tn-r-o5-085

Helicopter OH-58A 69-16085
Information on U.S. Army helicopter OH-58A tail number 69-16085
The Army purchased this helicopter 0570
Total flight hours at this point: 00000375
Date: 02/11/71
Unit: C/3/17 CAV (D Troop Editor's note: Unit designation change had not yet been registered.)
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was REPAIRED IN THEATER
This was a Recon mission for Unarmed Recon
While in Operations Area this helicopter was Unknown at 0050 feet and 050 knots.
South Vietnam
Helicopter took 1 hits from:
Small Arms/Automatic Weapons; Gun launched non-explosive ballistic projectiles less than 20 mm in size. (12.7MM)
The helicopter Continued Flight.
The aircraft continued and accomplished all mission objectives.
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center Helicopter database. Also: LNNF (Lindenmuth New Format Data Base. )

Information on U.S. Army helicopter OH-58A tail number 69-16085
The Army purchased this helicopter 0570
Total flight hours at this point: 00000375
Date: 02/23/71
Incident number: 71022323.KIA
Unit: D/3/5 CAV 5 INF
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was LOSS TO INVENTORY
This was a Recon mission for Unarmed Recon
While in Operations Area this helicopter was Unknown at 0050 feet and 080 knots.
Laos
UTM grid coordinates: XD652487
Count of hits was not possible because the helicopter burned or exploded.
Small Arms/Automatic Weapons; Gun launched non-explosive ballistic projectiles less than 20 mm in size. (12.7MM)
Systems damaged were: PERSONNEL
Casualties = 03 DOI . . Number killed in accident = 0 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 0
The helicopter Crashed. Aircraft Destroyed.
Both mission and flight capability were terminated.
Burned
costing 0
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center Helicopter database. Also: OPERA, LNNF, FM386, CASRP, Fred Blanchard (Operations Report. Lindenmuth New Format Data Base. Casualty Report. )
Summary: Scout mission on Laos border in SVN took fire from large enemy force, tried to stretch autorotation and ran out of RPM, crashed & burned
Loss to Inventory and Helicopter was not recovered

Crew Members:
P CW2 HISCOCK STEPHEN MAYO KIA
CE SGT ARMENTROUT RAYMOND LEE KIA
OB SP4 WALERZAK WILLIAM THOMAS KIA

War Story:
I was part of the effort to recover their bodies. I remember there were three of them in the OH-58, Stephen Hiscock, Ray Armentrout and their observer whose name I can not remember or find. I am not sure what his call sign was besides Charlie Horse. They were on a VR mission around an area that we nicked named the Cabbage Patch. It was the same place where John Hunter and Carl Nacca were killed on the 20th. CPT Paul (George) Carter and 1LT Al Wester were shot down immediately behind Hunter and Naccas. It was a cultivated area where no civilians were supposed to be. We had been keeping a pretty close eye on it. A few days earlier we had found vehicle tracks through the cultivated area that almost had to be NVA. On the 20th our two Cobras were hit with 50 fire and most likely a twin or quad 50 set up, so the Cabbage Patch was well defended. Their VR mission was part of the Lam Son 719 thing.
Submitted to the VHPA in March, 2000 by Fred Blanchard

This record was last updated on 03/27/00

The following is crew member information for this incident:

Name: SP4 William Thomas Walerzak
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 02/23/71 while performing the duty of Aerial Observer.
Date of Birth: 06/25/49
Home City: Detroit, MI
Service: component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: D/3/5 CAV 5 INF
Prior Unit: C/3/17 CAV 70
Service: U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 04W-001
Short Summary: Scout mission on Laos border in SVN took fire from large enemy force, tried to stretch autorotation and ran out of RPM, crashed & burned
Aircraft: OH-58A tail number 69-16085
SSN: 370521061
Country: Laos
MOS: 11B20 = Infantryman
Primary cause: Hostile Fire
Position in vehicle: observer
Started Tour: 10/28/70
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - non-aircrew
Length of service: *
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - killed
single male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: Roman Catholic
The following information is secondary, but may help in explaining this incident.
Category of casualty as defined by the Army: battle dead Category of personnel: active duty Army Military class: enlisted personnel
This record was last updated on 03/27/00

Name: SGT Raymond Lee Armentrout (posthumously promoted)
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 02/23/71 while performing the duty of Crew Chief.
Age at death: 20.4
Date of Birth: 10/18/50
Home City: Weston, WV
Service: regular component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: D/3/5 CAV 5 INF
Prior Unit: C/3/17 CAV 70
Service: U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 05W-131
Short Summary: Scout mission on Laos border in SVN took fire from large enemy force, tried to stretch autorotation and ran out of RPM, crashed & burned
Aircraft: OH-58A tail number 69-16085
SSN: 234802114
Country: Laos
MOS: 67V2T = Observation/Scout Helicopter Repairer
Primary cause: Hostile Fire
Position in vehicle: crew chief
Started Tour: 07/11/70
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - other aircrew
Length of service: *
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - killed
single male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: Roman Catholic
The following information is secondary, but may help in explaining this incident.
Category of casualty as defined by the Army: battle dead Category of personnel: active duty Army Military class: enlisted personnel
This record was last updated on 03/27/00

Name: CW2 Stephen Mayo Hiscock
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 02/23/71 while performing the duty of Pilot.
Age at death: 20.3
Date of Birth: 11/17/50
Home City: Atlanta, GA
Service: AV branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: D/3/5 CAV 5 INF
Prior Unit: C/3/17 CAV 70
Flight class: 69-45
Service: AV branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 05W-134
Short Summary: Scout mission on Laos border in SVN took fire from large enemy force, tried to stretch autorotation and ran out of RPM, crashed & burned
Aircraft: OH-58A tail number 69-16085
Call sign: Charlie Horse
SSN: 408861597
Country: Laos
MOS: 100B = Utility/Observation Helicopter Pilot
Primary cause: Hostile Fire
Position in vehicle: pilot
Started Tour: 03/03/70
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - pilot
Length of service: *
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - killed
single male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: Episcopal (Anglican)
The following information is secondary, but may help in explaining this incident.
Category of casualty as defined by the Army: battle dead Category of personnel: active duty Army Military class: warrant officer
This record was last updated on 03/27/00

The following is Goldbook information on US Army helicopter OH-58A tail number 69-16085
It is provided here as an ESTIMATE of the history of this helicopter and is not intended to be the final authority.
This helicopter was purchased by the US Army in 0570.
Please provide any additional information on this helicopter to the VHPA.
DATE FLT HRS    UIC      UNIT          AREA          POST          COUNTRY
7005   0    0 WHB1AA 166 TRANS CO     VIETNAM                     RVN
7006   0    0 WHB1AA 166 TRANS CO     VIETNAM                     RVN
7007   1    1 WHB1AA 166 TRANS CO     VIETNAM                     RVN
7008   8    9 WCLSAA 388 TRANS CO     VIETNAM                     RVN
7009 46   55 WCLBAA 330 TRANS CO     VIETNAM                     RVN
7010 94 149 WCLBAA 330 TRANS CO     VIETNAM                     RVN
7011 78 227 WCLBAA 330 TRANS CO     VIETNAM                     RVN
7012 49 276 WAAMC0 TRP C 3SQ 17CAV VIETNAM                     RVN
7101 99 375 WAAMC0 3 17 AC SQ C TP VIETNAM                     RVN
7102   0 375 WAAMC0 3 17 AC SQ C TP VIETNAM                     RVN

Please send additions or corrections to:
VHPA Head Quarters or Gary Roush or Mike Law