Acosta, Ernie |
Sheryl |
Crewchief |
08/69-06/70 |
Nampa |
ID |
 |
Anker, John L. (Butch) |
|
Door Gunner/Crewchief |
70-71 |
Reno |
NV |
 |
Arnold, Ken |
|
618th/Crewchief/Maintenance/Mechanic |
11/67-11/68 |
Santa Clarita |
CA |
 |
Baker, Henry C. |
|
Door Gunner/Crewchief Devil Guns |
03/70-11/71 |
Jacksonville |
FL |
 |
Baldridge, Tom |
|
Crewchief/Gunner |
71 |
|
DAT |
 |
Baldwin, Richard E. |
|
Crewchief |
71 |
Eustis |
FL |
 |
Bangs, Carrol L. |
|
Crewchief |
67 |
Moody |
TX |
 |
Bates, Joseph |
Noel |
Crewchief 2nd Flight Platoon |
04/69-12/69 |
Cambridge |
MD |
 |
Bates, Lynn Carlton |
Cathy |
Crewchief Gun Platoon |
01/68-01/69 |
Newport News |
DAT |
 |
Baxter, John G. |
|
Crewchief |
68 |
|
DAT |
 |
Bell, Robert D. |
|
Crewchief 67N20 (Native American) |
03/69-02/70 |
Upper Lake |
CA |
 |
Berg, Jerry |
Mary |
Maintenance/Crewchief 151(Guns) |
02/68-02/70 |
Brookings |
DAT |
 |
Biddlecome, Matt |
|
Crewchief |
03/68-03/69 |
San Diego |
CA |
 |
Bittner, David L. |
|
Crewchief 66150 |
07/67-08/68 |
|
DAT |
 |
Bowman, Lance |
Carlyn Lack |
Gunner/Crewchief 2nd Flt Plt |
02/71-12/71 |
Bakersfield |
CA |
 |
Britton, Craig |
|
Door Gunner/Crewchief |
70-71 |
Riverton |
UT |
 |
Brown, John W. |
Jenni |
PE Crew/Crewchief |
11/67-11/68 |
Bishopville |
|
 |
Burnett, David M. |
Catherine |
Crewchief |
06/71-12/71 |
Rockwall |
DAT |
 |
Buttermore, William P. |
|
Crewchief 1st Platoon |
02/69-02/70
|
| DAT |
 |
Calabrese, Joseph |
|
Crewchief |
04/68-06/68 |
|
|
 |
Capella, John A. |
|
Gunner/Crewchief |
69-70 |
Reno |
NV |
 |
Carey, Daniel L. |
|
Crewchief 2nd Flt Plt |
01/69-03/70 |
Washington Ct. House |
OH |
 |
Carlyle, Rick |
|
Crewchief 464 |
10/69-10/70 |
Sebastian |
FL |
 |
Carroll, Michael |
|
Gun Plt |
69-70 |
Spokeane |
WA |
 |
Chiswell, Chesney |
|
Crewchief |
69-70 |
Ft. Lupton |
CO |
 |
Clahane, James H. |
|
Door Gunner/Crewchief |
69-70 |
|
|
 |
Codorniz, Paul H. |
Mary Jane |
Crewchief |
10/67-10/68 |
Tulare |
CA |
 |
Coleman, Willis J. |
|
Crewchief 66-16325 |
08/67-11/68 |
Hungerford |
TX |
 |
Cook, Sam |
|
Door Gunner/Crew Chief |
03/70-12/71 |
Cottage Grove |
OR |
 |
Cooper, Dwight W. |
|
Crewchief |
68-69 |
Concord |
AR |
 |
Copeland, Roy A. |
Guifang |
Crewchief/Door Gunner |
01/71-12/71 |
Naples |
IA |
 |
Crotty, Brian |
Audrey |
Demon/Devil Crewchief/T.I. |
03/69-10/70 |
Massapequa |
NY |
 |
Crowe, Jimmy W. |
Glenda |
Crew Chief & Door Gunner |
04/69-04/70 |
Pell City |
AL |
 |
De Antonis, John |
Susan |
Crewchief 66151 |
05/67-10/68 |
Orange Park |
DAT |
 |
Defrenn, Ronald L. |
|
Crewchief 019 Gun Pltn. |
01/69-01/70 |
|
DAT |
 |
Denton, Rickey C. |
|
Door Gunner/Crewchief |
69-70 |
Beaumont |
TX |
 |
Diluzio, Phillip P. |
Donna |
Maintenance/Crewchief |
10/69-10/70 |
Middletown |
DE |
 |
Douglass, Larry |
|
Crewchief 393 |
09/70-06/71 |
Kalispell |
DAT |
 |
Drinkwine, Glenn |
|
Crewchief/Maintenance |
67-68 |
