HILL, BILLY DAVID

Name: Billy David Hill
Rank/Branch: E6/US Army
Unit: 282nd Aviation Company, 14th Aviation Battalion
Date of Birth: 17 December 1946 (Wichita KS)
Home City of Record: Fallon NV
Date of Loss: 21 January 1968
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 163722N 1064434E (XD860385)
Status (in 1973): Missing In Action
Category: 2
Acft/Vehicle/Ground: UH1D
Refno: 1000

Other Personnel In Incident: Jerry W. Elliott (missing)

Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 01 March 1991 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 January 21, 1968, Captain Tommy C. Stiner, pilot; WO Gerald L.
McKensey Jr., co-pilot; SSgt. Billy D. Hill, doorgunner; and SP5 David H.
Harrington, crewchief; were aboard the lead UH1D helicopter on a troop
insertion mission. PVT Jerry W. Elliott was the doorgunner on the UH1D
following the lead ship. The two choppers were inserting ARVN troops at an
old French fort approximately 1200 meters east of Khe Sanh. Also in the lead
aircraft was LtCol. Semyo, senior advisor to the ARVN unit being inserted.

As WO McKensey's aircraft touched down on the landing zone, NVA troops stood
up all around the aircraft and began firing at the aircraft at almost point
blank range. As soon as all the ARVN troops were off-loaded, the aircraft
lifted off. At approximately 8-10 feet off the ground, the aircraft was hit
by either a 57mm recoilless rifle or a direct hit mortar fire, burst into
flames and crashed. PVT Elliott's UH1D landed approximately 50-60 feet from
the crashed aircraft.

LtCol. Semyo died while pinned under the aircraft. His body was subsequently
recovered. The pilot, Stiner, exited the aircraft successfully, evaded
capture and returned to friendly lines. Harrington was able to board a
rescue aircraft that had landed in the LZ. Before leaving the vicinity,
Capt. Stiner was in a defensive position with WO McKensey. Stiner later
reported that he witnessed McKensey being shot in the back of the head and
killed.

PVT Elliott and his crewchief exited their aircraft to assist survivors of
the downed helicopter. In a matter of seconds, the crewchief returned to his
aircraft and advised the pilot to take off immediately because of the highly
intense hostile fire. The aircraft lifted off, leaving Elliott on the
ground, circled and returned to the LZ, but could not locate PVT Elliott.

Three days after the incident, a helicopter searched the area and observed a
body in the tall elephant grass and small trees. By process of elimination,
the pilot determined that the body was that of PVT Elliott.

Two sets of remains were recovered from the crash site by an unidentified
unit. The remains were later positively identified as those of Semyo and
McKensey. Hill was last seen by Capt. Stiner, just prior to the aircraft
being hit in the compartment in which Hill was manning his machine gun.
Stiner stated that Hill was probably struck by the same volley of rounds
that downed the aircraft as his machine gun was observed blown to pieces.
Stiner searched the area before taking evasive action, but Hill could not be
located.

Hill and Elliot were declared Missing in Action. Although it is believed
that both men were injured, perhaps mortally, there is no proof that they
died. The proximity of enemy troops allows for the possibility that the two
were captured. They are among nearly 2500 Americans who remain missing from
the Vietnam war.

Although over 10,000 reports relating to Americans missing, prisoner or
unaccounted for in Southeast Asia have been received by the U.S. Government,
its official policy is that no conclusive proof has been obtained that is
current enough to act upon. Detractors of this policy say conclusive proof
is in hand, but that the willingness or ability to rescue these prisoners
does not exist.

Hill and Elliot, if among those hundreds said to be still alive and in
captivity, must be wondering if and when their country will return for them.
In America, we say that life is precious, but isn't the life of even one
American worth the effort of recovery? When the next war comes, and it is
our sons lost, will we then care enough to do everything we can to bring our
prisoners home?

Billy D. Hill was promoted to the rank of Master Sergeant and Jerry W.
Elliott was promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant during the period they
were maintained Missing in Action.

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