This Military Service Page was created/owned by
GySgt David R. Marcussen
to remember
Marine Cpl Paul James Allen.
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Casualty Info
Home Town Rochester
Last Address Rochester
Casualty Date Apr 11, 1968
Cause Non Hostile- Died Other Causes
Reason Air Loss, Crash - Land
Location Quang Tri (Vietnam)
Conflict Vietnam War
Location of Interment Oakwood Cemetery - Rochester, Minnesota
I entered this unit while it was at the Camp Pendleton Air Strip in California around July 1st, 1965. I and another Marine, Pvt Cloie Parsons, had been together since Parris Island and Camp Geiger, North Carolina. Both had gone home after training, and now our duty to the country called. We were ready to start our jobs in the Marine Corps and was reporting into our first assignment. That was VMO-6! Our orders called for each of us to report to El Toro, California. The first problem in our new job was a major one, even before we checked in. VMO-6 was not at MCAF ElToro, California.
Not to worry, our squadron, VMO-6, had a slick taxi. And one was close by, right then. The driver was none other than LtCol Robert J. Zitnik, the Commanding Officer of VMO-6. Alone, he swooped down out of the sky like a hawk, slowed and made his way in a hovering taxi to where we were, landed, picked us up, gently turned the UH1-E helicopter and made his way slowly back to the flight pattern and slowly began to move forward, picking up speed, climbing higher and higher.
My first duty station and I had the commanding officer have to pick me up and transport me from one place my orders said to go to, to the right place. I quickly learned my unit was a helicopter unit. I also learned it was nice to fly in smaller aircraft too, enjoying my ride with my Commanding Officer at the control helms. I would learn all about this kind of helicopter, this unit, and some of the Marines within the unit in time. I was with VMO-6 for about six weeks and then learned we would be moving, the whole squadron, out of America. We all knew where we would be generally going..........South Vietnam. And that is where we went.
Worst Moment Incident Date 680411 HMM-163 UH-34D 145804+ and VMO-6 UH-1E 154968+ Mid-air Collision [PASSENGERS] Addice, Frank Paul HN Corpsman-Pass Corpsmen MAG-36 680411 (vvm 49E:018) Belcher, Robert Winslow Cpl Passenger H&SCo/3/26 3rdMarDiv 680411 (vvm 49E:019) Davidson, Dennis Robert PFC Passenger A/3rdTankBn 3rdMarDiv 680411 (vvm 49E:020) Erwin, Richard Eugene PFC Passenger H&SCo/3/26 3rdMarDiv 680411 (vvm 49E:021) Finley, Charles Richard PFC Passenger M/3/26 3rdMarDiv 680411 (vvm 49E:021) ADDICE FRANK PAUL : B135050 : USNR : HN : E3 : HN : 19 : WANAQUE : NJ : 19680411 : Air Loss Crash Land : Passenger ? Corpsman : body recovered : Quang Tri : 01 : 19480913 : Cauc : RomanCatholic/single : 49E : 018 : UH-34D 145804 ALLEN PAUL JAMES : 2163180 : USMC : CPL : E4 : 6319 : 21 : ROCHESTER : MN : 19680411 : Air Loss Crash Land : CrewChief VMO-6 : body recovered : Quang Tri :02 : 19461112 : Cauc : single : 49E : 018 : UH-1E 154968 BELCHER ROBERT WINSLOW : 2182203 : USMC : CPL : E4 : 2847 : 22 : WINTHROP : MA : 19680411 : Air Loss Crash Land : Passenger : body recovered : Quang Tri :02 : 19451111 : Cauc : Protestant/single : 49E : 019 : UH-34D 145804 DAVIDSON DENNIS ROBERT : 1911231 : USMC : PFC : E2 : 1811 : 25 : DAYTON : OH : 19680411 : Air Loss Crash Land : Passenger : body recovered : Quang Tri :06 : 19430302 : Crew : single : 49E : 020 : UH-34D 145804 DEMARCO MICHAEL GREGORY : 2241387 : USMC : LCPL : E3 : 6319 : 21 : ALBANY : NY : 19680411 : Air Loss Crash Land : Gunner VMO-6 : body recovered : Quang Tri :02 : 19470304 : Cauc : Roman Catholic/single : 49E : 020 : UH-1E 154968 ERWIN RICHARD EUGENE : 2335819 : USMC : PFC : E2 : 2531 : 20 : DALLAS : TX : 19680411 : Air Loss Crash Land : Passenger : body recovered : Quang Tri :00 : 19480322 : Cauc : Protestant/single : 49E : 021 : UH-34D 145804 