) On June 19, 1965, those involved in this loss incident
were on board a UH-1B helicopter on a combat operation into a
landing zone six kilometers from the town of Dong Xoai, Phuoc
Long Province. Their helicopter was hit by ground fire and crashed.
Captain Johnson, an advisor to the South Vietnamese Army's 5th
Infantry Division, reported to another helicopter in the area
that the aircraft's crew and all others on board were dead and
his position was receiving incoming enemy mortar fire. There was
no further transmission from Captain Johnson after the end of
the mortar fire. A later search of the area failed to produce
any sign of the seven servicemen. In late 1965, a Viet Cong produced
film was captured which appeared to depict a portion of the battle
at Dong Xoai. The film appeared to show the dead bodies of Sergeant
First Class Owen and First Lieutenant Hall. Information was later
received from another source that the seven U.S. were killed in
this incident, four found in the helicopter and three others at
the airstrip. Intelligence reports of unidentified U.S. POWs sightings
several months before this incident occurred were received later
and were placed in the file of these servicemen. One report associated
with the capture of an American at the battle of Binh Gia was
placed in Captain Johnson's file, but may have correlated to the
capture of another Captain several months earlier. Captain Johnson
was initially reported missing. Returning U.S. POWs were unable
to provide information about his precise fate or the fate of the
others. Captain Johnson was declared dead/body not recovered in
February 1978.
This record was last updated on 09/20/98
The following is crew member information for this incident:
Name: SSG Joseph James Compa, Jr.
Status: Body Not Recovered from an incident on 06/10/65 while
performing the duty of Crew Chief.
Age at death: 34.4
Date of Birth: 01/13/31
Home City: East Liverpool, OH
Service: regular component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 118 AHC
Major organization: other
Service: U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 02E-004
Aircraft: UH-1B tail number 63-08557
Service number: 13287433
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 67N40 = UH-1 Helicopter Repairer
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: artillery or mortar
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: crew chief
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - other
aircrew
Length of service: 16
Location: Unknown Province
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - died while missing
married male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: unknown
The following information secondary, but may help in explaining
this incident.
Category of casualty as defined by the Army: battle dead Category
of personnel: active duty Army Military class: enlisted personnel
This record was last updated on 06/25/94
Name: SSG Robert Lee Curlee, Jr.
Status: Body Not Recovered from an incident on 06/10/65 while
performing the duty of Passenger.
Age at death: 34.7
Date of Birth: 09/26/30
Home City: Monroe, NC
Service: regular component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: MACV Advisors
Major organization: MACV advisors
Service: U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 02E-004
Aircraft: UH-1B tail number 63-08557
Service number: 14261090
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 91B4H = Medical NCO
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: weapons
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: advisor
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - non-aircrew
Length of service: 16
Location: Unknown Province
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - died while missing
married male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: unknown or not reported
The following information secondary, but may help in explaining
this incident.
Category of casualty as defined by the Army: battle dead Category
of personnel: active duty Army Military class: enlisted personnel
This record was last updated on 01/01/94
Name: SGT Craig Louis Hagen
Status: Body Not Recovered from an incident on 06/10/65 while
performing the duty of Gunner.
Age at death: 24.7
Date of Birth: 09/14/40
Home City: Sacramento, CA
Service: regular component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 118 AHC
Prior Unit: 25 INF DIV
Major organization: 25th Infantry Division
Service: U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 02E-005
Short Summary: While SHOTGUN TDY from 25 INF DIV
Aircraft: UH-1B tail number 63-08557
Service number: 19631637
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 11H4P = Infantry Direct Fire Crewman
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: artillery or mortar
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: door gunner
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - other
aircrew
Length of service: 06
Location: Unknown Province
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - died while missing
married male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: unknown or not reported
The following information secondary, but may help in explaining
this incident.
Category of casualty as defined by the Army: battle dead Category
of personnel: active duty Army Military class: enlisted personnel
This record was last updated on 08/12/95
Name: CPT Walter Louis Hall (posthumously promoted)
Status: Body Not Recovered from an incident on 06/10/65 while
performing the duty of Pilot.
Age at death: 25.3
Date of Birth: 02/25/40
Home City: Old Town, ME
Service: IN branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 118 AHC, 145 CAB
Major organization: other
Flight class: 62-8
Service: IN branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 02E-005
Short Summary: Rotor head hit by mortar round on take off from
2nd CA at Dong Xoai at 200 ft AGL, crashed and exploded. See Saegaert.
Aircraft: UH-1B tail number 63-08557
Call sign: Blue Thunderbird 2
Service number: O5010586
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 1981 = 19 Rotary Wing Aviator (Unit Commander)
Primary cause: SVN-BNR
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: weapons
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: pilot
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - pilot
Length of service: 03
Location: Unknown Province
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - died while missing
married male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: Roman Catholic
The following information secondary, but may help in explaining
this incident.
Category of casualty as defined by the Army: battle dead Category
of personnel: active duty Army Military class: officer
This record was last updated on 08/17/94
Name: SFC Fred Monroe Owens
Status: Body Not Recovered from an incident on 06/10/65 while
performing the duty of Passenger.
Age at death: 31.5
Date of Birth: 12/03/33
Home City: Picher, OK
Service: regular component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: MACV Advisors
Major organization: MACV advisors
Service: U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 02E-003
Aircraft: UH-1B tail number 63-08557
Service number: 18350682
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 11F4H = Infantry Operations And Intelligence Specialist
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: weapons
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: advisor
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - non-aircrew
Length of service: 12
Location: Unknown Province
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - died while missing
married male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: Baptist - other groups
The following information secondary, but may help in explaining
this incident.
Category of casualty as defined by the Army: battle dead Category
of personnel: active duty Army Military class: enlisted personnel
This record was last updated on 01/01/94
Name: WO1 Donald Russell Saegaert
Status: Body Not Recovered from an incident on 06/10/65 while
performing the duty of Aircraft Commander.
Age at death: 25.1
Date of Birth: 05/03/40
Home City: Berlin, CT
Service: AV branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 118 AHC, 145 CAB
Major organization: other
Flight class: 63-7W
Service: AV branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 02E-006
Short Summary: Rotor head hit by mortar round on take off from
2nd CA at Dong Xoai at 100 ft AGL, crashed and exploded. See Hall.
Aircraft: UH-1B tail number 63-08557
Call sign: Blue Thunderbird 2
Service number: W3151620
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 062B = Helicopter Pilot, Utility and Light Cargo Single Rotor
Primary cause: SVN-BNR
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: artillery or mortar
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: co-pilot
Started Tour: 07/10/65
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - other
aircrew
Length of service: 04
Location: Unknown Province
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - died while missing
married male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: unknown
The following information secondary, but may help in explaining
this incident.
Category of casualty as defined by the Army: battle dead Category
of personnel: active duty Army Military class: warrant officer
This record was last updated on 08/17/94
Please send additions or corrections to:
Gary Roush
43 Overbrook Road
Painted Post, NY 14870