helicopter crash 15 may 1975 – My Fallen Soldiers

05/15/197504/02/2022

Loney, Ashton Nathaniel
Marines Lance corporal

Ashton Nathaniel Loney from Albany, New York, Albany county.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Thursday, May 15, 1975
Death details: Lance Corporal Ashton Nathaniel Loney entered the U.S. Marine Corps from New York and was a member of Company G, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines Regiment, 3rd Marine Division. On May 15, 1975, he participated in a combat operation on Koh Tang Island off the coast Cambodia, and was struck by small arms fire and wounded during the early hours of fighting on the east beach. He reportedly died of his injuries, though his death was not witnessed. His body could not be recovered at the time due to battle conditions. Ground units could not return to the island due to enemy presence, and further attempts to locate LCpl Loney’s remains have been unsuccessful.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

05/15/197505/15/2023

Manning, Ronald James
Navy Hospital man

Ronald James Manning from Toronto, Ohio, Jefferson county. Their last known residence was in Toronto.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Thursday, May 15, 1975
Death details: Hostile, body not recovered, Cambodia; Marine Corps Pfc. Daniel A. Benedett of Seattle, Wash., was buried May 15, 2013 at Arlington National Cemetery, along with Air Force 2nd Lt. Richard Vandegeer of Cleveland, Ohio; Navy Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Bernard Gause Jr., of Birmingham, Ala.; Hospitalman Ronald J. Manning of Steubenville, Ohio; Marine Corps servicemen Lance Cpl. Gregory S. Copenhaver of Lewistown, Pa.; Lance Cpl. Andres Garcia of Carlsbad, N.M.; Pfc. Lynn Blessing of Lancaster, Pa.; Pfc. Walter Boyd of Portsmouth, Va.; Pfc. James J. Jacques of La Junta, Colo.; Pfc. James R. Maxwell of Memphis, Tenn.; Pfc. Richard W. Rivernburgh of Schenectady, N.Y.; Pfc. Antonio R. Sandoval of San Antonio, Texas; and Pfc. Kelton R. Turner of St. Louis, Mo. On May 12, 1975, Khmer Rouge gunboats captured the S.S. Mayaguez in the Gulf of Thailand, approximately 60 nautical miles off the coast of Cambodia. After the vessel was taken to Koh Tang Island, U.S. aircraft began surveillance flights around the island. When efforts to secure the release of the ship and its crew failed, U.S. military forces began a rescue mission. Three days after the Mayaguez seizure, the Air Force dispatched six helicopters to the island. One of the helicopters came under heavy enemy fire and crashed into the surf with 26 men on board. Thirteen of the men were rescued at sea, leaving Benedett and 12 other service members unaccounted-for from the crash. Between 1991 and 2008, investigators conducted more than 10 investigations and excavations, led by Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC). On three occasions, Cambodian authorities turned over remains believed to be those of American servicemen. In 1995, U.S. and Cambodian specialists conducted an underwater recovery of the helicopter crash site where they located remains, personal effects and aircraft debris associated with the loss. Between 2000 and 2004, all of the missing service members from this helicopter, except Benedett, were accounted-for. On January 30, 2013, Benedett was accounted-for. Scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence and DNA process of elimination to account for his remains.
Cemetery: Arlington National

