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West Springfield’s Fallen from the Vietnam War

ALAN LOUIS MATTE

Personal Data:

Birth Date: June 3, 1947

Birth Place:

Race: Caucasian

Religion: Roman Catholic

U.S. Citizen: Yes

Father’s Name:

Mother’s Name:

Sibling Names:

Marital Status: Single

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: West Springfield, Massachusetts

Service Branch: Army

Service Component: Regular

Rank: Specialist Four

Rank Abbrev: SP4

Pay Grade: E4

MOS: 67N20

MOS Title:

MOS Background:

Awards Received:

Badges Earned:

Posthumous Promotion:

Length of Service:

Southeast Asia Tour Data:

Date Tour Commenced: July 17, 1967

Major Command: U.S. Army, Vietnam

Land Assignment:

Regiment:

Battalion:

Company: 45th Medical Company

Casualty Data:

Casualty Date: May 27, 1968

Casualty Time:

Casualty Age: 20

Casualty Data 1: Hostile, Died

Casualty Data 2: Air Loss, Crash on Land

Casualty Data 3: Helicopter - Crew

Casualty Province: Binh Long

Casualty Country: South Vietnam

Casualty Coordinates: XT 999 847

Located In Or Near:

Casualty Vehicle: UH-1D Iroquois serial number 66-16433

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

Body Recovered: Yes

Burial/Memorial:

Burial Location:

Burial Plot Location:

Burial Date:

Consigned Funeral Home:

Military Escort Name:

West Springfield’s Fallen Casualty Order: 1st

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Panel Number: 65W

Line Number: 11

Helicopter UH-1D 66-16433

Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1D tail number 66-16433
The Army purchased this helicopter 0567
Total flight hours at this point: 00000498
Date: 05/30/68
Incident number: 68052727.KIA
Unit: 45 MED
South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: XT999847
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Also: OPERA (Operations Report. )
Loss to Inventory

The following is crew member information for this incident:

Name: MAJ William Joseph Ballinger
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 05/27/68 while performing the duty of Pilot.
Age at death: 32.9
Date of Birth: 07/06/35
Home City: Bingham, NE
Service: MC branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 45 MED
Major organization: other
Service: MC branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 65W-004
Short Summary: Hostile action
Aircraft: UH-1D tail number 66-16433
Call sign: Dustoff
Service number: O5301502
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 1981 = 19 Rotary Wing Aviator (Unit Commander)
Primary cause: Hostile Fire
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: fire or burns
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: aircraft commander
Started Tour: 10/03/67
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - other aircrew
Length of service: 14
Location: Binh Long Province III Corps.
Military grid coordinates of event: XT999847
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - killed
married 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: battle dead Category of personnel: active duty Army Military class: officer
This record was last updated on 07/04/00

Name: 1LT Guy Bernard Ephland, Jr.
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 05/27/68 while performing the duty of Pilot.
Age at death: 25.6
Date of Birth: 10/18/42
Home City: Burlington, NC
Service: MS branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 45 MED
Major organization: other
Flight class: 67-22/67-18
Service: MS branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 65W-006
Aircraft: UH-1D tail number 66-16433
Service number: O5332987
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 1981 = 19 Rotary Wing Aviator (Unit Commander)
Primary cause: Hostile Fire
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: fire or burns
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: pilot
Started Tour: 02/16/68
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - pilot
Length of service: 01
Location: Binh Long Province III Corps.
Military grid coordinates of event: XT999847
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - killed
married male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: Presbyterian
The following information is 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 07/04/00

Name: SP4 Alan Louis Matte
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 05/27/68 while performing the duty of Crew Chief.
Age at death: 21.0
Date of Birth: 06/03/47
Home City: West Springfield, MA
Service: regular component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 45 MED
Major organization: other
Service: U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 65W-011
Aircraft: UH-1D tail number 66-16433
Call sign: Dustoff
Service number: 11960487
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 67N20 = UH-1 Helicopter Repairer
Primary cause: Hostile Fire
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: fire or burns
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: crew chief
Started Tour: 07/17/67
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - other aircrew
Length of service: 01
Location: Binh Long Province III Corps.
Military grid coordinates of event: XT999847
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - killed
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: battle dead Category of personnel: active duty Army Military class: enlisted personnel
This record was last updated on 07/04/00

Name: CPT Anthony George Prior
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 05/27/68 while performing the duty of Passenger.
Age at death: 26.1
Date of Birth: 04/17/42
Home City: Pelham, NY
Service: IN branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Major organization: Special Forces
Service: IN branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 65W-013
Aircraft: UH-1D tail number 66-16433
Service number: O5323649
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 31542 = 31 Peripheral Vascular Surgeon
Primary cause: Hostile Fire
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: fire or burns
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: passenger
Started Tour: 01/10/68
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - non-aircrew
Length of service: 03
Location: Binh Long Province III Corps.
Military grid coordinates of event: XT999847
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - killed
single male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: Episcopal (Anglican)
The following information is 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 07/04/00

Name: SGT Kenneth Ray Rucker (posthumously promoted)
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 05/27/68 while performing the duty of Medic crew member.
Age at death: 19.7
Date of Birth: 09/09/48
Home City: Denver City, TX
Service: regular component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 45 MED
Major organization: other
Service: U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 65W-014
Aircraft: UH-1D tail number 66-16433
Call sign: Dustoff
Service number: 18766028
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 91B2F = Medical NCO
Primary cause: Hostile Fire
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: unknown
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: crew member
Started Tour: 07/17/67
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - other aircrew
Length of service: 01
Location: Binh Long Province III Corps.
Military grid coordinates of event: XT999847
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - killed
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: battle dead Category of personnel: active duty Army Military class: enlisted personnel
This record was last updated on 07/04/00

The following is Goldbook information on US Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 66-16433
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 0567.
Please provide any additional information on this helicopter to the VHPA.

DATE  FLT HRS    UIC      UNIT          AREA          POST          COUNTRY
6705   0    0 W0MHAA DIROF SUP TRAN   6TH ARMY   SHARPE GD        AVCOM
6706   0    0 W0MHAA DIROF SUP TRAN   6TH ARMY   SHARPE GD        AVCOM
6707   1    1 WBMZAA 45 MED CO        VIETNAM                     RVN
6708  12   13 WBMZAA 45 MED CO        VIETNAM                     RVN
6709  71   84 WBMZAA 45 MED CO        VIETNAM                     RVN
6710  62  146 WBMZAA 45 MED CO        VIETNAM                     RVN
6711  68  214 WBMZAA 45 MED CO        VIETNAM                     RVN
6712  72  286 WBMZAA 45 MED CO        VIETNAM                     RVN
6801  75  361 WBMZAA 45 MED CO        VIETNAM                     RVN
6802  40  401 WBMZAA 45 MED CO        VIETNAM                     RVN
6803  60  461 3236   355 AVN CO       4TH ARMY   FORT SILL        4TH ARMY
6804  37  498 WBMZAA 45 MED CO        VIETNAM                     RVN
6805   0  498 WBMZAA 45 MED CO        VIETNAM                     RVN

Please send additions or corrections to:

VHPA Head Quarters or Gary Roush or Mike Law

Printed from databases on: 08/27/00