Larron David Murphy, age 25, from Dalton, Georgia, Whitfield county.
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Thursday, April 23, 1970
Death details: On April 23, 1970, an AH-1G Cobra (tail number 67-15612) with two crew members took off as part of a four-aircraft emergency night mission to extract a long-range reconnaissance patrol in South Vietnam. While providing fire support for the patrol to allow them to break contact with the enemy, the Cobra crashed in the vicinity of (GC) ZC 180 270. Inclement weather in the area prevented an immediate search and rescue effort for the crew. A full investigation of the area was conducted the following morning; however, neither the downed aircraft nor its crew were located. Captain Larron David Murphy, who joined the U.S. Army from Georgia, was a member of Troop F, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 123rd Aviation Battalion, 16th Aviation Group. He was the aircraft commander aboard the Cobra when it went down, and was lost with the aircraft. His remains were not recovered. Today, Captain Murphy is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. Based on all information available, DPAA assessed the individual’s case to be in the analytical category of Non-recoverable.
Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, findagrave.com