Helicopter crash 9 October 1969

Driver, Dallas Alan
Army Sergeant

Dallas Alan Driver, age 21, from Stephens City, Virginia, Frederick county.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Thursday, October 9, 1969
Death details: On October 9, 1969, a UH-1D Iroquois (tail number 63-8826) with nine men aboard was taking off after a troop extraction when its rotor blades struck some trees along the Dong Na River bank. In an attempt to regain altitude and airspeed, the pilot headed over the river, but the helicopter soon struck the water and sank within seconds. Other aircraft in the area surveyed the crash site and observed personnel and debris in the water, but they were soon swept under by the swift current. Only two men were able to survive the crash and swim to shore to be rescued. The remains of two other individuals who were aboard the helicopter were eventually recovered and identified, but the remaining five men are still unaccounted for. Specialist 4 Dallas Alan Driver entered the U.S. Army from Virginia and served in Company A, 5th Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 199th Light Infantry Brigade. He was a passenger on board this helicopter at the time of its crash and could not be located following the incident. Attempts to recover his remains were unsuccessful. The Army promoted Specialist 4 Driver to the rank of sergeant after the incident. Today, Sergeant Driver is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Garbett, Jimmy Ray
Army Sergeant

Jimmy Ray Garbett, age 31, from Lake City, Florida, Columbia county.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Thursday, October 9, 1969
Death details: On October 9, 1969, a UH-1D Iroquois (tail number 63-8826) with nine men aboard was taking off after a troop extraction when its rotor blades struck some trees along the Dong Na River bank. In an attempt to regain altitude and airspeed, the pilot headed over the river, but the helicopter soon struck the water and sank within seconds. Other aircraft in the area surveyed the crash site and observed personnel and debris in the water, but they were soon swept under by the swift current. Only two men were able to survive the crash and swim to shore to be rescued. The remains of two other individuals who were aboard the helicopter were eventually recovered and identified, but the remaining five men are still unaccounted for. Specialist 4 Jimmy Ray Garbett entered the U.S. Army from Florida and served in Company A, 5th Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 199th Light Infantry Brigade. He was a passenger on board this helicopter at the time of its crash and could not be located following the incident. Attempts to recover his remains were unsuccessful. The Army promoted Specialist 4 Garbett to the rank of sergeant after the incident. Today, Sergeant Garbett 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

Moore, Raymond Gregory
Army Sergeant

Raymond Gregory Moore, age 21, from Cincinnati, Ohio, Hamilton county.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Thursday, October 9, 1969
Death details: On October 9, 1969, a UH-1D Iroquois (tail number 63-8826) with nine men aboard was taking off after a troop extraction when its rotor blades struck some trees along the Dong Na River bank. In an attempt to regain altitude and airspeed, the pilot headed over the river, but the helicopter soon struck the water and sank within seconds. Other aircraft in the area surveyed the crash site and observed personnel and debris in the water, but they were soon swept under by the swift current. Only two men were able to survive the crash and swim to shore to be rescued. The remains of two other individuals who were aboard the helicopter were eventually recovered and identified, but the remaining five men are still unaccounted for. Specialist 4 Raymond Gregory Moore entered the U.S. Army from Ohio and served in Company A, 5th Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 199th Light Infantry Brigade. He was a passenger on board this helicopter at the time of its crash and could not be located following the incident. Attempts to recover his remains were unsuccessful. The Army promoted Specialist 4 Moore to the rank of sergeant after the incident. Today, Sergeant Moore is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Cincinnati Post and Time Star (1971)

Suydam, James Lawrence
Army Sergeant

James Lawrence Suydam, age 21, from Phillipsburg, New Jersey, Warren county.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Thursday, October 9, 1969
Death details: On October 9, 1969, a UH-1D Iroquois (tail number 63-8826) with nine men aboard was taking off after a troop extraction when its rotor blades struck some trees along the Dong Na River bank. In an attempt to regain altitude and airspeed, the pilot headed over the river, but the helicopter soon struck the water and sank within seconds. Other aircraft in the area surveyed the crash site and observed personnel and debris in the water, but they were soon swept under by the swift current. Only two men were able to survive the crash and swim to shore to be rescued. The remains of two other individuals who were aboard the helicopter were eventually recovered and identified, but the remaining five men are still unaccounted for. Sergeant James Lawrence Suydam entered the U.S. Army from New Jersey and served in Company A, 5th Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 199th Light Infantry Brigade. He was aboard this helicopter at the time of its crash and could not be located following the incident. Attempts to recover his remains were unsuccessful. Today, Sergeant Suydam is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Turner, James Henry
Army Specialist 5

James Henry Turner, age 21, from Columbus, Ohio, Franklin county.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Thursday, October 9, 1969
Death details: On October 9, 1969, a UH-1D Iroquois (tail number 63-8826) with nine men aboard was taking off after a troop extraction when its rotor blades struck some trees along the Dong Na River bank. In an attempt to regain altitude and airspeed, the pilot headed over the river, but the helicopter soon struck the water and sank within seconds. Other aircraft in the area surveyed the crash site and observed personnel and debris in the water, but they were soon swept under by the swift current. Only two men were able to survive the crash and swim to shore to be rescued. The remains of two other individuals who were aboard the helicopter were eventually recovered and identified, but the remaining five men are still unaccounted for. Specialist 4 James Henry Turner entered the U.S. Army from Ohio and served in the 118th Aviation Company, 145th Aviation Battalion, 12th Aviation Group, 1st Aviation Brigade. He was the door gunner aboard this helicopter at the time of its crash and could not be located following the incident. Attempts to recover his remains were unsuccessful. The Army promoted Specialist 4 Turner to Specialist 5 after the incident. Today, Specialist 5 Turner 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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