James Douglas SmithChief Warrant OfficerA TROOP, 3RD SQD, 17TH CAV RGT, 1 AVN BDE Army of the United States 07 March 1944 - 23 July 1968 San Jose, CA Panel 51W Line 044 |
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The database page for James Douglas Smith
Jim was the boy next door,
From a friend, |
The MissionOn 23 July 1968, A Troop, 3rd Squadron, 17th Cavalry, was conducting a troop insertion mission in Long An Province east of Tan An, near the coast. A scout helicopter (OH-6A tail number 65-12985, crewed by 1LT Douglas D. Chaney and SP5 Francis D. Johnson) went down. The lift platoon command and control ship (UH-1H tail number 66-16060), under the command of Chief Warrant Officer James D. Smith, landed under heavy fire. CW2 Smith left his aircraft to go to the aid of the downed aircrew. After Smith left his aircraft, the UH-1H continued to receive fire. Crew chief SP4 Bruce R. Wenban was mortally wounded, and the UH-1H copilot was forced to lift off in order to save his aircraft and remaining crewmembers.An eye-witness in another UH-1H reported that "The crew of another aircraft and I repeatedly tried to land and get them, but we were driven off by small arms fire. Chaney was found dead in the cockpit, probably shot just before or after landing. I clearly saw the other pilot Smith from the C&C Huey outside the ship, behind a rice paddy dike away from the source of ground fire. I thought he would be okay until the infantry reached him a little while later, since we could cover all the open area near him. I was wrong - he had been shot dead when reached, all his .38 pistol ammunition expended."Four men died in the incident - 1LT Chaney and SP5 Johnson aboard the OH-6A and CW2 Smith and SP4 Wenban aboard the UH-1H. |
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With all respect
Jim Schueckler, former CW2, US Army
Ken Davis, Commander, United States Navy (Ret)
Channing Prothro, former CAP Marine
Last updated 08/10/2009