©2008 Stephen A. Judycki.
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The Springfield
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HAROLD JOSEPH SHEA Personal
Data: Birth
Date:
February
11, 1923 Birth
Place: Race:
Caucasian Religion:
Roman
Catholic U.S.
Citizen: Yes Father’s
Name: Mother’s
Name: Sibling
Names: Marital
Status:
Married Wife’s
Name: Offspring
Names: Education: Schools
Attended: High
School Diploma: Selective
Service Data: SSS
Local Board Number: SSS
Local Board Location: SSS
Registration Date: SSS
Registrant Description: Military
Service Record: Entry
Date: Entry
Mode: Entry
Location: Home
of Record:
South Hadley
Falls, Massachusetts Service
Branch:
Air
Force
Service
Component:
Regular
Rank:
Lieutenant
Colonel Rank
Abbrev:
LTC
Pay
Grade:
O5
MOS:
-----
MOS
Title: MOS
Background: Awards
Received:
Badges
Earned: Posthumous
Promotion:
Length
of Service: Southeast
Asia Tour Data: Date
Tour Commenced: December
3, 1969 Major
Command:
Land
Assignment: Regiment:
Battalion:
Company:
Air
Assignment: Air
Wing:
Air
Group: 834th
Air Division
Squadron:
Casualty
Data: Casualty
Date:
May
31, 1970 Casualty
Time: Casualty
Age:
47 Casualty
Data 1: Non-Hostile,
Died of Other Causes
Casualty
Data 2: Air
Loss, Crash on Land
Casualty
Data 3:
Helicopter
- Non-Crew
Casualty
Province:
Binh
Long Casualty Country: South Vietnam Casualty Coordinates: XU 713 054 Casualty Vehicle: UH-1H Iroquois serial number 68-16528 Aircraft
Incident Report: click here for
Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association report
Located
In Or Near: Body Recovered: Yes Burial/Memorial: Burial
Location: Burial
Plot Location: Burial
Date: Consigned
Funeral Home: Military
Escort Name: South Hadley Falls’s Fallen Casualty
Order: 6th Vietnam
Veterans Memorial Panel Number:
10W Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 68-16528 The Army purchased this helicopter 1269 Total flight hours at this point: 00000411 Date: 05/31/70 Incident number: 700531071ACD Accident case number: 700531071 Total loss or fatality Accident Unit: 120 CAC The station for this helicopter was Long Binh in South Vietnam Number killed in accident = 9 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 5 costing 680945 Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Army Aviation Safety Center database. Also: OPERA (Operations Report. ) Loss to Inventory Crew Members: P WO1 GRIFFIN JAMES DONALD KIA AC WO1 BURRIS JOHN CHARLES KIA CE SP5 RICHARDSON BRUCE KIA G E2 O BRIEN ROBERT PHILLIP KIA G PVT OBRIEN ROBERT PHILLIP KIA Passengers: LTC SHEA HAROLD JOSEPH, AF, PX, KIA; MAJ ASBURY BENTON FRANCIS, AF, PX, KIA; SSG WOLF DURWYN LEE, AF, PX, KIA; CPT HULTS GARY DEAN, AF, PX, KIA; LTC BONNER JOHN SIDNEY JR, AF, PX, KIA;
THE CREW WAS ASSIGNED AN AUTHORIZED SERVICE MISSION BEGINNING AT 0725 HOURS ON 31 MAY 1970 FOR THE PURPOSE OF TRANSPORTING AN AIRFIELD INSPECTION TEAM TO BU PRANG, O'RANG, BU DOP, LOC NINH AND TO RETURN TO SAIGON HELIPORT. (SEE TAB K). AT 0725 HOURS, 31 MAY 1970, DEAN 528 (UNIT IDENTIFICATION) TOOK OFF AND OPENED HIS FLIGHT PLAN WITH CAPITOL CENTER, DEPARTING LONG BINH FOR SAIGON. AT 0730 HOURS THEY CALLED "TALLY HO" SAIGON AND LATER DEPARTED AT 0745 HOURS ENROUTE TO VUNG TAU. AT 0800 HOURS, THEY CALLED "TALLY HO" VUNG TAU, (SEE TAB D STATEMENT 9). AT 0810 HOURS DEAN 528 CALLED OFF VUNG TAU, VIA XUAN LOC FOR LONG BINH AND CALLED "TALLY HO" AT 0845 HOURS. AT 0905 HOURS, DEAN 528 CALLED OFF LONG BINH FOR SAIGON BUT CHANGED HIS DESTINATION FROM SAIGON TO O'RANG, COORDINATES YU3463. DEAN 528 REQUESTED FREQUENCY CHANGE TO PARIS CONTROL AND RETURNED SEVERAL MINUTES LATER TO CONTINUE FLIGHT FOLLOWING WITH CAPITOL CENTER. (SEE TAB D STATEMENTS 10 & 11). ABEAM DONG XOAI THEY WERE HANDED OFF BY CAPITOL CENTER TO SONG BE RADIO FOR FLIGHT FOLLOWING. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE THAT DEAN 528 CONTACTED SONG BE RADIO UNTIL AFTER LANDING AND DEPARTING BU DOP. AFTER DEPARTING BU DOP, DEAN 528 REQUESTED FLIGHT FOLLOWING SERVICE WITH SONG BE RADIO ENROUTE TO LOC NINH. AT THE ESTIMATED TIME OF ARRIVAL (1520 HOURS) DEAN 528 CALLED "TALLY HO" LOC NINH. (SEE TAB D STATEMENT 12). THIS WAS THE LAST KNOWN RADIO TRANSMISSION FROM DEAN 528. AT APPROXIMATELY 1625 HOURS DEAN 528 DEPARTED LOC NINH IN LIGHT RAIN,BETWEEN TWO (2) THUNDERSTORMS, ON A HEADING OF 200 DEGREES AND WAS NOT SEEN OR HEARD FROM AGAIN. (SEE TAB D STATEMENT 2). AT APPROXIMATELY 1800 HOURS 31 MAY 1970, DEAN OPERATIONS, (120TH AHC OPERATIONS) WAS NOTIFIED BY CAPITOR CENTER THAT DEAN 528 HAD NOT CONTINUED FLIGHT FOLLOWING WITH CAPITOL CENTER. AT THIS TIME A TELEPHONE AND RADIO SEARCH WAS INITIATED BY THE 120TH AVIATION COMPANY OPERATIONS OFFICER AND CONTINUED UNTIL 0130 HOURS, 1 JUNE 1970. AN AERIAL SEARCH WAS NOT INITIATED UNTIL 1000 HOURS 1 JUNE 1970 BECAUSE OF DARKNESS AND ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS. AT APPROXIMATELY 1000 HOURS THE 120TH AVIATION COMPANY LAUNCHED ONE (1) UH-1H HELICOPTER AND A LIGHT FIRE TEAM TO SEARCH FOR THE MISSING AIRCRAFT IN THE VICINITY OF LOC NINH. ADDITIONAL SEARCH AIRCRAFT WERE LAUNCHED BY THE 1ST AIR CAV DIVISION WHICH CONSISTED OF TWO (2) HUNTER KILLER TEAMS OUT OF QUAN LOI. A 1ST AIR CAV OH-6A FOUND THE MISSING AIRCRAFT AT APPROXIMATELY 1330 HOURS AT COORDINATES XU713054. THE DEAN UH-1H LANDED IN THE AREA AS SOON AS THE REGIONAL AND POPULAR FORCES WERE ABLE TO SECURE THE AREA. THE DEAN CREW REMOVED THE BODIES WHILE THE MAINTENANCE OFFICER MADE A SKETCH OF THE ACCIDENT SITE. DUE TO THE ONSET OF NIGHT FALL AND DETERIORATING WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE BODIES WERE FLOWN TO QUAN LOI AND THE 120TH SEARCH PARTY RETURNED TO LONG BINH. IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO SECURE THE AREA DURING THE HOURS OF DARKNESS BECAUSE OF THE LOCATION OF THE WRECKAGE,KNOWN VC ACTIVITY IN THE AREA AND THE NON-AVAILABILITY OF SECURITY FORCES.\\ This record was last updated on 09/20/98 The following is crew member information for this incident: Name: MAJ Benton Francis Asbury Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 05/31/70 while performing the duty of Passenger. Age at death: 37.3 Date of Birth: 02/23/33 Home City: New Albany, IN Service: reserve component of the U.S. Air Force. Service: U.S. Air Force. The Wall location: 10W-123 Aircraft: UH-1H tail number 68-16528 SSN: 317302623 Country: South Vietnam MOS: * Started Tour: 02/17/70 "Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - non-aircrew Length of service: 16 Location: Binh Long Province III Corps. Reason: aircraft lost or crashed Casualty type: Non-hostile - died of other causes single male U.S. citizen Race: Caucasian Relgion: Methodist (Evangelical United Brethren) This record was last updated on 09/28/97 Name: LTC John Sidney Bonner, Jr. Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 05/31/70 while performing the duty of Passenger. Age at death: 48.7 Date of Birth: 09/01/21 Home City: Mc Allen, TX Service: regular component of the U.S. Air Force. Service: U.S. Air Force. The Wall location: 10W-123 Aircraft: UH-1H tail number 68-16528 SSN: 703180390 Country: South Vietnam MOS: * Started Tour: 07/27/69 "Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - non-aircrew Length of service: 26 Location: Binh Long Province III Corps. Reason: aircraft lost or crashed Casualty type: Non-hostile - died of other causes married male U.S. citizen Race: Caucasian Relgion: Methodist (Evangelical United Brethren) This record was last updated on 09/28/97 Name: WO1 John Charles Burris (posthumously promoted) Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 05/31/70 while performing the duty of Aircraft Commander. Age at death: 20.8 Date of Birth: 08/30/49 Home City: El Dorado, AR Service: AV branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army. Unit: 120 AHC Major organization: 1st Aviation Brigade Flight class: 69-17/69-15 Service: AV branch of the U.S. Army. The Wall location: 10W-123 Short Summary: Crashed (possibly wx related) while transporting an airfield inspection team from Loc Ninh back to Saigon. Aircraft: UH-1H tail number 68-16528 Call sign: DEAN 528 SSN: 416745588 Service number: W3166047 Country: South Vietnam MOS: 100B = Utility/Observation Helicopter Pilot Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea Compliment cause: fire or burns Vehicle involved: helicopter Position in vehicle: aircraft commander Started Tour: 08/06/69 "Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - other aircrew Length of service: * Location: Binh Long Province III Corps. Reason: aircraft lost or crashed Casualty type: Non-hostile - died of other causes single male U.S. citizen Race: Caucasian Relgion: Baptist - other groups The following information is secondary, but may help in explaining this incident. Category of casualty as defined by the Army: non-battle dead Category of personnel: active duty Army Military class: warrant officer This record was last updated on 08/27/97 Name: WO1 James Donald Griffin Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 05/31/70 while performing the duty of Pilot. Age at death: 24.9 Date of Birth: 07/03/45 Home City: Blackshear, GA Service: AV branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army. Unit: 120 AHC Major organization: 1st Aviation Brigade Flight class: 69-41/69-39 Service: AV branch of the U.S. Army. The Wall location: 10W-124 Short Summary: Crashed (possibly wx related) while transporting an airfield inspection team from Loc Ninh back to Saigon. Aircraft: UH-1H tail number 68-16528 SSN: 253763003 Country: South Vietnam MOS: 100B = Utility/Observation Helicopter Pilot Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea Compliment cause: fire or burns Vehicle involved: helicopter Position in vehicle: pilot Started Tour: 01/20/70 "Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - pilot Length of service: * Location: Binh Long Province III Corps. Reason: aircraft lost or crashed Casualty type: Non-hostile - died of other causes married male U.S. citizen Race: Caucasian Relgion: Baptist - other groups The following information is secondary, but may help in explaining this incident. Category of casualty as defined by the Army: non-battle dead Category of personnel: active duty Army Military class: warrant officer This record was last updated on 08/27/97 Name: CPT Gary Dean Hults Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 05/31/70 while performing the duty of Passenger. Age at death: 30.7 Date of Birth: 09/19/39 Home City: St Louis, MO Service: regular component of the U.S. Air Force. Service: U.S. Air Force. The Wall location: 10W-125 Aircraft: UH-1H tail number 68-16528 SSN: 417503918 Country: South Vietnam MOS: * Started Tour: 02/10/70 "Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - non-aircrew Length of service: 06 Location: Binh Long Province III Corps. Reason: aircraft lost or crashed Casualty type: Non-hostile - died of other causes married male U.S. citizen Race: Caucasian Relgion: Roman Catholic This record was last updated on 09/28/97 Name: PVT Robert Phillip O Brien Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 05/31/70 while performing the duty of Gunner. Age at death: 19.7 Date of Birth: 09/01/50 Home City: Whittier, CA Service: regular component of the U.S. Army. Unit: 120 AHC Major organization: 1st Aviation Brigade Service: U.S. Army. The Wall location: 10W-126 Short Summary: Crashed (possibly wx related) while transporting an airfield inspection team from Loc Ninh back to Saigon. Aircraft: UH-1H tail number 