Remembering
James Patrick Delaney
Chief Warrant Officer, Army of the United States
334TH AHC, 12TH CAG, 1 AVN BDE
From
Lorain, OH
17 December 1949 - 10 November 1971
James Patrick Delaney is on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Panel 02W Line 064.
For Jim:
I still see your face the night prior.
I still wish I hadn't been so exhausted.
I still wish I had been more alert.
I wish I had been able to fly that mission for you.
I remember that dark, early November morning.
I remember my disbelief when they told me your fate.
I remember them packing your things.
I remember how hard it was speaking about you at your memorial service.
I Still Remember You.
The Mission
At about 0230 10 Nov 1971, a UH-1H (tail number 66-16036) of the 334th Assault Helicopter Company was launched from Phu Loi on a night flare mission over an enemy contact site located about 17 miles southeast of Saigon. The Huey was to work with two AH-1G gunships which had departed Phu Loi about 30 minutes earlier.
036 stopped enroute at an ARVN compound and picked up an American advisor and a Vietnamese officer, then continued to the target area. On arrival, 036 took station at 2,000 feet above ground level (below the two AH-1G's) and 036's pilot began a radio brief with the AH-1G crews. He stopped in midsentence and stated that he had a transmission failure. The UH-1H departed orbit in a descending left turn which continued to ground impact.
All seven men aboard 036 died in the crash:
- CW2 James Patrick Delaney, 334th AHC, aircraft commander
- WO1 Francis James Klassen, 334th AHC, copilot
- SGT Dennis Michael Higgins, 334th AHC, technical observer
- SP4 John Michael Clark, 334th AHC, gunner
- SP4 Henry Floyd Dellecker, 334th AHC, crew chief
- 1LT Raymon Horace James, Jr, MACV Advisory Team 98
- Xuan, rank and first name unknown, ARVN
