Robert Joseph Acalotto
Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army
48th Aviation Company
Entered the Service From: Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Date of Birth: January 30, 1951
Date of Death: February 20, 1971
Wars or Conflicts: Vietnam War
Memorialized: Courts of the Missing: Court B
Honolulu Memorial
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
Staff Sergeant Acalotto was a member of the 48th Aviation Company, 223rd Aviation Battalion, 1st Aviation Brigade. On February 20, 1971, he was the door gunner of a Bell Iroquois Utility Helicopter (UH-1C) on a mission of providing gun cover for an emergency resupply mission about 20 miles southeast of Sepone, Laos. His aircraft was hit by hostile fire and crashed. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial
------------NOTE:
When the helicopter landed, it was upright on its skids, with the tail boom broken off and the right aft burning. Witnesses stated that it was certainly a "survivable crash."
Two people were seen exiting the aircraft on the right
side, running towards nearby trees. Witnesses noted that the left pilot door was jettisoned and that both forward seats were empty.
Several attempts were made to rescue the downed crew, but were unsuccessful because of heavy enemy fire. The 1st ARVN Division was to assist in a ground rescue attempt, but
the tactical situation changed before the infantry could reach the area, and the unit had to be pulled out. No contact with the crew was ever established after the crash.
According to information received by his family, John Reid was known to have been captured and was seen alive by other U.S. POWs in March of that same year, again in May and once in June. Whether the rest of the crew was captured is unknown. When the POWs were released in 1973, Reid was not among them, nor was the rest of the crew. The communist governments of Southeast Asia claim no knowledge of the fate of the crew of the UH1C that went down February 20, 1971.
Proof of the deaths of May, Reid, Acalotto and Johnson was never found. No remains came home; none was released from prison camp. They were not blown up, nor did they sink to the bottom of the ocean.
Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army
48th Aviation Company
Entered the Service From: Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Date of Birth: January 30, 1951
Date of Death: February 20, 1971
Wars or Conflicts: Vietnam War
Memorialized: Courts of the Missing: Court B
Honolulu Memorial
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
Staff Sergeant Acalotto was a member of the 48th Aviation Company, 223rd Aviation Battalion, 1st Aviation Brigade. On February 20, 1971, he was the door gunner of a Bell Iroquois Utility Helicopter (UH-1C) on a mission of providing gun cover for an emergency resupply mission about 20 miles southeast of Sepone, Laos. His aircraft was hit by hostile fire and crashed. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial
------------NOTE:
When the helicopter landed, it was upright on its skids, with the tail boom broken off and the right aft burning. Witnesses stated that it was certainly a "survivable crash."
Two people were seen exiting the aircraft on the right
side, running towards nearby trees. Witnesses noted that the left pilot door was jettisoned and that both forward seats were empty.
Several attempts were made to rescue the downed crew, but were unsuccessful because of heavy enemy fire. The 1st ARVN Division was to assist in a ground rescue attempt, but
the tactical situation changed before the infantry could reach the area, and the unit had to be pulled out. No contact with the crew was ever established after the crash.
According to information received by his family, John Reid was known to have been captured and was seen alive by other U.S. POWs in March of that same year, again in May and once in June. Whether the rest of the crew was captured is unknown. When the POWs were released in 1973, Reid was not among them, nor was the rest of the crew. The communist governments of Southeast Asia claim no knowledge of the fate of the crew of the UH1C that went down February 20, 1971.
Proof of the deaths of May, Reid, Acalotto and Johnson was never found. No remains came home; none was released from prison camp. They were not blown up, nor did they sink to the bottom of the ocean.
Robert Joseph Acalotto
Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army
48th Aviation Company
Entered the Service From: Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Date of Birth: January 30, 1951
Date of Death: February 20, 1971
Wars or Conflicts: Vietnam War
Memorialized: Courts of the Missing: Court B
Honolulu Memorial
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
Staff Sergeant Acalotto was a member of the 48th Aviation Company, 223rd Aviation Battalion, 1st Aviation Brigade. On February 20, 1971, he was the door gunner of a Bell Iroquois Utility Helicopter (UH-1C) on a mission of providing gun cover for an emergency resupply mission about 20 miles southeast of Sepone, Laos. His aircraft was hit by hostile fire and crashed. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial
------------NOTE:
When the helicopter landed, it was upright on its skids, with the tail boom broken off and the right aft burning. Witnesses stated that it was certainly a "survivable crash."
Two people were seen exiting the aircraft on the right
side, running towards nearby trees. Witnesses noted that the left pilot door was jettisoned and that both forward seats were empty.
Several attempts were made to rescue the downed crew, but were unsuccessful because of heavy enemy fire. The 1st ARVN Division was to assist in a ground rescue attempt, but
the tactical situation changed before the infantry could reach the area, and the unit had to be pulled out. No contact with the crew was ever established after the crash.
According to information received by his family, John Reid was known to have been captured and was seen alive by other U.S. POWs in March of that same year, again in May and once in June. Whether the rest of the crew was captured is unknown. When the POWs were released in 1973, Reid was not among them, nor was the rest of the crew. The communist governments of Southeast Asia claim no knowledge of the fate of the crew of the UH1C that went down February 20, 1971.
Proof of the deaths of May, Reid, Acalotto and Johnson was never found. No remains came home; none was released from prison camp. They were not blown up, nor did they sink to the bottom of the ocean.
Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army
48th Aviation Company
Entered the Service From: Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Date of Birth: January 30, 1951
Date of Death: February 20, 1971
Wars or Conflicts: Vietnam War
Memorialized: Courts of the Missing: Court B
Honolulu Memorial
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
Staff Sergeant Acalotto was a member of the 48th Aviation Company, 223rd Aviation Battalion, 1st Aviation Brigade. On February 20, 1971, he was the door gunner of a Bell Iroquois Utility Helicopter (UH-1C) on a mission of providing gun cover for an emergency resupply mission about 20 miles southeast of Sepone, Laos. His aircraft was hit by hostile fire and crashed. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial
------------NOTE:
When the helicopter landed, it was upright on its skids, with the tail boom broken off and the right aft burning. Witnesses stated that it was certainly a "survivable crash."
Two people were seen exiting the aircraft on the right
side, running towards nearby trees. Witnesses noted that the left pilot door was jettisoned and that both forward seats were empty.
Several attempts were made to rescue the downed crew, but were unsuccessful because of heavy enemy fire. The 1st ARVN Division was to assist in a ground rescue attempt, but
the tactical situation changed before the infantry could reach the area, and the unit had to be pulled out. No contact with the crew was ever established after the crash.
According to information received by his family, John Reid was known to have been captured and was seen alive by other U.S. POWs in March of that same year, again in May and once in June. Whether the rest of the crew was captured is unknown. When the POWs were released in 1973, Reid was not among them, nor was the rest of the crew. The communist governments of Southeast Asia claim no knowledge of the fate of the crew of the UH1C that went down February 20, 1971.
Proof of the deaths of May, Reid, Acalotto and Johnson was never found. No remains came home; none was released from prison camp. They were not blown up, nor did they sink to the bottom of the ocean.
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