In Memory of…..GLENN FREDERIC AUSTIN.
*** Glenn is buried at Christian Memorial Park, Rochester,MI. DFC NCM AM-27GS. Posted by: Robert Sage.
You may be gone, no longer living on this earth; but you will live on - in the memories of your family and friends. There will always be a part of you living in those who knew you. You will live on because we remember you!
GLENN FREDERIC AUSTIN - Marine Corps - CPL - E4
Age: 22
Race: Caucasian
Date of Birth Jul 14, 1947
From: MADISON HEIGHTS, MI
Religion: PROTESTANT
Marital Status: Single
***** We were young, great friends, you will never be forgotten. Such a good good person. Taken WAY too soon. RIP my friend.
Rita
***** You have not been forgotten Glenn I still have a vivid memory of that day in March of 1970 when we heard of the crash. Semper FI.
HMM-263 member
CPL - E4 - Marine Corps - Regular
Length of service 2 years
His tour began on Sep 16, 1969
Casualty was on Mar 7, 1970
In QUANG NAM, SOUTH VIETNAM
NON-HOSTILE, HELICOPTER - CREW
AIR LOSS, CRASH ON LAND
Body was recovered
Panel 13W - Line 91
Other Personnel in Incident:Four of the five crewmen aboard died in the crash:
1. CAPT Albert Henry Gates Jr., pilot, died, body not recovered
2. 1stLT Kay Kazu Kimura, copilot, died, body recovered
3. SGT Andrew William Smith, gunner, died, body recovered
4. CPL Glenn Frederic Austin, crew chief, died, body recovered
5. Gunner, name unknown, survived
On March 7, 1970, he was aircraft commander of a Boeing Sea Knight Cargo Helicopter (CH-46D) flying near Da Nang, South Vietnam, when the aircraft crashed into the water killing him.
CH-46A BuNo 154043 of HMM-263 launched on a "chase" mission, covering a UH-1 Huey carrying a senior officer.
The flight had been delayed due to weather, which still was marginal.
While over water near Danang the aircraft went into cloud and accidentally impacted the water.
************************************
Comments on Incident:
Originally I was scheduled to fly co-pilot with Al Gates that day. The frag order was for a 46 to chase a Huey that was coming down from up north.
The Huey was carrying a heavy who was attending some sort of change of command ceremony in the DaNang area. K.K. Kimura had only recently reported in and was a very junior co-pilot. He was scheduled to fly co-pilot with Paul Sniffin who had the Recon mission.
The WX was really bad that morning, almost zero/zero, and all launches were holding. K.K. and I played a little Acey-Deucey while waiting for things to clear up a bit. While we sat at the A-Doo board, the Ops Officer, Maj. Toben
came in, looked at the schedules board and directed the ODO to switch K.K. and me.
Since I was the more experienced co-pilot, he thought I should be on Recon instead of what was basically a milk-run VIP chase.
After several hours, the WX improved somewhat and the Recon package launched out. After an uneventful day of routine inserts and extracts, we recovered back at Marble around 1700-1800.
While I was post-flighting the a/c one of
the crew chiefs came up and asked me if I had heard that his bird had gone down in the water, killing the entire crew. When I asked who was flying it he said it was Capt. Gates and Lt. Kimura.
As it turned out, one of the gunners survived. Basically, all we found out came from his account. He told us that they were flying in "really bad" WX, chasing the Huey when they went inadvertent IFR and crashed into the water
about 500 yards off the beach. I don't recall the exact location, but it seems to me that it was north of DaNang. He also told us that even though he couldn't be sure, he thought he remembered a loud noise coming from the rear
of the a/c and both pilots looking back into the cabin just before impact.
The surviving gunner was picked up by a Vietnamese fisherman, who took him to the beach, dropped him off and then just left, apparently unconcerned with helping him any further.
About a week later, KK's remains washed up on the beach down by Chu Lai. To the best of my knowledge, the other three were never recovered.
I was appointed to the investigating board and tasked with looking into contributing factors. My comments indicated that the most significant factor was sending an inexperienced crew (Gates had only recently made HAC with
very little in-country H2P time) out in unsatisfactory weather to fly an unnecessary mission.
Submitted by Jerry Martin, HMM-263 squadron mate,
member of Accident Board
*******************************************
.
