Dreher, Richard E.
Air Force Captain

Richard E. Dreher from Orrville, Ohio, Wayne county. Their last known residence was in Orrville.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Monday, March 27, 1972
Death details:  On March 27, 1972, an HH-53C Super Jolly Green Giant (tail number 68-10359, call sign “Jolly Green 61”) with a crew of five took off from Nakhon Phanom Airfield, Thailand, as the number two aircraft in a flight of three aircraft on a escort mission over Cambodia. While over Stoeng Treng Province, Cambodia, southeast of the city of Siempang, one of the other aircraft on the mission radio attempted contact with “Jolly Green 61” and did not receive an answer. The pilot of the other aircraft then tried to locate “Jolly Green 61” visually and spotted a column of black smoke coming from the jungle below. Aerial investigation determined that the helicopter had crashed and the smoke was coming from its burning wreckage. A pararescue specialist was lowered to the ground at the crash site to check for survivors, but due to the intense heat of the flames, he could not approach the wreck closely. Three hours later a second rescue specialist was deployed, but reported the wreckage was still burning. The five crew members aboard “Jolly Green 61” remain unaccounted for.

Captain Richard E. Dreher entered the U.S. Air Force from Ohio and he was a member of the 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron. He was the pilot of this helicopter and was lost with the aircraft when it crashed. His remains were not recovered.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency