Raymond Gibel

Gunnery Sergeant
HMM-364, MAG-16, 1ST MAW
United States Marine Corps
02 July 1932 - 27 July 1969
Mc Keesport, PA
Panel 20W Line 056

1ST MAW

HMM-364
USMC Combat Aircrew

Purple Heart, National Defense (2), Korean Service, Vietnam Service, UN Service, ROK Service, RVN Campaign

The database page for Raymond Gibel

30 Aug 2003

Raymond Gibel, and the other Purple Foxes who served in Vietnam, are remembered by the women who waited at home, whether mothers, sisters, wives, daughters, or friends. Those women, the

Purple Foxy Ladies
Purple Foxy Ladies

continue to support today's Purple Foxes of HMM-364 as they serve our country.

Visit
HMM-364
the Purple Foxes

on-line or go to our unit page
on The Virtual Wall

A memorial initiated by the
Purple Foxy Ladies
Foxyladiesgroup@aol.com

Notes from The Virtual Wall

The HMM-364 Command Chronology states
"On 27 July 1969 at 1530 hours, 17 miles SW of Da Nang, Quang Nam Province, RVN. Crew of YK-10 (bureau number 154018) of HMM-364 flying on an emergency medevac mission. Upon departure from the pick-up zone the aircraft received intense small arms fire and automatic fire. Aircraft impacted uncontrollably, exploded and burned. Aircraft consumed by fire. All crew and passengers were killed. Eleven lives were lost."
Eye witnesses to the crash indicated it probably was due to both hydraulic boost systems being shot out which rendered the aircraft uncontrollable. The known American dead were While the Command Chronology states that "eleven lives were lost" the casualty database shows only nine Americans lost in the incident. The HMM-364 site indicates that one prisoner was aboard; on another site Robert Garcia states that he "was bumped off [the helicopter] because our wounded and the POW's took priority." It therefore seems certain that both the tenth and eleventh casualties were prisoners.


The point-of-contact for this memorial is
HMM-364 and the Purple Foxy Ladies,
Frank Gulledge, Point Man
gulledge@bbtel.com 
31 Aug 2003



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With all respect
Jim Schueckler, former CW2, US Army
Ken Davis, Commander, United States Navy (Ret)
Channing Prothro, former CAP Marine
Last updated 08/31/2003