Robert Martin Goselin
Sergeant
B CO, 1ST BN, 14TH INFANTRY, 4TH INF DIV, USARV
Army of the United States
Bourbonnais, Illinois
September 10, 1948 to June 05, 1970
ROBERT M GOSELIN is on the Wall at Panel W9, Line 13

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14 Jul 2008

Bob, it's taken me a long time to get up the courage to write this. Yours was one of those losses that seemed to me to be unjust. You had as I recall less than 30 days to go before "going home". We always tried to place those with 30 days or less into relatively safe jobs at the rear. This didn't happen for you. I don't know why, it should have, but it didn't. I made up the ACL for the flight for that mission. It was your machine gun team's turn to be on the first bird (shared risk, your gun team this time, the other gun team the next time). By the time my bird dropped us off, it had already happened, and you were gone along with the others on that bird. I have carried remorse and guilt for putting you on that bird, but if it wasn't your team it would have been the other team. So I can only say that I remember you, doing your job, smiling, not complaining. We shared much together. I'll always wish you were on this side of the Wall.

James H Owens Jr.
former Sergeant
B Co 1st Bn 14th Infantry
jhowensjr@rcn.com


 

A Note from The Virtual Wall

On 05 June 1970 the 119th Assault Helicopter Company was tasked with supporting a combat assault by B Company, 1/14th Infantry. As UH-1H tail number 68-16354 approached the landing zone it was hit by automatic weapons fire which killed both pilots. The aircraft crashed into a stream and burned, killing one of the two remaining crewmen and four infantrymen. The dead were The 119th AHC unit history describes the incident:
"Today was a sad day for the Gators as they have lost friends as well as fine aviators. Gator 354 was shot down by enemy gunners and along with her she took the lives of WO Rousell, WO Lundequam, SP4 Broadston, and four soldiers from the 1/14 Infantry. The only survivor of the crash was PFC Comes, who was floundering in the water after attempting to help WO Lundequam, who had already perished. PFC Comes was fished out by WO Oliver's (pilot of another HUEY) quick to react crew chief and gunner, SP4 Almon and SP4 Bottom respectively. SP4 Almon attempted to rescue an injured and badly burned victim who was under (Editor's note: next word doesn't make sense) cerntainable, but the effort was in vain as the victim drifted in the blazing wreckage. During his attempt, SP4 Almon lost his footing and went under almost on the verge of drowning. WO Kelly jumped out of the aircraft and retrieved SP Almon. Those injured were medevaced to An Khe and the area was secured."

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