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Shelburne Falls’ Fallen from the Vietnam War

PAUL THOMAS LOONEY

Personal Data:

Birth Date:  June 10, 1941

Birth Place:

Race:  Caucasian

Religion:  Roman Catholic

U.S. Citizen:  Yes

Father’s Name:

Mother’s Name:

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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:  Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts

Service Branch:  Marine Corps                    

Service Component:  Reserve                      

Rank:  Captain

Rank Abbrev:  CPT   

Pay Grade:  O3        

MOS:  7562               

MOS Title:

MOS Background:

Awards Received:  

Badges Earned:

Posthumous Promotion: 

Length of Service:

Southeast Asia Tour Data:

Date Tour Commenced: not reported

Major Command:  Fleet Marine Force, Pacific               

Air Assignment:

Air Wing:  1st Marine Air Wing               

Air Group:  Marine Air Group 36             

Squadron:  HMM-164

Casualty Data:

Casualty Date:  May 10, 1967

Casualty Time:

Casualty Age: 

Casualty Data 1: Hostile, Died of Wounds    

Casualty Data 2:  Air Loss, Crash on Land    

Casualty Data 3:  Helicopter - Pilot               

Casualty Province:  Quang Tri

Casualty Country:  South Vietnam               

Located In Or Near:  

Casualty Vehicle:  CH-46A Seaknight serial number 151923

Aircraft Incident Data:  click here for Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association report

Body Recovered:  Yes 

Burial/Memorial:

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Burial Date:

Consigned Funeral Home:

Military Escort Name:

Shelburne Falls’s Fallen Casualty Order:  1st

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Panel Number:  19E  Line Number:  84

Helicopter CH-46A 151923

This record was last updated on 05/25/98

The following is crew member information for this incident:

Information on U.S. Marine Corps helicopter CH-46A tail number 151923
Date: 07/21/67
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was REPAIRED IN THEATER
for Air/land Assault , Hot Area.
While on Landing Zone this helicopter was on Take-Off at 0500 feet and 070 knots.
South Vietnam
Helicopter took 2 hits from:
Small Arms/Automatic Weapons; Gun launched non-explosive ballistic projectiles less than 20 mm in size. (7.62MM)
The helicopter was hit in the Left Side
Systems damaged were: ENGINE, STRUCTURE
The helicopter Continued Flight.
The aircraft continued and accomplished all mission objectives.
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center Helicopter database. Also: LNOF, 70436, JSIDR, TWIX, NSC (Naval Safety Center. Lindenmuth Old Format Data Base. Joint Services Incident Damage Report. )

Information on U.S. Marine Corps helicopter CH-46A tail number 151923
Date: 08/03/67 MIA-POW file reference number: 0784
Incident number: 67080310.KIA
Unit: HMM-164
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was LOSS TO INVENTORY
for Troop Extraction , Hot Area.
While on Landing Zone this helicopter was on Take-Off at UNK feet and UNK knots.
Vietnam unspecified
UTM grid coordinates: YC545820
Count of hits was not possible because the helicopter burned or exploded.
Explosive Weapon; Non-Artillery launched or static weapons containing explosive charges. (MINE)
The helicopter was hit in the Aft area
Systems damaged were: HYDRAULIC SYS, PERSONNEL
Casualties = YES . .
The helicopter Crashed. Aircraft Destroyed.
Both mission and flight capability were terminated.
Destroyed by friendly forces
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Reference Notes. Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center Helicopter database. Also: 0784, LNOF, 70453, BOING, CH46, TWIX, NSC (Naval Safety Center. Lindenmuth Old Format Data Base. )
Loss to Inventory
Crew: GOPP, THOMAS ALAN;

Crew Members:
CE CPL GOPP THOMAS ALAN BNR

Passengers:
LCP NAHAN JOHN BENEDICT III, MC, PX, BNR; LCP WOLPE JACK, MC, PX, BNR;

REFNO Synopsis:
In early August, 1967, a nine-man team from A Company, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division began a night reconnaissance patrol in the A Shau Valley that was spotted by a Montagnard tribal woman and child, who alerted a nearby North Vietnamese unit. North Vietnamese troops slowly surrounded the Marine patrol and another that had joined it, trapping them for two days in hopes of luring a helicopter rescue. The following day (August 3), the first of two helicopters arrived and loaded some men from the patrols, but was hit by a bazooka shell and crashed during takeoff. The pilot was killed by small-arms fire. The nine passengers were believed to have perished, but all of their bodies could not be recovered because of hostile fire. John Nahan and Jack Wolpe were passengers aboard the aircraft. They were two of the A Company Reconnaissance patrol. Thomas Gopp was crewchief of the helicopter. James McGrath was a U.S. Navy hospital corpsman attached to H & S Company accompanying the Recon team. These four were listed as Killed in Action, Body Not Recovered (KIA/BNR). Information from the POW Network

This record was last updated on 09/20/98

The following is crew member information for this incident:

The following is Goldbook information on US Army helicopter CH-46A tail number 151923
It is provided here as an ESTIMATE of the history of this helicopter and is not intended to be the final authority.
This helicopter was purchased by the US Army in .
Please provide any additional information on this helicopter to the VHPA.

DATE  FLT HRS    UIC      UNIT          AREA          POST          COUNTRY
6705   0    0 HMM164 HMM-164          VIETNAM                     VI

Please send additions or corrections to:

VHPA Head Quarters or Gary Roush or Mike Law

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