Charles Willard Larman

The database page for Charles Willard Larman

04 Apr 2008 Charlie, It has been 43 years since I have seen that always-present smile, since we were classmates at Oxon Hill High in 1965. Your life was cut too short in Vietnam. Our classmates have missed you but we have those memories of our fun days in elementary through high school. Thank you for your sacrifice for our country. Charlie, Welcome Home ! From a friend and classmate, J. Todd, U S Navy, Vietnam pjholly@verizon.net

A Note from The Virtual Wall After completion of a combat support mission, 8 UH-1Ds of the 336th Assault Helicopter Company, 13th Avn Bn, departed Vi Thanh enroute their home base at Soc Trang Airfield. The aircraft initially were divided into two flights, Gold Flight with 5 Hueys and White Flight with 3 Hueys. As the two flights approached Soc Trang they formed into a single flight of eight aircraft formed in echelon right with the 5 Gold aircraft in positions 1 through 5 and the three White aircraft in positions 6, 7, and 8. At about a mile distant from the airfield Gold 2 (UH-1D 64-13521) slid aft to maintain position on lead. In so doing, Gold 2 hit Gold 3 (UH-1D 66-01154) causing severe damage to both aircraft. Gold 2 broke up in flight, with the main fuselage cabin impacting in 7-foot-deep water. Gold 3 was able to maintain a marginally controllable autorotation to ground impact. All four men in Gold 2 died in the crash. After Gold 3 hit ground the gunner left the cabin and was struck and fatally injured by the main rotor blade. The crew chief was able to extract both pilots - each seriously injured - before the Huey caught fire and burned. The five dead Americans were In Gold 2 (UH-1D 64-13521) WO Gediminas J. Eidukaitis, Cleveland, OH, pilot WO Michael A. Kight, Waterbury, CT, copilot SP4 Burton I. Sharp, Taylor, MI, CPL Raymond H. Tighe, Winton, CA In Gold 3 (UH-1D 66-01154) SP4 Charles W. Larman, Oxon Hill, MD, gunner In addition, a South Vietnamese schoolgirl, Tran Thi Nghiem, was fatally injured by debris which hit a school several hundred meters from where Gold 3 impacted.

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With all respect
Jim Schueckler, former CW2, US Army
Ken Davis, Commander, United States Navy (Ret)
Memorial first published on 04 Apr 2008
Last updated 08/10/2009