CW2 Bobby R. Williams (KIA) and I were both vying for the next fire team leader slot. For some unknown reason operations swapped his crew for mine and put them in the aircraft I had been flying the night before they were shot down. The pilot WO1 Richard G. Lewis (KIA) had been in country a few months, SP5 Glenn T. Fey (KIA) had been transferred from the 134th AHC two weeks prior and PFC Jerome E. Jacobs (KIA) was I believe a postal clerk who was working his tail off to be a door gunner. It is believed they were hit by an RPG on the right side of the aircraft; I have a photo of the aircraft in the air right after they were hit and it shows no damage to the left side. I heard the elapsed time from when the aircraft was hit until it was completely burned was only four minutes. We know that at least part of the crew was alive prior to impact because they were keying the radio while using the intercom. This was a heavy (48 rockets) and evidently they were unable to jettison the pods prior to impact. The aircraft burned with all hands. The next day I took the dental records to the morgue to help with identification of the remains. Story by Jim McLaughlin [Taken from vhpa.org]

Crashed in the Sea of Japan while serving in South Korea. He died in South Korea (Kangnung) on Nov 27, 1968 while flying as co-pilot for the 6th Aviation Platoon, I Corps. His body was not recovered and he was declared dead after a crash in the Sea of Japan. Griggs who was new in country and right out of flight school.

While with the 6 AVN PLT in Korea A/C crashed in the Sea of Japan while enroute to its base in Kangnung. Flying conditions at the time were described as marginal with a heavy cloud cover from 700' to 9,000'. SAR operations failed to locate the missing A/C and were called off on December 4.

On 6 February 1969, the 134th conducted a Combat Assault with ROK units near Phan Rang. At the landing zone, the VC were waiting in spider holes for the incoming aircraft. The lead ship was hit by ground fire and crashed in the LZ while another (66-16326) was destroyed by a B-40 rocket as it landed. CW2 William M. Harrison, the AC with 24 days left in country, was killed by shrapnel from the B-40. The crewchief, SP4 John Baxter, was hit numerous pieces of shrapnel and also took a hit in a leg that had to later be amputated. The last ship (66-16319) in the 3 ship formation went around the crashed lead ship. As it did, it was hit by a hail of fire and a round hit the gunner, PFC William Ogden, in the neck killing him instantly. The rest of the crew somehow escaped serious jury and managed to get the badly damaged ship back to Phan Rang Air Base.

On 7 February 1968, the 134^th suffered it's first combat casualties. An entire crew and aircraft were lost while on a MACV support mission at Phu Bon near Cheo Reo. The aircraft flew MACV senior advisors and local commanders to a village that was to have been secured earlier in the morning by nearby PF (Popular Forces) ground troops. On arrival over the village there was no radio contact with the ground unit supposedly at the site but smoke was popped by someone on the ground and the crew landed. However, the PF troops had not yet arrived and the village was occupied by VC who had taken it over the previous night.

After landing and shutting down the aircraft, the crew and six others were ambushed and killed. The aircraft was set on fire and destroyed. Members of the crew were CW2 Roy E. Worth, CW2 Guido S. Reali, SGT Ronald R. Loveland and SGT Harold O. Hoskins. This was a very traumatic experience for everyone in the unit since the 134^th was a close knit group and everyone knew the lost crewmembers well. The war hit home to all in a very personal way. After this, aircraft from the 134^th were not allowed to land in remote locations without establishing radio contact with ground personnel or positive identification.

In a bizarre twist, less than an hour before the ambush of the crew, WO Trainee Hall and WO Mike Harding had been searching for a MACV advisor with the PF troops and had landed at the same village after smoke was popped on the ground. However, they did not shut down or get out of the aircraft. They saw what appeared to be local troops, waved to them (their waves were returned) and realizing their intended passenger was not there, they took off again.

