On May 1, 1967 CAPT J.Q. Nesmith, Jr. departed the First Hospital Company with two HMM-165 aircraft for a night Emergency Med-Evac to the hospital ship USS SANCTUARY. While on his approach the USS SANCTUARY, CAPT J.C. Tatum, CAPT Nesmith's wingman, lost both engines and auto-rotated into the water alongside the ship. CAPT Tatum successfully landed in the water and the CE, PFC T.S. Blosser, began assisting the med-evacs in their exit from the aircraft. CAPT Tatum was believed to be the last man to exit the aircraft, which he did with difficulty while the aircraft was approximately 20 feet underwater and sinking fast. Meanwhile, CAPT Nesmith had dropped his passengers aboard the USS SANCTUARY and was attempting to hoist one of the survivors out of the water, while also guiding the USS SANCTUARY's life boats to the scene with his searchlight. CAPT Nesmith managed to get one man into the sling but the hoist jammed and would not come up. Therefore CAPT Nesmith lifted the survivor out of the water and onto the ship's deck; and after safely depositing the man aboard the USS SANCTUARY, he returned to the scene to assist the rescue boats by guiding them with his searchlight. CAPT Nesmith then, due to a low fuel state, had to return to Ky Ha. Meanwhile, HMM-165 began launching SAR flights to search for survivors, and Naval ships rushed to the scene to render assistance. Out of the 17 men aboard the aircraft, including three of the crew, only nine survivors were rescued from this tragic accident. Seven of the med-evacs, including SGT John H. Bailey, CPL Roger C. Gaughan, PFC Hilario H. Guajardo, and PFC Duwayne Soulier, plus the HMM-165 gunners, SSGT Stan L. Corfield and LCPL Carl A. Smith, were lost at sea. HMM-165 continued search operations throughout the night and the next day, but to no avail. The search was discontinued but renewed again during the night of the 2nd of May. The eight missing Marines are presumed to have been lost at sea. The above was taken from the HMM-165 Command Chronology. [Taken from vhpa.org]