Stringer |
MS |
 |
Edgar, Chuck |
|
Maintenance/Crewchief |
08/68-08/69 |
Quincy |
MA |
 |
Elliston, Joe |
|
Crewchief |
03/68-03/69 |
Clarksville |
TN |
 |
Estes, Gary R. |
|
Crewchief |
69-70 |
|
CO |
 |
Everhart, James |
|
Crewchief |
02/68-02/69 |
Radford |
VA |
 |
Fahey, Donald C. |
Barbara |
Crewchief |
70-71 |
Staten Island |
DAT |
 |
Fey, Glenn T. (KIA) |
|
Crewchief
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]
| 05/05/1968 |
Ashley |
PA |
KIA |
Fick, Fred C. |
Sandy |
Demon Crewchief |
08/67-11/68 |
Oregon |
OH |
 |
Fischer, Frank L. |
| Maintenance/Crewchief |
09/71-12/71 |
Salisbury |
NC |
 |
Flexen, Xavier L. |
| Crewchief 66077 |
09/67-09/68 |
Newark |
CA |
 |
Fry, Bob |
| Crewchief/Gunne |
05/69-11/70 |
Port Charlotte |
FL |
 |
Fuqua, Stephen A. |
| Crewchief/Door Gunner |
71 |
| DAT |
 |
Gallus, David R. |
| Served in Korea Crewchief |
67-68 |
Marco Island |
FL |
 |
Gano, Steve |
| Crewchief 66-16658 |
05/67-11/68 |
West Richland |
WA |
 |
Gasper, Steve |
| Crewchief/Line Crew |
11/67-11/68 |
Conneaut Lake |
DAT |
 |
George, William P. III |
| Crewchief/Door Gunner |
71 |
Seattle |
DAT |
 |
Geuther, Cecil T. |
|
Maintenance/Gunner/Crewchief |
69-70 |
Manchester |
IA |
 |
Gillis, Emanuel |
|
Crewchief/Door Gunner |
67-68 |
Pearland |
TX |
 |
Gipson, Eugene |
|
Door Gunner/Crewchief |
10/69-03/71 |
Newellton |
LA |
 |
Glahn, Warren J. |
|
Crewchief/Gunner |
70-71 |
Fairfield |
ID |
 |
Gleckler, Richard |
|
Crewchief |
02/68-02/69 |
Lyons |
OH |
 |
Gorski, John |
Jean Flynn |
Crewchief |
01/70-08/71 |
Black River Falls |
WI |
 |
Green, William (Bill) |
| Crewchief |
71 |
Davis |
CA |
 |
Hamrick, Edward Joseph |
|
Crewchief
The 134th got off to a sad start in 1970 with the loss of a gunship crew member. On January 11th while providing gun cover for a medivac in the Phu Cat Mountains, a Devil gunship (66-15151) went IFR and crashed into a mountain. SP4 Edward Hamrick was killed when the aircraft hit, rolled over and the transmission crushed him. The door gunner, SP4 R. D. Tipple, was not injured but the two pilots sustained serious injuries. Captain Porter suffered a broken leg and the copilot, WO Larry Ingle had a partially collapsed lung and was in shock. SP4 Tipple managed to pull the pilots out of the wreckage through the windshield and get them away from the crash site, successfully avoiding nearby NVA/VC troops. SP4 Tipple, a former infantryman on an extension, had the presence of mind to break off the magnetic compass from its mount on the instrument panel and grab a map of the area. They spent 3 days in the mountains, evading the enemy while seriously injured and slowly making their way east toward Phu Cat Air Base. On the 3rd day they were finally spotted by search aircraft and rescued. SP4 Tipple was awarded the Soldiers Medal for his actions in saving the injured pilots from capture during this incident.
