Enemy fire while boarding chopper 1 April 1972

Bruggeman, David Charles
Marines 1st Lieutenant

David Charles Bruggeman from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Allegheny county.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Saturday, April 1, 1972

Investigation in the disappearance of James Worth

Death details: On April 1, 1972, Corporal James Frederick Worth was member of a five-man artillery spotter team which was directed to evacuate an outpost in the vicinity of (GC) YD 215 742, near Gio Linh in Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam. As the team prepared to board a helicopter for evacuation, enemy artillery rounds and small arms fire hit a bunker where Cpl Worth and David Charles Bruggeman were standing, killing David. The three other members of the team recovered the lieutenant’s body but were unable to locate Cpl Worth, who had disappeared. They began searching for him, but were forced to leave when the evacuation helicopter began taking enemy fire. After the helicopter took off, Cpl Worth radioed that he was on his way to Dong Ha to join up with another group of Marine advisors. Corporal Worth was not heard from again, and his remains were never recovered.

Source: National Archives, Library of Congress

Worth, James Frederick
Marines Corporal

James Frederick Worth, age 20, from Hillside, Maryland, Prince George’s County.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: April 1, 1972
Death details: Corporal James Frederick Worth, who joined the U.S. Marine Corps from Maryland, served with Combined Action Platoon 1, Combined Action Company E, Combined Action Group 2, 111th Marine Amphibious Force. On April 1, 1972, Corporal Worth was member of a five-man artillery spotter team which was directed to evacuate an outpost in the vicinity of (GC) YD 215 742, near Gio Linh in Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam. As the team prepared to board a helicopter for evacuation, enemy artillery rounds and small arms fire hit a bunker where Cpl Worth and a Marine lieutenant were standing, killing the lieutenant. The three other members of the team recovered the lieutenant’s body but were unable to locate Cpl Worth, who had disappeared. They began searching for him, but were forced to leave when the evacuation helicopter began taking enemy fire. After the helicopter took off, Cpl Worth radioed that he was on his way to Dong Ha to join up with another group of Marine advisors. Corporal Worth was not heard from again, and his remains were never recovered. After the incident, the Marine Corps promoted Cpl Worth to the rank of Staff Sergeant (SSgt). Today, Staff Sergeant Worth is memorialized on then Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Library of Congress 

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