68-16528 SSN: 562805746 Country: South Vietnam MOS: 67A1F = Aircraft Maintenance Apprentice Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea Compliment cause: fire or burns Vehicle involved: helicopter Position in vehicle: door gunner Started Tour: 12/13/69 "Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - other aircrew Length of service: * Location: Binh Long Province III Corps. Reason: aircraft lost or crashed Casualty type: Non-hostile - died of other causes single male U.S. citizen Race: Caucasian Relgion: Roman Catholic The following information is secondary, but may help in explaining this incident. Category of casualty as defined by the Army: non-battle dead This record was last updated on 08/27/97 Name: SP5 Bruce Richardson Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 05/31/70 while performing the duty of Crew Chief. Age at death: 21.5 Date of Birth: 11/30/48 Home City: Bellport, NY Service: regular component of the U.S. Army. Unit: 120 AHC Major organization: 1st Aviation Brigade Service: U.S. Army. The Wall location: 10W-127 Short Summary: Crashed (possibly wx related) while transporting an airfield inspection team from Loc Ninh back to Saigon. Aircraft: UH-1H tail number 68-16528 SSN: 066402832 Country: South Vietnam MOS: 11B10 = Infantryman Position in vehicle: crew chief Started Tour: 02/12/69 "Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - other aircrew Length of service: * Location: Binh Long Province III Corps. Reason: aircraft lost or crashed Casualty type: Non-hostile - died of other causes single male U.S. citizen Race: Caucasian Relgion: Roman Catholic The following information is secondary, but may help in explaining this incident. Category of casualty as defined by the Army: non-battle dead Category of personnel: active duty Army Military class: enlisted personnel This record was last updated on 08/27/97 Name: LTC Harold Joseph Shea Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 05/31/70 while performing the duty of Passenger. Age at death: 47.3 Date of Birth: 02/11/23 Home City: South Hadley Falls, MA Service: regular component of the U.S. Air Force. Service: U.S. Air Force. The Wall location: 10W-127 Aircraft: UH-1H tail number 68-16528 SSN: 021163873 Country: South Vietnam MOS: * Started Tour: 12/03/69 "Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - non-aircrew Length of service: 26 Location: Binh Long Province III Corps. Reason: aircraft lost or crashed Casualty type: Non-hostile - died of other causes married male U.S. citizen Race: Caucasian Relgion: Roman Catholic This record was last updated on 09/28/97 Name: SSG Durwyn Lee Wolf Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 05/31/70 while performing the duty of Passenger. Age at death: 26.1 Date of Birth: 04/15/44 Home City: Forest Park, IL Service: regular component of the U.S. Air Force. Service: U.S. Air Force. The Wall location: 10W-129 Aircraft: UH-1H tail number 68-16528 SSN: 354365915 Country: South Vietnam MOS: * Started Tour: 11/05/68 "Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - non-aircrew Length of service: * Location: Binh Long Province III Corps. Reason: aircraft lost or crashed Casualty type: Non-hostile - died of other causes single male U.S. citizen Race: Caucasian Relgion: Lutheran (Missouri Synod) This record was last updated on 09/28/97 The following is Goldbook information on US Army helicopter UH-1H tail number
68-16528 DATE FLT HRS UIC
UNIT
AREA
POST COUNTRY Please send additions or corrections to: VHPA Head Quarters or Gary
Roush or Mike Law Printed from databases on: 08/27/00 Copyright © 1998, 1999 and 2000 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association
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©2008 Stephen A. Judycki.
All Rights Reserved.
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