Source: National Archives, Department of Defense

05/15/197504/02/2022

Blessing, Lynn
Marines Private 1st Class

Lynn Blessing from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Lancaster county.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Thursday, May 15, 1975
Death details: Hostile, killed in Cambodia. Body not recovered. Marine Corps Pfc. Daniel A. Benedett of Seattle, Wash., was buried May 15, 2013 at Arlington National Cemetery, along with Air Force 2nd Lt. Richard Vandegeer of Cleveland, Ohio; Navy Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Bernard Gause Jr., of Birmingham, Ala.; Hospitalman Ronald J. Manning of Steubenville, Ohio; Marine Corps servicemen Lance Cpl. Gregory S. Copenhaver of Lewistown, Pa.; Lance Cpl. Andres Garcia of Carlsbad, N.M.; Pfc. Lynn Blessing of Lancaster, Pa.; Pfc. Walter Boyd of Portsmouth, Va.; Pfc. James J. Jacques of La Junta, Colo.; Pfc. James R. Maxwell of Memphis, Tenn.; Pfc. Richard W. Rivernburgh of Schenectady, N.Y.; Pfc. Antonio R. Sandoval of San Antonio, Texas; and Pfc. Kelton R. Turner of St. Louis, Mo. On May 12, 1975, Khmer Rouge gunboats captured the S.S. Mayaguez in the Gulf of Thailand, approximately 60 nautical miles off the coast of Cambodia. After the vessel was taken to Koh Tang Island, U.S. aircraft began surveillance flights around the island. When efforts to secure the release of the ship and its crew failed, U.S. military forces began a rescue mission. Three days after the Mayaguez seizure, the Air Force dispatched six helicopters to the island. One of the helicopters came under heavy enemy fire and crashed into the surf with 26 men on board. Thirteen of the men were rescued at sea, leaving Benedett and 12 other service members unaccounted-for from the crash. Between 1991 and 2008, investigators conducted more than 10 investigations and excavations, led by Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC). On three occasions, Cambodian authorities turned over remains believed to be those of American servicemen. In 1995, U.S. and Cambodian specialists conducted an underwater recovery of the helicopter crash site where they located remains, personal effects and aircraft debris associated with the loss. Between 2000 and 2004, all of the missing service members from this helicopter, except Benedett, were accounted-for. On January 30, 2013, Benedett was accounted-for. Scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence and DNA process of elimination to account for his remains.
Cemetery: Arlington National

Source: National Archives., Department of Defense

05/15/197504/02/2022

Copenhaver, Gregory Scott
Marines Lance Corporal

Gregory Scott Copenhaver from Port Deposit, Maryland, Cecil county.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Thursday, May 15, 1975
Death details: Cambodia, body not recovered; Marine Corps Pfc. Daniel A. Benedett of Seattle, Wash., was buried May 15, 2013 at Arlington National Cemetery, along with Air Force 2nd Lt. Richard Vandegeer of Cleveland, Ohio; Navy Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Bernard Gause Jr., of Birmingham, Ala.; Hospitalman Ronald J. Manning of Steubenville, Ohio; Marine Corps servicemen Lance Cpl. Gregory S. Copenhaver of Lewistown, Pa.; Lance Cpl. Andres Garcia of Carlsbad, N.M.; Pfc. Lynn Blessing of Lancaster, Pa.; Pfc. Walter Boyd of Portsmouth, Va.; Pfc. James J. Jacques of La Junta, Colo.; Pfc. James R. Maxwell of Memphis, Tenn.; Pfc. Richard W. Rivernburgh of Schenectady, N.Y.; Pfc. Antonio R. Sandoval of San Antonio, Texas; and Pfc. Kelton R. Turner of St. Louis, Mo. On May 12, 1975, Khmer Rouge gunboats captured the S.S. Mayaguez in the Gulf of Thailand, approximately 60 nautical miles off the coast of Cambodia. After the vessel was taken to Koh Tang Island, U.S. aircraft began surveillance flights around the island. When efforts to secure the release of the ship and its crew failed, U.S. military forces began a rescue mission. Three days after the Mayaguez seizure, the Air Force dispatched six helicopters to the island. One of the helicopters came under heavy enemy fire and crashed into the surf with 26 men on board. Thirteen of the men were rescued at sea, leaving Benedett and 12 other service members unaccounted-for from the crash. Between 1991 and 2008, investigators conducted more than 10 investigations and excavations, led by Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC). On three occasions, Cambodian authorities turned over remains believed to be those of American servicemen. In 1995, U.S. and Cambodian specialists conducted an underwater recovery of the helicopter crash site where they located remains, personal effects and aircraft debris associated with the loss. Between 2000 and 2004, all of the missing service members from this helicopter, except Benedett, were accounted-for. On January 30, 2013, Benedett was accounted-for. Scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence and DNA process of elimination to account for his remains.
Cemetery: Arlington National