FINLEY CHARLES RICHARD : 2364862 : USMC : PFC : E2 : 0311 : 19 : CAPE GIRARDEAU : MO : 19680411 : Air Loss Crash Land : Passenger : body recovered :Quang Tri :00 : 19481202 : Cauc : Protestant/single : 49E : 021 : UH-34D 145804 GANNON EUGENE RICHARD : 092047 : USMCR : CAPT : O3 : 7561 H-34 : 24 : NEW YORK : NY : 19680411 : Air Loss Crash Land : AircraftCommander : body recovered : Quang Tri :06 : 19440102 : Cauc : Roman Catholic/married : 49E : 022 : UH-34D 145804 GRATEN FREDERICK DUNHAM : 2153541 : USMC : CPL : E4 : 6332 : 20 : MEDFORD : OR : 19680411 : Air Loss Crash Land : Crew : body recovered : Quang Tri :02 : 19470919 : Cauc : Protestant/married : 49E : 022 : UH-34D 145804 HOLDEN JOHN PARKER II : 0103484 : USMCR : 2ndLT : O1 : 7561 H-34 : 24 : PHILADELPHIA : PA : 19680411 : Air Loss Crash Land : Copilot : body recovered : Quang Tri : 02 : 19431110 : Cauc : Protestant/married : 49E : 023 : UH-34D 145804 MCMILLAN BRUCE FRANCIS : 082238 : USMC : CAPT : O3 : 7563 : 30 : WALNUT CREEK : CA : 19680411 : Air Loss Crash Land : Pilot VMO-6 : body recovered : Quang Tri :12 : 19370815 : Cauc : Roman Catholic/single : 49E : 024 : UH-1E 154968 NIXON JOHN ARLEIGH : 2156034 : USMC : CPL : E4 : 6320 : 21 : ARLINGTON : VA : 19680411 : Air Loss Crash Land : Crew : body recovered : Quang Tri :02 : 19460706 : Cauc : Protestant/single : 49E : 024 : UH-34D 145804 RIEDE RONALD EDGAR : 094202 : USMCR : 1stLT : O2 : 7563 : 24 : ST LOUIS : MO : 19680411 : Air Loss Crash Land : Copilot VMO-6 : body recovered : Quang Tri :04 : 19440105 : Cauc : Protestant/single : 49E : 025 : UH-1E 154968 VMO-6 Squadron Command Chronology - April 1968: 11 April 1968. While returning from Khe Sanh after launching to cover an emergency medevac mission by Highboy 6-1, Seaworthy 4-5 and Highboy 6-1 collided in mid-air. The UH-34 was torn apart and the UH-1E was consumed by fire. A total of 12 people were killed, including the four crewmembers of Seaworthy 4-5. Submitted by Alan H Barbour, Historian, USMC/Vietnam Helicopter Association VMO-6 After Mission Report - 11 April 1968: Operation PEGASUS - Mission #53A in support of III MAF - 2 UH-1E's (WB-12 and WB-6) assigned medevac chase - Crew of second a/c [not involved in midair] was ALEXANDER (pilot), TENNES (copilot), HOLDERNESS (crew chief) and PATTO (gunner) - - midair occured at SE corner of Cam Lo Settlement - report signed by H. Tennes (copilot of wing aircraft) NOTE: Crash site was YD1458 [from Recovery Mission 54A of 11 April 1968]
Other Memories Personal Narrative: This was a midair collision involving a 34 medevac bird and one of two VMO-6 Huey gunship escorts. The two Hueys and crews had been on "night standby." After a quiet night, they launched about sunrise to escort a medevac chopper that was called to pick up some wounded grunts in the hills up around Khe Sanh. They were on their way to Delta Med at Dong Ha when they collided, crashed and burned near the abandoned refugee camp at Cam Lo. As Mike Holderness, who was flying gunner in the other VMO-6 huey, described it, the gunships were flying above and behind the 34, as usual. The 34 and lead Huey then just "kind of kissed" and both went down. I especially remember the details of this incident because I came close to being part of it. I was flying as a gunner on April 10. When we returned "home" to Quang Tri around 8 p.m., I saw Paul Allen on the flight line, preflighting his bird for night standby. He was perturbed because he couldn't find Mike DeMarco, who was slotted to fly gunner. I said I'd be his gunner, so I put my gun and gear in his plane. Then we borrowed the squadron jeep and drove to the mess hall for late chow. As we were eating, DeMarco showed up and apologized for being late. He'd been taking a nap and overslept. We drove back to the flight line. I took my stuff out of PJ's plane and said goodnight. They were dead the next morning. Submitted by Lou Sessinger, Paul Allen's hootchmate in VMO-6