|
01/11/1970 |
Shinnston |
KIA |
 |
Hicks, Louis |
Gloria |
Door Gunner/Crewchief 1st Plt 461 |
04/70-03/71 |
Okmulgee |
OK |
 |
Hillis, Billy |
|
Crewchief |
70 |
Widner |
AR |
 |
Hilton, James E. (Jim) |
|
Served in Korea Crewchief |
02/67-12/68 |
Birmingham |
DAT |
 |
Hollingsworth, Richard |
|
Door Gunner/Crewchief |
10/68-11/69 |
Pocatello |
ID |
 |
James, Jim |
|
Crewchief/Door Gunner |
10/69-06/70 |
Seabeck |
WA |
 |
Jennings, George R. |
|
Crewchief |
67-68 |
Bend |
OR |
 |
Johnson, Alfred (Al) |
|
Door Gunner/Crewchief |
70-71 |
Tucson |
AZ |
 |
Johnson, Myron |
|
Crewchief |
70-71 |
Chicago |
IL |
 |
Jones, Rosevelt |
|
Door Gunner/Crewchief |
70 |
|
|
 |
Juhl, Ken |
|
Crewchief-Devil Guns |
10/70-12/71 |
Enumclaw |
WA |
 |
Kalakauskis, Ed |
|
Crewchief 500 Gun Platoon |
01/70-06/71 |
Jacksonville |
FL |
 |
Keeton, Paul R. |
|
Crewchief |
09/68-09/69 |
Mendota |
IL |
 |
Kirk, Earl P. |
|
Crewchief |
67-68 |
East Waterford |
PA |
 |
Koper, Daniel R. |
Karen |
Maintenance/Crewchief 2nd Flt Plt |
01/68-07/69 |
Abercrombie |
ND |
 |
Kuch, Robert J. |
Janet |
Crewchief-Gunner-Ammo Storage |
12/68-07/70 |
Oswego |
IL |
 |
Lawrence, Dave |
|
Crewchief/Door Gunner |
69-70 |
Ottumwa |
IA |
 |
Lemon, Jeff |
Janet |
Door Gunner/Crewchief 177 |
07/71-11/71 |
|
DAT |
 |
Lietz, John |
|
Crewchief/Gunner |
70 |
Sun Prairie |
WI |
 |
Lionti, Mike |
Diane |
Crewchief (Guns) |
10/69-11/70 |
Newbury |
OH |
 |
Loveland, Ronald Ray |
|
Crewchief 295
On 7 February 1968, the 134th 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 134th 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 134th 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. |
2/7/1968 |
|
KIA |
 |
Luenburg, Stanley |
|
Crewchief 351 |
68-69 |
|
|
 |
Mangiaracina, Ray (Groucho) |
|
Crewchief |
70-71 |
Pineville |
LA |
 |
Marshall, Daniel A. |
|
Crewchief |
01/68-01/69 |
Bigwater |
UT |
 |
McAfee, Charles |
Donna |
Mechanic/Crewchief |
03/69-02/70 |
Erie |
PA |
 |
McAuley, Larry G. |
|
Crewchief |
68-69 |
Sanford |
NC |
 |
McClain, Nathaniel J. |
|
Crewchief |
01/68-08/69 |
Jacksonville |
FL |
 |
McCoy, Wendell (Mac) |
|
Door Gunner/Crewchief |
06/70-06/71 |
Florence |
MS |
 |
McCrady, Steve |
Debbie |
Crewchief |
12/69-11/70 |
|
DAT |
 |
McFie, Terry A. |
|
Crewchief |
70-71 |
Portland |
OR |
 |
McGuinus, Ed |
|
Crewchief |
71 |
|
|
 |
Medina, Antonio |
Josey |
Door Gunner/Crewchief |
09/70-12/71 |
Bryan |
TX |
 |
Merricks, Joseph C. |
|
Crewchief |
03/69-02/70 |
Burlington |
NC |
 |
Metag, Gary |
Mary |
Crewchief |
03/68-03/69 |
Glencoe |
DAT |
 |
