MYERS, DAVID GEPHART

Name: David Gephart Myers
Branch/Rank: United States Marine Corps/O2
Unit: VMFA 533 MAG 12 or VMO 2 MAG 16 1 MAR
Date of Birth: 19 September 1943
Home City of Record: STATE COLLEGE PA
Date of Loss: 08 June 1967
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 164221 North 1063914 East
Status (in 1973): Killed In Action/Body Not Recovered
Category: 2
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: UH1E TAIL # 154763
Missions:
Other Personnel in Incident:
Refno:

Source: Compiled by P.O.W. NETWORK from one or more of the following: raw
data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA
families, published sources, interviews and CACCF = Combined Action
Combat Casualty File. Updated 2000.

REMARKS:

DIED NEAR HILL 881 NEXT TO KHE SAHN VIA GROUND FIRE

=================

From - Wed Mar 22 10:57:09 2000
Subject: INCIDENT DATE 670608 VMO-3 UH-1E 154763+ small arms fire airborne

May be additional info here that you can use.

Alan H. Barbour, President
USMC/Vietnam Helicopter Association
______________________________________________


INCIDENT DATE 670608 VMO-3 UH-1E 154763+ small arms fire airborne

Myers, David Gephart 1stLT Pilot VMO-3 670608

MYERS DAVID GEPHART : 091291 : USMC : 1stLT : O2 : 7563 : 23 : STATE COLLEGE
: PA : 19670608 : Hostile, small arms fire, airborne : Pilot : body NOT
recovered : Quang Tri : 01 : 19430919 : Cauc : Protestant/married : 21E :
075

Comments on Incident:
Killed by enemy ground fire while attacking position in huey gunship near
Hill 881S north of Khe Sanh. Body left at scene of a/c impact due to
hostilities. Other crewmembers survived and were evacuated. Myers confirmed
dead at scene of crash by crew.

Loss Coordinates:
N16 42 21 E106 39 14

Comments on Incident:
I was the Copilot in the lead ship of a two ship flight. We were operating
out of Khe Sanh and this was my first deployment of many to the combat base.
Dave was flying with Capt. Boyd Barkley. Bo was a member of the VMO-3 second
group [arriving in-country] along with me. We were the FNGs at that time.

As I recall, we were on a TAOR [Tactical Area of Responsibility] sweep and
were operating around Hill 881S [South]. We received a request from the
ground to assist the grunts with a recon of the Hill 881N area. They felt
that Charlie [North Vietnamese Army] was possibly waiting in ambush for them
as they were walking between 881N and 881S.

They requested a recon by fire on the trail to their front and marked the
suspected position with WP (white phosphorus smoke grenade]. We rolled in on
the position and shot it up with our machineguns. We did not see any
movement. We pulled off and Dave and Bo rolled in to shoot up the area.

I will never forget the next thing I heard on the radio. I heard Dave say
that they were hit and that he was dead. We immediately made a 180 degree
turn and I saw Dave's aircraft smoking and in obvious distress. I told my
pilot that I thought Dave was going down. We followed them down and saw them
crash on a steep slope. The aircraft rolled down the slope and came to rest
inverted.

We immediately notified the controllers and laid down suppressive fire. It
seemed like hours before we got rescue on station along with some fixed wing
support, but it was actually only minutes. The rescue was done by an
unidentified H-34, squadron; thank you guys whoever you were. We stayed on
station and coordinated the rescue effort until all survivors were out. It
was my introduction to Khe Sanh. I'm sorry that Dave stayed. We were unable
to get him out.

Submitted by Robert C. Houston, Wingman(Copilot).

SAEPE EXPERTUS, SEMPER FIDELIS, FRATRES AETERNI
"Often Tested, Always Faithful, Brothers Forever"

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