tail number 18506

Leonard, Marvin Maurice
Army Chief warrant officer

Marvin Maurice Leonard, age 35, from Grand Rapids, Michigan, Kent county.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Monday, February 15, 1971
Death details:  On February 15, 1971, a CH-47C Chinook (tail number 18506, call sign “Regard 25”) carrying five crew members and one passenger, took part in a combat support resupply mission over Laos. During the flight, “Regard 25” caught fire, exploded, and crashed near the Pon River in Savannakhet Province, Laos. Another helicopter that had witnessed the incident performed an aerial search of the crash site, but found no sign of any of the crew. The remains of the crew chief, door gunner, flight engineer, and the passenger were eventually recovered and identified; however, the remains of the aircraft commander and pilot were not recovered.

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Marvin Maurice Leonard, who joined the U.S. Army from Michigan, was a member of Company C, 159th Aviation Battalion, 101st Airborne Division. He was the pilot of “Regard 25” when it went down on February 15, 1971, and he was lost in the crash. His remains have not been recovered or identified following the incident. Today, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Leonard is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Fivelson, Barry Frank
Army Warrant officer

Barry Frank Fivelson from Evanston, Illinois, Cook county.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Monday, February 15, 1971
Death details: On December 11, 2000, Joint Task Force-Full Accounting (JTF-FA, now DPAA) identified the remains of Warrant Officer 1 Barry Frank Fivelson, missing from the Vietnam War.

Warrant Officer 1 Fivelson entered the U.S. Army from Illinois and served with the 159th Aviation Battalion, 101st Airborne Division. On February 15, 1971, he was a passenger aboard a CH-47C Chinook (tail number 18506, call sign “Regard 25”) on a combat support/resupply mission over Laos. During the flight, “Regard 25” caught fire, exploded in mid-air, and crashed near the Pon River in Savannakhet Province, Laos. Warrant Officer 1 Fivelson was killed in the crash and his remains could not be recovered at the time. After the war, a series of joint U.S.-Laotian investigative teams located the crash site and recovered human remains, some of which were forensically identified as those of WO1 Fivelson.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Crear, Willis Calvin
Army Specialist 4

Willis Calvin Crear from Birmingham, Alabama, Jefferson county.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Monday, February 15, 1971

Death details: On November 12, 2000, Joint Task Force-Full Accounting (JTF-FA, now DPAA) identified the remains of Specialist 4 Willis Calvin Crear, missing from the Vietnam War.

Specialist 4 Crear entered the U.S. Army from Alabama and served with the 159th Aviation Battalion, 101st Airborne Division. On February 15, 1971, he was the door gunner aboard a CH-47C Chinook (tail number 18506, call sign “Regard 25”) on a combat support/resupply mission over Laos. During the flight, “Regard 25” caught fire, exploded in mid-air, and crashed near the Pon River in Savannakhet Province, Laos. Specialist 4 Crear was killed in the crash and his remains could not be recovered at the time. After the war, a series of joint U.S.-Laotian investigative teams located the crash site and recovered human remains, some of which were forensically identified as those of SP4 Crear.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Powers, John Lynn
Army Specialist 4

John Lynn Powers from Mackay, Idaho, Custer county.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Monday, February 15, 1971

Death details: On November 12, 2000, Joint Task Force-Full Accounting (JTF-FA, now DPAA) identified the remains of Specialist 4 John Lynn Powers, missing from the Vietnam War.

Specialist 4 Powers entered the U.S. Army from Illinois and served with the 159th Aviation Battalion, 101st Airborne Division. On February 15, 1971, he was the flight engineer aboard a CH-47C Chinook (tail number 18506, call sign “Regard 25”) on a combat support/resupply mission over Laos. During the flight, “Regard 25” caught fire, exploded in mid-air, and crashed near the Pon River in Savannakhet Province, Laos. Specialist 4 Powers was killed in the crash and his remains could not be recovered at the time. After the war, a series of joint U.S.-Laotian investigative teams located the crash site and recovered human remains, some of which were forensically identified as those of SP4 Powers.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Taylor, James Harry
Army 2nd lieutenant

James Harry Taylor from Oroville, California, Butte county.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Monday, February 15, 1971
Death details:  On February 15, 1971, a CH-47C Chinook (tail number 18506, call sign “Regard 25”) carrying five crew members and one passenger, took part in a combat support resupply mission over Laos. During the flight, “Regard 25” caught fire, exploded, and crashed near the Pon River in Savannakhet Province, Laos. Another helicopter that had witnessed the incident performed an aerial search of the crash site, but found no sign of any of the crew. The remains of the crew chief, door gunner, flight engineer, and the passenger were eventually recovered and identified; however, the remains of the aircraft commander and pilot were not recovered.

Second Lieutenant James Harry Taylor entered the U.S. Army from California and served with Company C, 159th Aviation Battalion, 101st Airborne Division. He was the aircraft commander on this Chinook at the time of its loss and was not recovered after the crash. Today, Second Lieutenant Taylor is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Crone, Donald Everett
Army Specialist 4

Donald Everett Crone from Whittier, California, Los Angeles county.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Monday, February 15, 1971
Death details: On December 11, 2000, Joint Task Force-Full Accounting (JTF-FA, now DPAA) identified the remains of Specialist 4 Donald Everett Crone, missing from the Vietnam War.

Specialist 4 Crone entered the U.S. Army from California and served with the 159th Aviation Battalion, 101st Airborne Division. On February 15, 1971, he was the crew chief aboard a CH-47C Chinook (tail number 18506, call sign “Regard 25”) on a combat support/resupply mission over Laos. During the flight, “Regard 25” caught fire, exploded in mid-air, and crashed near the Pon River in Savannakhet Province, Laos. Specialist 4 Crone was killed in the crash and his remains could not be recovered at the time. After the war, a series of joint U.S.-Laotian investigative teams located the crash site and recovered human remains, some of which were forensically identified as those of SP4 Crone.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency 

Back To Top