Miller, Terence D. |
|
Served in Korea Crewchief |
11/27/68 |
Minneapolis |
KIAK |
 |
Minogue, Jim |
|
Crewchief |
67-68 |
Chalfont |
PA |
 |
Misner, Cecil E. Jr. |
|
Crewchief 2nd Flt Plt |
71 |
Lebanon |
OR |
 |
Moffitt, Sammy |
|
Crewchief 046 |
03/70-11/70 |
Beaumont |
TX |
 |
Molek, Eugene |
|
Crewchief Gun Plt |
08/68-08/69 |
Hastings |
PA |
 |
Monninger, Robert J. |
Sharon |
67N20-Crewchief |
11/67-11/68 |
Mount Pleasant |
WI |
 |
Morris, James A. |
Marcy |
Crewchief Guns |
05/69-02/70 |
New Braunfels |
TX |
 |
Mosley, James |
|
67N20 mechanic & crew chief |
12/69-09/70 |
Tampa |
FL |
 |
Murphy, Bill |
|
Crewchief |
01/70-12/70 |
Poplarville |
DAT |
 |
Muth, Kirk |
Annie |
Maintenance Team leader/Crewchief |
11/67-07/69 |
Manor |
TX |
 |
Neiswanger, Don |
|
PE Team/Crewchief |
03/68-03/69 |
Newville |
AL |
 |
Northrup, Herbert R. Jr. |
|
Gunner/Crewchief |
69-71 |
Rensselaer |
NY |
 |
Omid, Milton |
|
Crewchief 3rd Plt. |
03/69-??/71 |
Williston |
ND |
 |
Overstreet, Ed |
|
Crewchief/Door Gunner |
02/70-03/71 |
Easley |
|
 |
Page, Addison William Jr. |
|
Avionics, Crewchief
October 1971, was a sad month for the unit with the loss of three crewmembers in the first major accident in over 250 days. Captain Gerald F. McGlone, SP5 Addison W. Page Jr. and SP4 Rafael Perez-Verdeja were test flying a UH-1C model aircraft when it crashed and burned for unknown reasons onto the PSP runway at Phu Hiep. All three crewmembers died in the crash. Addison Page arrived in the unit on 02/02/71. |
02/71-10/71 |
Worcester |
KIA |
 |
Palmer, Robert |
|
Devil Crewchief |
02/70-12/70 |
Katy |
DAT |
 |
Parshall, Brian |
|
Door Gunner/Crewchief 696 |
03/70-11/71 |
Hatfield |
PA |
 |
Pate, George T. |
|
Demon/Devil Crewchief |
70-71 |
Rainbow City |
AL |
 |
Pemberton, Rick |
Marjorie D |
Crewchief 66-16319 1st Plt. |
01/69-01/70 |
Grove City |
OH |
 |
Pena, Isidro (Ike) |
|
Crewchief |
71 |
|
DAT |
 |
Pervall, Gary C. |
|
Crewchief 634 |
04/67-11/68 |
|
DAT |
 |
Peterson, Tom |
|
Crewchief |
70 |
Medford |
OR |
 |
Pettit, Danny |
Violet |
Hanger Mechanic, Crew Chief on 062 Gunship |
09/68-09/69 |
Orgas |
WV |
 |
Piper, Al |
Susan |
Tool Van, Maintenance Team & Crewchief Slick 66-17041 1st Plt. |
01/69-02/70 |
Fort Gratiot |
MI |
 |
Plunk, Thomas Mark |
|
Crewchief/Door Gunner |
05/71-12/71 |
Broken Arrow |
DAT |
 |
Poarch, Ronnie |
|
Demon Crewchief |
69-70
| |
DAT |
 |
Porter, Jim |
|
Crewchief |
11/68-11/69 |
Paradise |
CA |
 |
Prout, Tom |
|
Crewchief |
67-68 |
Harper |
TX |
 |
Prusky, Robert T |
|
Crewchief 636 |
02/68-02/69 |
East Nassau |