*** Glenn is buried at Christian Memorial Park, Rochester,MI. DFC NCM AM-27GS. Posted by: Robert Sage.
You may be gone, no longer living on this earth; but you will live on - in the memories of your family and friends. There will always be a part of you living in those who knew you. You will live on because we remember you!
GLENN FREDERIC AUSTIN - Marine Corps - CPL - E4
Age: 22
Race: Caucasian
Date of Birth Jul 14, 1947
From: MADISON HEIGHTS, MI
Religion: PROTESTANT
Marital Status: Single
***** We were young, great friends, you will never be forgotten. Such a good good person. Taken WAY too soon. RIP my friend.
Rita
***** You have not been forgotten Glenn I still have a vivid memory of that day in March of 1970 when we heard of the crash. Semper FI.
HMM-263 member
CPL - E4 - Marine Corps - Regular
Length of service 2 years
His tour began on Sep 16, 1969
Casualty was on Mar 7, 1970
In QUANG NAM, SOUTH VIETNAM
NON-HOSTILE, HELICOPTER - CREW
AIR LOSS, CRASH ON LAND
Body was recovered
Panel 13W - Line 91
Other Personnel in Incident:Four of the five crewmen aboard died in the crash:
1. CAPT Albert Henry Gates Jr., pilot, died, body not recovered
2. 1stLT Kay Kazu Kimura, copilot, died, body recovered
3. SGT Andrew William Smith, gunner, died, body recovered
4. CPL Glenn Frederic Austin, crew chief, died, body recovered
5. Gunner, name unknown, survived
On March 7, 1970, he was aircraft commander of a Boeing Sea Knight Cargo Helicopter (CH-46D) flying near Da Nang, South Vietnam, when the aircraft crashed into the water killing him.
CH-46A BuNo 154043 of HMM-263 launched on a "chase" mission, covering a UH-1 Huey carrying a senior officer.
The flight had been delayed due to weather, which still was marginal.
While over water near Danang the aircraft went into cloud and accidentally impacted the water.
************************************
Comments on Incident:
Originally I was scheduled to fly co-pilot with Al Gates that day. The frag order was for a 46 to chase a Huey that was coming down from up north.
The Huey was carrying a heavy who was attending some sort of change of command ceremony in the DaNang area. K.K. Kimura had only recently reported in and was a very junior co-pilot. He was scheduled to fly co-pilot with Paul Sniffin who had the Recon mission.
The WX was really bad that morning, almost zero/zero, and all launches were holding. K.K. and I played a little Acey-Deucey while waiting for things to clear up a bit. While we sat at the A-Doo board, the Ops Officer, Maj. Toben
came in, looked at the schedules board and directed the ODO to switch K.K. and me.
Since I was the more experienced co-pilot, he thought I should be on Recon instead of what was basically a milk-run VIP chase.
After several hours, the WX improved somewhat and the Recon package launched out. After an uneventful day of routine inserts and extracts, we recovered back at Marble around 1700-1800.
While I was post-flighting the a/c one of
the crew chiefs came up and asked me if I had heard that his bird had gone down in the water, killing the entire crew. When I asked who was flying it he said it was Capt. Gates and Lt. Kimura.
As it turned out, one of the gunners survived. Basically, all we found out came from his account. He told us that they were flying in "really bad" WX, chasing the Huey when they went inadvertent IFR and crashed into the water
about 500 yards off the beach. I don't recall the exact location, but it seems to me that it was north of DaNang. He also told us that even though he couldn't be sure, he thought he remembered a loud noise coming from the rear
of the a/c and both pilots looking back into the cabin just before impact.
The surviving gunner was picked up by a Vietnamese fisherman, who took him to the beach, dropped him off and then just left, apparently unconcerned with helping him any further.
About a week later, KK's remains washed up on the beach down by Chu Lai. To the best of my knowledge, the other three were never recovered.
I was appointed to the investigating board and tasked with looking into contributing factors. My comments indicated that the most significant factor was sending an inexperienced crew (Gates had only recently made HAC with
very little in-country H2P time) out in unsatisfactory weather to fly an unnecessary mission.
Submitted by Jerry Martin, HMM-263 squadron mate,
member of Accident Board
*******************************************
.