Crashed in the Sea of Japan while serving in South Korea. Julius Harold "Harry" Ingram was my first husband. He was from Montgomery, Alabama. He died in South Korea (Kangnung) on Nov 27, 1968 while flying for the 6th Aviation Platoon, I Corps. He never went to Vietnam, but to South Korea from flight school, after a short stay at Ft Bragg. He was a CWO-2 at his death. His body was not recovered and he was declared dead after a crash in the Sea of Japan. At the time, he was on TDY duty during some infiltration on the east coast. This was the year the Pueblo was captured. He was survived by a wife, infant son, father and brotherThe other pilot killed in that crash was 1LT Richard J. Griggs who was new in country and right out of flight school.

From: Mary AnnWhile with the 6 AVN PLT in Korea A/C crashed in the Sea of Japan while enroute to its base in Kangnung. Flying conditions at the time were described as marginal with a heavy cloud cover from 700' to 9,000'. SAR operations failed to locate the missing A/C and were called off on December 4.

On 6 February 1969, the 134th conducted a Combat Assault with ROK units near Phan Rang. At the landing zone, the VC were waiting in spider holes for the incoming aircraft. The lead ship was hit by ground fire and crashed in the LZ while another (66-16326) was destroyed by a B-40 rocket as it landed. CW2 William M. Harrison, the AC with 24 days left in country, was killed by shrapnel from the B-40. The crewchief, SP4 John Baxter, was hit numerous pieces of shrapnel and also took a hit in a leg that had to later be amputated. The last ship (66-16319) in the 3 ship formation went around the crashed lead ship. As it did, it was hit by a hail of fire and a round hit the gunner, PFC William Ogden, in the neck killing him instantly. The rest of the crew somehow escaped serious jury and managed to get the badly damaged ship back to Phan Rang Air Base.

Under the cover of darkness on January 10, 1968, North Vietnamese Army forces crept into Kotum Airfield in the Central Highlands in Kotum Province, RVN, and destroyed several aircraft, killed six Americans, and wounded 21 others. Between 2:04 to 2:35 AM, the enemy breached the perimeter and conducted a raid on the airfield with B-40 rockets, small arms fire, and satchel charges. The lost Americans included SP4 Loyde D. Armor, SP4 Thomas Carpenter Jr., PFC Richard D. Devine Jr., PFC Andres A. Gomez, PFC Robert W. Muncy, and SP4 Robert Pfeister. Seven UH-1H helicopters were destroyed, eight others damaged, and eight trucks damaged. At least five NVA were killed during the attack, some reportedly by explosions from their own satchel charges. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org, redwarriors.us, and Pacific Stars & Stripes, January 11, 1968]

SP4 Robert Pfeister was serving with the 57th Assault Helicopter Company on his second tour at the time of his death.

On 7 February 1968, the 134^th suffered it's first combat casualties. An entire crew and aircraft were lost while on a MACV support mission at Phu Bon near Cheo Reo. The aircraft flew MACV senior advisors and local commanders to a village that was to have been secured earlier in the morning by nearby PF (Popular Forces) ground troops. On arrival over the village there was no radio contact with the ground unit supposedly at the site but smoke was popped by someone on the ground and the crew landed. However, the PF troops had not yet arrived and the village was occupied by VC who had taken it over the previous night.

After landing and shutting down the aircraft, the crew and six others were ambushed and killed. The aircraft was set on fire and destroyed. Members of the crew were CW2 Roy E. Worth, CW2 Guido S. Reali, SGT Ronald R. Loveland and SGT Harold O. Hoskins. This was a very traumatic experience for everyone in the unit since the 134^th was a close knit group and everyone knew the lost crewmembers well. The war hit home to all in a very personal way. After this, aircraft from the 134^th were not allowed to land in remote locations without establishing radio contact with ground personnel or positive identification.

In a bizarre twist, less than an hour before the ambush of the crew, WO Trainee Hall and WO Mike Harding had been searching for a MACV advisor with the PF troops and had landed at the same village after smoke was popped on the ground. However, they did not shut down or get out of the aircraft. They saw what appeared to be local troops, waved to them (their waves were returned) and realizing their intended passenger was not there, they took off again.