20 Sep 2007 I went to school several years with Rick. His family lived around the next block. I had a small crush on him as he was not only good looking but had such an easy going smile. He was very well liked. I was only 21 when I heard that Rick was never coming back. I thought I should go say something to his folks, but I didn't know what to say. I never knew anyone who had died. And so I let the opportunity go to tell his family that we too would miss him. Now, I am 58 years old and I still remember his smile. I think how horrible it was for our boys who had never been exposed to anything but happiness to have to go to war. And I know now too what it meant to freedom for him to give his life. Thank you, Rick, and I pray you rest in peace knowing "I Remember." From a friend, Donna Carpenter E-mail address is not available.

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall In mid-November 1970 a recon team from the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion got in trouble while on patrol: their Corpsman broke his leg, necessitating that the team be extracted. Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 263 was tasked with extracting them, a task that turned out to be impossible for two days. On the third day, in CH-46D (BuNo 154837), the HMM-263 crew succeeded in picking up the eight-man team - but all fifteen men aboard the CH-46 died when it collided with a mountainside after the extraction. Three of the crewmen were from HMM-263, two from H&MS-16; the Commanding Officer of the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion and his B Company Commander were aboard, as well as the extracted team. Aircrew: 1stLt Orville C. Rogers, Dallas, TX; pilot, HMM-263 1stLt James E. Stolz, Hicksville, NY; copilot, HMM-263 Sgt Robert A. Donnell, Clymer, NY; crew chief, HMM-263 Cpl Enver Bajin, College Point, NY; gunner, H&MS-16 LCpl Richard R. Buttry, Anaheim, CA; gunner, H&MS-16 1st Recon Battalion: LtCol William G. Leftwich, Germantown, TN; CO, 1st Recon 1stLt Cleveland R. Harvey, Alexandria, VA; B Co HM2 Russell G. Daniels, Phoenix, AZ; B Co Cpl Randall P. Manela, Eugene, OR; B Co Cpl John F. Stockman, Marcus Hook, PA; B Co Cpl Fernando Villasana, El Paso, TX; B Co LCpl David V. Delozier, Altoona, PA; B Co LCpl Gary D. Hudson, Joplin, MO; B Co LCpl Charles A. Pope, Independence, MO; B Co LCpl Robert E. Tucker, Abbyville, KS; B Co More information is available on the Pop-A-Smoke site

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