Source: National Archives, Department of Defense

05/15/197504/02/2022

Marshall, Danny Glen Marines

Danny Glen Marshall from Waverly, West Virginia, Wood county.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Thursday, May 15, 1975
Death details: Shortly after midnight on May 15, 1975, three Marines made up an M-60 machine gun team that was part of a Marine force making a helicopter-borne assault on enemy holdings on Koh Tang Island, Cambodia. They participated in combat operations throughout the day and were not known to be injured or wounded at any point. On the evening of May 15 orders were given to pull back to the beach of the island for extraction and to set up a new defensive position. The three Marines left their initial defensive position and started back to the beach; however, only one was sighted on the beach, and when the extraction was finished that night, all three Marines were missing. Enemy activity in the area prevented a return to the beach in order to search for them, and they remain unaccounted-for.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

05/15/197504/02/2022

Boyd, Walter
Marine Private 1st class

Walter Boyd from Norfolk, Virginia, Norfolk county.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Thursday, May 15, 1975
Death details: Marine Corps Pfc. Daniel A. Benedett of Seattle, Wash., was buried May 15, 2013 at Arlington National Cemetery, along with Air Force 2nd Lt. Richard Vandegeer of Cleveland, Ohio; Navy Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Bernard Gause Jr., of Birmingham, Ala.; Hospitalman Ronald J. Manning of Steubenville, Ohio; Marine Corps servicemen Lance Cpl. Gregory S. Copenhaver of Lewistown, Pa.; Lance Cpl. Andres Garcia of Carlsbad, N.M.; Pfc. Lynn Blessing of Lancaster, Pa.; Pfc. Walter Boyd of Portsmouth, Va.; Pfc. James J. Jacques of La Junta, Colo.; Pfc. James R. Maxwell of Memphis, Tenn.; Pfc. Richard W. Rivernburgh of Schenectady, N.Y.; Pfc. Antonio R. Sandoval of San Antonio, Texas; and Pfc. Kelton R. Turner of St. Louis, Mo. On May 12, 1975, Khmer Rouge gunboats captured the S.S. Mayaguez in the Gulf of Thailand, approximately 60 nautical miles off the coast of Cambodia. After the vessel was taken to Koh Tang Island, U.S. aircraft began surveillance flights around the island. When efforts to secure the release of the ship and its crew failed, U.S. military forces began a rescue mission. Three days after the Mayaguez seizure, the Air Force dispatched six helicopters to the island. One of the helicopters came under heavy enemy fire and crashed into the surf with 26 men on board. Thirteen of the men were rescued at sea, leaving Benedett and 12 other service members unaccounted-for from the crash. Between 1991 and 2008, investigators conducted more than 10 investigations and excavations, led by Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC). On three occasions, Cambodian authorities turned over remains believed to be those of American servicemen. In 1995, U.S. and Cambodian specialists conducted an underwater recovery of the helicopter crash site where they located remains, personal effects and aircraft debris associated with the loss. Between 2000 and 2004, all of the missing service members from this helicopter, except Benedett, were accounted-for. On January 30, 2013, Benedett was accounted-for. Scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence and DNA process of elimination to account for his remains.
Cemetery: Arlington National

Source: National Archives, Department of Defense

05/15/197504/02/2022

Hargrove, Joseph N.
Marines Lance corporal

Joseph N. Hargrove from Mt. Olive, North Carolina

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Thursday, May 15, 1975.

Shortly after midnight on May 15, 1975, three Marines made up an M-60 machine gun team that was part of a Marine force making a helicopter-borne assault on enemy holdings on Koh Tang Island, Cambodia. They participated in combat operations throughout the day and were not known to be injured or wounded at any point. On the evening of May 15 orders were given to pull back to the beach of the island for extraction and to set up a new defensive position. The three Marines left their initial defensive position and started back to the beach; however, only one was sighted on the beach, and when the extraction was finished that night, all three Marines were missing. Enemy activity in the area prevented a return to the beach in order to search for them, and they remain unaccounted-for.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

05/15/197504/02/2022