NY |
 |
Queen, Thomas M. |
|
Crewchief |
67-68 |
Suffolk |
VA |
 |
Radke, James |
|
Crewchief |
70 |
|
IL |
 |
Reyes, John J. |
Yolanda |
Crewchief, Maintenance |
10/68-07/69 |
Modesto |
CA |
 |
Renz, Karl R. III |
|
Crewchief/Door Gunner |
09/68-09/69 |
Phoenix |
AZ |
 |
Robb, Mike |
|
Crewchief 66632 Gun Plt |
06/67-05/69 |
Klamath |
CA |
 |
Rodriguez, Patrick |
Karen |
Maintenance/Crewchief |
03/69-05/70 |
Garden City |
MI |
 |
Rogers, Rubin F. |
|
Crewchief |
68-70 |
|
DAT |
 |
Rogers, Tony |
|
Maintenance/Crewchief |
70-71 |
Spartanburg |
|
 |
Sessions, D. A. |
Leuwanna |
Crewchief 66-16186 |
70 |
Loma |
CO |
 |
Shonk, Harold R. |
Sherron |
Crewchief 66-16319 1st Plt |
11/67-10/68 |
Augusta |
GA |
 |
Smith, Stanley C. |
|
Crewchief 327 |
12/67-06/69 |
Smithfield |
RI |
 |
Smith, Steven W. |
|
Crewchief/Line Crew |
12/68-07/69 |
Denton |
TX |
 |
Snell, Kenneth |
Betty |
Crewchief |
69-71 |
Newport News |
VA |
 |
Sowell, Charles |
|
Crewchief |
71 |
|
DAT |
 |
Speier, Ronald G. |
|
Crewchief |
69-70 |
Canton |
MI |
 |
Spoon, Jerry |
|
Crewchief |
69-70 |
Rutledge |
TN |
 |
Summers, Lincoln E. (Butch) |
Gail |
Served in Korea Crewchief |
67 |
Broken Arrow |
DAT |
 |
Sutphen, Edward E. |
|
Crewchief |
03/70-11/71 |
Phoenix |
AZ |
 |
Sutterfield, Jimmy Ray |
Elaines |
Served in Korea Crewchief/67N2F |
04/68-11/68 |
Mt. Juliet |
TN |
 |
Swank, Frank |
|
Crewchief/Recovery Team |
06/70-06/71 |
Ringtown |
PA |
 |
Tarnick, Stan |
|
Crewchief |
11/68-11/69 |
>Genoa |
NE |
 |
Tijerina, Gustavo (TJ) |
|
Crewchief |
11/69-11/70 |
San Angelo |
DAT |
 |
Torchia, Chuck |
Patricia |
Demon 61/Crewchief |
01/68-02/69 |
Bradenton |
FL |
 |
Torres, Raymond (Ray) |
|
Crewchief 145 |
07/69-10/70 |
Springhill |
FL |
 |
Underwood, Hans J. |
Linda V. |
Crewchief 393/2nd Flt Plt site webmaster |
09/70-12/71 |
Abingdon |
MD |
 |
Warth, Bob |
Vivian |
Crewchief |
02/69-02/70 |
Pocatello |
DAT |
 |
Webb, John (PeeWee) |
|
Crewchief 66-16319 |
68 |
Prospect Park |
PA |
 |
Wiczek, Terry |
Sandy |
Devil Crewchief |
02/69-12/71 |
Baudette |
DAT |
 |
Widener, Terry |
|
Crewchief |
71 |
Avondale |
AZ |
 |
Wilcoxen, Charles A. |
|
Crewchief 668/Line Crew |
70-71 |
Belpre |
OH |
 |
Wilkinson, David W. |
|
Crewchief |
67-68 |
|
|
 |
Worrell, Gilbert Jr. |
|
Crewchief 66147/gunner |
05/67-10/68 |
Hampton |
VA |
 |
Yellowhorse, Wolfgang D. |
|
Crewchief |
08/67-11/68 |
Lawrenceville |
GA |
 |
Zarosley, Casmer (Cass) |
Joan |
Crewchief |
01/68-01/69 |
Canton |
MI |
 |
Zurawski, David G. |
Linda |
Maintenance/Crewchief |
01/68-01/69 |
Rockwood |
MI |
 |