Information on U.S. Navy helicopter SH-3A tail number 151538
Date: 07/19/1967 MIA-POW file reference number: 0768
Incident number: 67071910.KIA
Unit: HS-2
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was LOSS TO INVENTORY
This was a Rescue and Recovery mission for Rescue of Persons
Unknown this helicopter was Unknown at 1000 feet and UNK knots.
Vietnam unspecified
UTM grid coordinates: WH814646
Count of hits was not possible because the helicopter burned or exploded.
causing a Fire.
Systems damaged were: PERSONNEL
The helicopter Crashed. Aircraft Destroyed.
Both mission and flight capability were terminated.
Burned
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: 0768, BRLH3,
70237, TWIX, KIA ()
Loss to Inventory
Crew Members:
C AX2 MCGRANE DONALD PAUL KIA
AC ENS FRYE DONALD PATRICK KIA
P LT PETERSON DENNIS WILLIAM BNR
C AX2 JACKSON WILLIAM BRAXTON KIA
REFNO Synopsis:
The USS ORISKANY was a World War II-era carrier on duty in Vietnam as early as 1964. On July 18, 1967, LCDR Richard D. Hartman's aircraft fell victim to anti-aircraft fire near Phu Ly in Nam Ha Province, North Vietnam. Hartman, from VA 164, ejected safely, but could not be rescued due to the hostile threat in the area. Others in the flight were in radio contact with him and resupplied him for about three days. He was on a karst hill in a difficult recovery area. Eventually the North Vietnamese moved in a lot of troops and AAA guns, making rescue almost impossible.
One of the rescue helicopters attempting to recover LCDR Hartman on the 19th was a Sikorsky SH3A helicopter flown by Navy LT Dennis W. Peterson. The crew onboard the aircraft included ENS Donald P. Frye and AX2 William B. Jackson and AX2 Donald P. McGrane. While attempting to rescue LCDR Hartman, this aircraft was hit by enemy fire and crashed killing all onboard. The remains of all but the pilot, Peterson, were returned by the Vietnamese on October 14, 1982. Peterson remains missing.
The decision was made to leave Hartman before more men were killed trying to rescue him. It was not an easy decision, and one squadron mate said, "To this day, I can remember his voice pleading, 'Please don't leave me.' We had to, and it was a heartbreaker." Hartman was captured and news returned home that he was in a POW camp. However, he was not released in 1973. The Vietnamese finally returned his remains on March 5, 1974. Hartman had died in captivity from unknown causes.
Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 May 1990 from one or more of the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA families, published sources including "Alpha Strike Vietnam" by Jeffrey L. Levinson, personal interviews
War Story:
This helicopter was from HC-2 Detachment aboard USS CONSTELLATION (CVA-64).
This record was last updated on 03/12/2007
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Date posted on this site: 09/07/2007
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