DILLON, DAVID ANDREW

Name: David Andrew Dillon
Rank/Branch: E4/US Army
Unit:
Date of Birth: 28 May 1942
Home City of Record: Spring Valley CA
Date of Loss: 20 July 1966
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 104403N 1063218E (XS668865)
Status (in 1973): Killed/Body Not Recovered
Category: 4
Acft/Vehicle/Ground: UH1B
Refno: 0401
Other Personnel In Incident: none missing

Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 October 1990 from one or more
of the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources,
correspondence with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews.
Updated by the P.O.W. NETWORK 1998.

REMARKS:

SYNOPSIS: On July 20, 1966, SP4 David Dillon was serving as crewchief on a
UH1B helicopter operating in Long An Province, South Vietnam on an air
mobile assault mission.

During the landing approach, the helicopter was hit by enemy gunfire,
exploded and crashed. An immediate search of the area was conducted and the
remains of 3 other crewmembers were recovered and identified. Dillon's
wallet and ID card were found in the vicinity of the wreckage. An
investigative board report indicated that Dillon's position on the aircraft
was on the left door, which was the primary point of contact of the
explosion which involved white phosphorous. No remains were found that could
be identified as those of Dillon. A second, unsuccessful search was made.
The area of the crash was in a rice paddy.

When JCRC teams went back in December 1973 for follow-up, they was assaulted
and one of the team members was killed. This was one of the last searches
made by such teams in South Vietnam.

Since Dillon's remains were never found, he is listed among the missing.
Unlike many others who are missing, Dillon's case seems clear. Others
disappeared without notice after having been seen led away by enemy troops.
Some were photographed as captives. Still others were in radio contact with
search and rescue teams and described their imminent capture. There is no
question that a substantial number of the missing were at one time
prisoners. Most of them can be accounted for, alive or dead.

Since the war ended, thousands of reports have been received indicating that
hundreds of these missing men are still alive today. It is difficult to
imagine what they must be thinking of the country they proudly served.
Surely they deserved better than the abandonment we gave them.

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