Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 67-17254
Date: 03/13/1968 MIA-POW file reference number: 1085
Incident number: 68031321.KIA
Unit: A/1/9 CAV 1 CAV
South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: YD601383
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. Also: 1085 ()
Loss to Inventory
Crew Members:
P 1LT PEDA ROBERT CHARLES RES
CE SFC GUBBINS EUGENE KIA
G PFC MOORE LARRY JAY KIA
P CW3 WATSON JIMMY LEE BNR
Passengers and/or other participants:
SSG EVANS CLEVELAND JR, MC, PX, BNR
SSG HEITMAN STEVEN WAYNE, AR, PX, BNR
REFNO Synopsis:
Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project (919/527-8079) 01 April 1991 from one
or more of the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources,
correspondence with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews. Copyright
1991 Homecoming II Project.
REMARKS:
SYNOPSIS: On March 13, 1968, SP5 Heitman, Sgt. Evans, passengers, WO Jimmy
Watson, pilot, SFC Eugene Gubbins, PFC Larry Moore and Lt. Purda, crewmembers
and 4 unidentified passengers of the 101st Airborne Division were aboard a UH1H
helicopter (tail #67-17254) which proceeded north from Phu Bai airfield on a
logistics mission to Camp Evans, Republic of Vietnam. Evans was on the aircraft
on the first leg of a journey to Da Nang, to visit his brother, who was
stationed there.
About 3-5 miles southeast of Camp Evans, the helicopter was hit by enemy fire
and was forced to land. All 10 persons exited the aircraft and split into two
5-man teams in an attempt to evade to friendly lines.
Lt. Purda and the four 101st Airborne personnel walked into Camp Evans at 2000
hours. An intensive search was initiated, but failed to reveal any trace of the
aircraft or the 5 missing. On March 28, elements of the 1st Cavalry Division
found 2 bodies in a shallow grave in the area of the crash site. They were later
identified as those of SFC Gubbins and PFC Moore. The fates of the other 3
remained a mystery and the three were classified Missing in Action.
War Story:
Jimmy Lee Watson was a WO-1 in A Troop. He flew guns for about six months and was transferred to the maintenance section. SFC Gubbins was the A Troop maintenance NCO. SP4 Moore was the parts specialist in the maintenance section.
On 13 March 68, Jimmy flew Jerry Cogdill to DaNang to catch a flight home (DROS). Jimmy was shot down on his return trip from DaNang to LZ Sharon. The squadron searched all night and the next day for the aircraft the other personnel. The aircraft was never found. About two weeks later, SFC Gubbins and SP-4 Moore's bodies were found in shallow graves. A infantry company working in that area found the bodies. Jimmy was carried MIA for many years and promoted to CW-3 during that time period.
1LT Bob Peda, A troop scout pilot, was flying co-pilot with Jimmy that day in a brand new huey h-model. Bob escaped along with some 101st troops (paxs). They ran 17 miles to the gate of Camp Evans. About three weeks later Bob and SFC Otto See, scout platoon sgt, A troop died in the same OH-13 inside a Special Forces camp that had been over run by NVA tanks. One special forces sgt managed to escape.
From: Al Tyre
This record was last updated on 07/17/2007
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