In Memory of…..GLENN FREDERIC AUSTIN.
*** Glenn is buried at Christian Memorial Park, Rochester,MI. DFC NCM AM-27GS. Posted by: Robert Sage.
You may be gone, no longer living on this earth; but you will live on - in the memories of your family and friends. There will always be a part of you living in those who knew you. You will live on because we remember you!
GLENN FREDERIC AUSTIN - Marine Corps - CPL - E4
Age: 22
Race: Caucasian
Date of Birth Jul 14, 1947
From: MADISON HEIGHTS, MI
Religion: PROTESTANT
Marital Status: Single
***** We were young, great friends, you will never be forgotten. Such a good good person. Taken WAY too soon. RIP my friend.
Rita
***** You have not been forgotten Glenn I still have a vivid memory of that day in March of 1970 when we heard of the crash. Semper FI.
HMM-263 member
CPL - E4 - Marine Corps - Regular
Length of service 2 years
His tour began on Sep 16, 1969
Casualty was on Mar 7, 1970
In QUANG NAM, SOUTH VIETNAM
NON-HOSTILE, HELICOPTER - CREW
AIR LOSS, CRASH ON LAND
Body was recovered
Panel 13W - Line 91
Other Personnel in Incident:Four of the five crewmen aboard died in the crash:
1. CAPT Albert Henry Gates Jr., pilot, died, body not recovered
2. 1stLT Kay Kazu Kimura, copilot, died, body recovered
3. SGT Andrew William Smith, gunner, died, body recovered
4. CPL Glenn Frederic Austin, crew chief, died, body recovered
5. Gunner, name unknown, survived
On March 7, 1970, he was aircraft commander of a Boeing Sea Knight Cargo Helicopter (CH-46D) flying near Da Nang, South Vietnam, when the aircraft crashed into the water killing him.
CH-46A BuNo 154043 of HMM-263 launched on a "chase" mission, covering a UH-1 Huey carrying a senior officer.
The flight had been delayed due to weather, which still was marginal.
While over water near Danang the aircraft went into cloud and accidentally impacted the water.
************************************
Comments on Incident:
Originally I was scheduled to fly co-pilot with Al Gates that day. The frag order was for a 46 to chase a Huey that was coming down from up north.
The Huey was carrying a heavy who was attending some sort of change of command ceremony in the DaNang area. K.K. Kimura had only recently reported in and was a very junior co-pilot. He was scheduled to fly co-pilot with Paul Sniffin who had the Recon mission.
The WX was really bad that morning, almost zero/zero, and all launches were holding. K.K. and I played a little Acey-Deucey while waiting for things to clear up a bit. While we sat at the A-Doo board, the Ops Officer, Maj. Toben
came in, looked at the schedules board and directed the ODO to switch K.K. and me.
Since I was the more experienced co-pilot, he thought I should be on Recon instead of what was basically a milk-run VIP chase.
After several hours, the WX improved somewhat and the Recon package launched out. After an uneventful day of routine inserts and extracts, we recovered back at Marble around 1700-1800.
While I was post-flighting the a/c one of
the crew chiefs came up and asked me if I had heard that his bird had gone down in the water, killing the entire crew. When I asked who was flying it he said it was Capt. Gates and Lt. Kimura.
As it turned out, one of the gunners survived. Basically, all we found out came from his account. He told us that they were flying in "really bad" WX, chasing the Huey when they went inadvertent IFR and crashed into the water
about 500 yards off the beach. I don't recall the exact location, but it seems to me that it was north of DaNang. He also told us that even though he couldn't be sure, he thought he remembered a loud noise coming from the rear
of the a/c and both pilots looking back into the cabin just before impact.
The surviving gunner was picked up by a Vietnamese fisherman, who took him to the beach, dropped him off and then just left, apparently unconcerned with helping him any further.
About a week later, KK's remains washed up on the beach down by Chu Lai. To the best of my knowledge, the other three were never recovered.
I was appointed to the investigating board and tasked with looking into contributing factors. My comments indicated that the most significant factor was sending an inexperienced crew (Gates had only recently made HAC with
very little in-country H2P time) out in unsatisfactory weather to fly an unnecessary mission.
Submitted by Jerry Martin, HMM-263 squadron mate,
member of Accident Board
*******************************************
.
