Born in Terre Haute, Indiana, Robert came to Decatur County with his parents in 1945. He attended Northwestern University for two years and graduated from Indiana University in 1965, where he majored in pre-medical studies. In 1965 he was married to Sheila Rooney of Evanston, Illinois. He was in the Air Force just over four years when he was killed in Vietnam after his plane was shot down by a ground-air missile.
On the Vietnam WALL Panel 18 West Line 18
FINAL MISSION of Cpt. Robert P. Acher
On September 1, 1969, while on a night patrol, a "Spooky" AC-47D (#43-49021) gunship from 4th Special Operations Squadron, 14th Special Operations Wing, 7th Air Force, out of Bien Hoa Air Base was directed to assist friendly troops who were under attack from enemy forces about 20 miles east of Bien Hoa. The gunship arrived at the scene and rendered support by flares and from its three 7.62 mini-guns firing down on the enemy. While engaging the enemy in the target area, their gunship was struck along the starboard side by enemy fire. They crashed into a mountain in Long Khanh Province while attempting recovery at Bien Hoa Air Base, RVN. There were no survivors. The lost crewmen included pilot CAPT Robert P. Acher, navigator CAPT James S. Pitches, co-pilot 1LT Roy C. Williams Jr, flight engineers MSGT Harry H. Wecker and TSGT Albert C. McBride, gunners TSGT William W. Alley and SSGT Fred W. Smith, and loadmaster TSGT Lester M. Cavallin. This was the last AC-47 USAF Spooky gunship lost in South East Asia during the war. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and ac47-gunships.com]
Contributor: Raymond Brown (49251058)
On the Vietnam WALL Panel 18 West Line 18
FINAL MISSION of Cpt. Robert P. Acher
On September 1, 1969, while on a night patrol, a "Spooky" AC-47D (#43-49021) gunship from 4th Special Operations Squadron, 14th Special Operations Wing, 7th Air Force, out of Bien Hoa Air Base was directed to assist friendly troops who were under attack from enemy forces about 20 miles east of Bien Hoa. The gunship arrived at the scene and rendered support by flares and from its three 7.62 mini-guns firing down on the enemy. While engaging the enemy in the target area, their gunship was struck along the starboard side by enemy fire. They crashed into a mountain in Long Khanh Province while attempting recovery at Bien Hoa Air Base, RVN. There were no survivors. The lost crewmen included pilot CAPT Robert P. Acher, navigator CAPT James S. Pitches, co-pilot 1LT Roy C. Williams Jr, flight engineers MSGT Harry H. Wecker and TSGT Albert C. McBride, gunners TSGT William W. Alley and SSGT Fred W. Smith, and loadmaster TSGT Lester M. Cavallin. This was the last AC-47 USAF Spooky gunship lost in South East Asia during the war. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and ac47-gunships.com]
Contributor: Raymond Brown (49251058)
Born in Terre Haute, Indiana, Robert came to Decatur County with his parents in 1945. He attended Northwestern University for two years and graduated from Indiana University in 1965, where he majored in pre-medical studies. In 1965 he was married to Sheila Rooney of Evanston, Illinois. He was in the Air Force just over four years when he was killed in Vietnam after his plane was shot down by a ground-air missile.
On the Vietnam WALL Panel 18 West Line 18
FINAL MISSION of Cpt. Robert P. Acher
On September 1, 1969, while on a night patrol, a "Spooky" AC-47D (#43-49021) gunship from 4th Special Operations Squadron, 14th Special Operations Wing, 7th Air Force, out of Bien Hoa Air Base was directed to assist friendly troops who were under attack from enemy forces about 20 miles east of Bien Hoa. The gunship arrived at the scene and rendered support by flares and from its three 7.62 mini-guns firing down on the enemy. While engaging the enemy in the target area, their gunship was struck along the starboard side by enemy fire. They crashed into a mountain in Long Khanh Province while attempting recovery at Bien Hoa Air Base, RVN. There were no survivors. The lost crewmen included pilot CAPT Robert P. Acher, navigator CAPT James S. Pitches, co-pilot 1LT Roy C. Williams Jr, flight engineers MSGT Harry H. Wecker and TSGT Albert C. McBride, gunners TSGT William W. Alley and SSGT Fred W. Smith, and loadmaster TSGT Lester M. Cavallin. This was the last AC-47 USAF Spooky gunship lost in South East Asia during the war. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and ac47-gunships.com]
Contributor: Raymond Brown (49251058)
On the Vietnam WALL Panel 18 West Line 18
FINAL MISSION of Cpt. Robert P. Acher
On September 1, 1969, while on a night patrol, a "Spooky" AC-47D (#43-49021) gunship from 4th Special Operations Squadron, 14th Special Operations Wing, 7th Air Force, out of Bien Hoa Air Base was directed to assist friendly troops who were under attack from enemy forces about 20 miles east of Bien Hoa. The gunship arrived at the scene and rendered support by flares and from its three 7.62 mini-guns firing down on the enemy. While engaging the enemy in the target area, their gunship was struck along the starboard side by enemy fire. They crashed into a mountain in Long Khanh Province while attempting recovery at Bien Hoa Air Base, RVN. There were no survivors. The lost crewmen included pilot CAPT Robert P. Acher, navigator CAPT James S. Pitches, co-pilot 1LT Roy C. Williams Jr, flight engineers MSGT Harry H. Wecker and TSGT Albert C. McBride, gunners TSGT William W. Alley and SSGT Fred W. Smith, and loadmaster TSGT Lester M. Cavallin. This was the last AC-47 USAF Spooky gunship lost in South East Asia during the war. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and ac47-gunships.com]
Contributor: Raymond Brown (49251058)
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