Cavalier 70 3 April 1972

O’neill, Douglas Lee
Army Chief warrant officer

Douglas Lee O’neill from Bayonne, New Jersey.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: April 3, 1972
Death details: On April 3, 1972, a UH-1H Iroquois (tail number 68-16330, call sign “Cavalier 70”) with a crew of four departed Marble Mountain, Da Nang, South Vietnam, on a combat support mission to Quang Tri City, South Vietnam. During the flight, the pilot told a Hue/Phu Bai Ground Control Approach (GCA) controller that he was lost, but he believed that the helicopter was near Quang Tri. Following the transmission, the GCA controller could not locate the helicopter on the radar, and reported the helicopter missing in the vicinity of (GC) YD 330 530. When the helicopter failed to appear at any of the air bases in South Vietnam, an aerial search was initiated but found no sign of the missing aircraft or crew.

Warrant Officer 1 Douglas Lee O’Neill, who joined the U.S. Army from New Jersey, served with the Headquarters & Headquarters Detachment, 37th Signal Battalion, 1st Signal Brigade. He was the pilot of “Cavalier 70” when it disappeared on April 3, 1972, and his remains were not recovered. After the incident, the Army promoted WO1 to the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 3 (CW3). Today, Chief Warrant Officer 3 O’Neill is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Williams, Edward Wayne
Army Staff sergeant

Edward Wayne Williams from Clearwater, Florida, Pinellas county.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Monday, April 3, 1972.

On April 3, 1972, a UH-1H Iroquois (tail number 68-16330, call sign “Cavalier 70”) with a crew of four departed Marble Mountain, Da Nang, South Vietnam, on a combat support mission to Quang Tri City, South Vietnam. During the flight, the pilot told a Hue/Phu Bai Ground Control Approach (GCA) controller that he was lost, but he believed that the helicopter was near Quang Tri. Following the transmission, the GCA controller could not locate the helicopter on the radar, and reported the helicopter missing in the vicinity of (GC) YD 330 530. When the helicopter failed to appear at any of the air bases in South Vietnam, an aerial search was initiated but found no sign of the missing aircraft or crew.

Specialist 4 (SP4) Edward Wayne Williams, who joined the U.S. Army from Florida, served with the 37th Signal Battalion, 1st Signal Brigade. He was the gunner aboard “Cavalier 70”? when it disappeared, and his remains were not recovered. After the incident, the Army promoted SP4 Williams to the rank of Staff Sergeant. Today, Staff Sergeant Williams is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Zich, Larry Alfred
Army Chief warrant officer 3

Larry Alfred Zich from Nebraska, Lancaster county.

Service era: Veitnam

Date of death: Monday, April 3, 1972.

On October 25, 2022, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) identified the remains of Chief Warrant Officer 3 Larry A. Zich, missing from the Vietnam War.

Chief Warrant Officer 3 Zich entered the U.S. Army from Nebraska and served in the Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 37th Signal Battalion, 1st Signal Brigade. On April 3, 1972, he was the copilot of a UH-1H Iroquois (tail number 68-16330, call sign “Cavalier 70”) with a crew of four that departed Marble Mountain, Da Nang, South Vietnam, on a combat support mission to Quang Tri City, South Vietnam. During the flight, the pilot told a Hue/Phu Bai Ground Control Approach (GCA) controller that he was lost, and believed they were near Quang Tri. Following the transmission, the GCA controller could not locate the helicopter on the radar and reported the team missing. When the helicopter failed to appear at any of the air bases in South Vietnam, an aerial search was initiated but found no sign of the missing aircraft or crew. On April 11, 1988, the Defense Intelligence Agency received human remains from a Vietnamese refugee. Reportedly, the remains belonged to individuals who died in an aircraft crash and were buried in Quang Nam Province. These remains were then sent to Central Identification Laboratory, Hawaii, for further study. The laboratory analysis and the totality of the circumstantial evidence available established an association between one set of these remains and CW3 Zich.

Zich, who joined the U.S. Army from Nebraska, served with the Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 37th Signal Battalion, 1st Signal Brigade. He was the copilot aboard “Cavalier 70” when it disappeared, and his remains were not recovered. After the incident, the Army promoted CW2 Zich to the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 3. Today, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Zich is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Christensen, Allen Duane
Army Sergeant 1st class

Allen Duane Christensen from South Dakota, Moody county.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Monday, April 3, 1972

Death details: 

On April 3, 1972, a UH-1H Iroquois (tail number 68-16330, call sign “Cavalier 70”) with a crew of four departed Marble Mountain, Da Nang, South Vietnam, on a combat support mission to Quang Tri City, South Vietnam. During the flight, the pilot told a Hue/Phu Bai Ground Control Approach (GCA) controller that he was lost, but he believed that the helicopter was near Quang Tri. Following the transmission, the GCA controller could not locate the helicopter on the radar, and reported the helicopter missing in the vicinity of (GC) YD 330 530. When the helicopter failed to appear at any of the air bases in South Vietnam, an aerial search was initiated but found no sign of the missing aircraft or crew.

Specialist 5 (SP5) Allen Duane Christensen, who joined the U.S. Army from South Dakota, served with the 37th Signal Battalion, 1st Signal Brigade. He was the crew chief aboard “Cavalier 70” when it disappeared, and his remains were not recovered. After the incident, the Army promoted SP5 Christensen to the rank of Sergeant First Class. Today, Sergeant First Class Christensen is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

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