*** Glenn is buried at Christian Memorial Park, Rochester,MI. DFC NCM AM-27GS. Posted by: Robert Sage.
You may be gone, no longer living on this earth; but you will live on - in the memories of your family and friends. There will always be a part of you living in those who knew you. You will live on because we remember you!
GLENN FREDERIC AUSTIN - Marine Corps - CPL - E4
Age: 22
Race: Caucasian
Date of Birth Jul 14, 1947
From: MADISON HEIGHTS, MI
Religion: PROTESTANT
Marital Status: Single
***** We were young, great friends, you will never be forgotten. Such a good good person. Taken WAY too soon. RIP my friend.
Rita
***** You have not been forgotten Glenn I still have a vivid memory of that day in March of 1970 when we heard of the crash. Semper FI.
HMM-263 member
CPL - E4 - Marine Corps - Regular
Length of service 2 years
His tour began on Sep 16, 1969
Casualty was on Mar 7, 1970
In QUANG NAM, SOUTH VIETNAM
NON-HOSTILE, HELICOPTER - CREW
AIR LOSS, CRASH ON LAND
Body was recovered
Panel 13W - Line 91
Other Personnel in Incident:Four of the five crewmen aboard died in the crash:
1. CAPT Albert Henry Gates Jr., pilot, died, body not recovered
2. 1stLT Kay Kazu Kimura, copilot, died, body recovered
3. SGT Andrew William Smith, gunner, died, body recovered
4. CPL Glenn Frederic Austin, crew chief, died, body recovered
5. Gunner, name unknown, survived
On March 7, 1970, he was aircraft commander of a Boeing Sea Knight Cargo Helicopter (CH-46D) flying near Da Nang, South Vietnam, when the aircraft crashed into the water killing him.
CH-46A BuNo 154043 of HMM-263 launched on a "chase" mission, covering a UH-1 Huey carrying a senior officer.
The flight had been delayed due to weather, which still was marginal.
While over water near Danang the aircraft went into cloud and accidentally impacted the water.
************************************
Comments on Incident:
Originally I was scheduled to fly co-pilot with Al Gates that day. The frag order was for a 46 to chase a Huey that was coming down from up north.
The Huey was carrying a heavy who was attending some sort of change of command ceremony in the DaNang area. K.K. Kimura had only recently reported in and was a very junior co-pilot. He was scheduled to fly co-pilot with Paul Sniffin who had the Recon mission.
The WX was really bad that morning, almost zero/zero, and all launches were holding. K.K. and I played a little Acey-Deucey while waiting for things to clear up a bit. While we sat at the A-Doo board, the Ops Officer, Maj. Toben
came in, looked at the schedules board and directed the ODO to switch K.K. and me.
Since I was the more experienced co-pilot, he thought I should be on Recon instead of what was basically a milk-run VIP chase.
After several hours, the WX improved somewhat and the Recon package launched out. After an uneventful day of routine inserts and extracts, we recovered back at Marble around 1700-1800.
While I was post-flighting the a/c one of
the crew chiefs came up and asked me if I had heard that his bird had gone down in the water, killing the entire crew. When I asked who was flying it he said it was Capt. Gates and Lt. Kimura.
As it turned out, one of the gunners survived. Basically, all we found out came from his account. He told us that they were flying in "really bad" WX, chasing the Huey when they went inadvertent IFR and crashed into the water
about 500 yards off the beach. I don't recall the exact location, but it seems to me that it was north of DaNang. He also told us that even though he couldn't be sure, he thought he remembered a loud noise coming from the rear
of the a/c and both pilots looking back into the cabin just before impact.
The surviving gunner was picked up by a Vietnamese fisherman, who took him to the beach, dropped him off and then just left, apparently unconcerned with helping him any further.
About a week later, KK's remains washed up on the beach down by Chu Lai. To the best of my knowledge, the other three were never recovered.
I was appointed to the investigating board and tasked with looking into contributing factors. My comments indicated that the most significant factor was sending an inexperienced crew (Gates had only recently made HAC with
very little in-country H2P time) out in unsatisfactory weather to fly an unnecessary mission.
Submitted by Jerry Martin, HMM-263 squadron mate,
member of Accident Board
*******************************************
.
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