22 Jun 2006 TSGT Chappell is remembered by the Big Spring Vietnam Memorial, Big Spring, Texas and by the Permian Basin Vietnam Veterans' Memorial in Midland, Texas. TSgt Chappell perished aboard a transport plane under hostile conditions on December 17, 1965. At the time of his death, his wife lived in Big Spring, Texas. From a PBVVM representative, Billy M. Brown 4015 Melody Lane, Odessa, Texas 79762 bmbrown@grandecom.net

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall The first AC-47 gunships arrived in Vietnam in November 1965, but their guns had been removed in order to lighten the aircraft for the trans-Pacific flight and did not arrive until a month later. In the meantime the aircraft were put to work on courier and cargo flights. The 4th Air Commando Squadron lost their first aircraft, AC-47D tail number 43-49492, on a courier flight between Tan Son Nhut and Phan Rang on 17 Dec 1965. The wreckage was located on 23 Dec and the bodies of the nine men aboard were recovered. Aircrew, 4th ACS, 6250th Cmbt Spt Grp Major Robert W. Abbott, Delmar, NY, pilot Major Robert L. Abernathy, St Louis, MO, copilot 1stLt Francis R. Buckley, Los Angeles, CA, navigator A1C Claude W. Mathews, Franklinville, NJ, flight engineer Passengers MSgt Joseph A. Cestaric, Midland, PA, 12th Civil Eng Sqdn SSgt Ralph L. Hinson, Macon, GA, 12th Supply Sqdn TSgt John M. Chappell, St Louis, MO, 12th Civil Eng Sqdn TSgt Thomas N. Sloan, Minneapolis, MN, 12th Civil Eng Sqdn A1C Johnson A. Meade, Dover-Foxcroft, ME, 12th Civil Eng Sqdn

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