REFNO Synopsis:
SYNOPSIS: LAM SON 719 was a large offensive operation against NVA communications lines in Laos. The operation called for ARVN troops to drive west from Khe Sanh, cut the Ho Chi Minh Trail, seize Tchpone and return to Vietnam. The ARVN would provide and command the ground forces, while U.S. Army and Air Force would furnish aviation airlift and supporting firepower. The 101st Airborne Division commanded all U.S. Army aviation units in direct support of the operation. Most of the first part of the operation, begun January 30, 1971, was called Operation DEWEY CANYON II, and was conducted by U.S. ground forces in Vietnam. The ARVN were halfway on February 11 and positioned for the attack across the Laotian border. On 8 February, ARVN began to push into Laos. The NVA reacted fiercely, but the ARVN held its positions supported by U.S. airstrikes and resupply runs by Army helicopters. President Nguyen Van Thieu ordered a helicopter assault on Tchepone, and the abandoned village was seized March 6. Two weeks of hard combat were necessary for the ARVN task force to fight its way back to Vietnam. On March 24, a OH58A light observation helicopter (serial #69-16136) was lost near the border of South Vietnam and Laos in Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam. The aircraft, flown by CW2 James P. Ross, was departing from its squadron forward command post at Ham Nhi for a visual reconnaissance mission. Onboard the aircraft were Sgt. Harry M. Beckwith III, the door gunner, and SP4 William E. Neal, crew member. Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft was hit by enemy automatic ground-to-air fire and crashed in enemy surrounded area. Within minutes, the aircraft exploded and burned. A UH1 helicopter was sent immediately to the crash site, and a team of aero-rifle platoon members was inserted to secure the area and to rescue any survivors. Once on the ground, the infantrymen encountered heavy enemy fire, but were able to secure the aircraft. They found CW2 Ross near the aircraft, and he indicated to Sgt. Somora, section leader of the rifle platoon, that both the other crew members were dead, and that nothing could be done to help them due to the enemy in the area and the extent of the aircraft fire. A total search of the area was not made. The remains of two crewmen were put into an extraction helicopter by infantrymen of the 101st Airborne Division. After takeoff, another helicopter came into the landing zone about 100 meters behind the body-carrying helicopter. Before he could land, he saw something fall out of the departing helicopter, which turned out to be Sgt. Beckwith's body, wrapped in a poncho liner. The chase helicopter, a Cobra, swept in and attempted to get a location of where the body had fallen, but because of the distance, and the fact that the poncho liner color blended with the terrain and foliage, no definite fix could be obtained. The pilot of the chase Cobra reported that he saw ashes and a floppy poncho liner, indicating that there was almost nothing in it, fall from approximately 1150 feet. Searches during the next two days were unsuccessful. On April 7, 1971, another visual search flight was made over the area of the incident, but with no results. It was concluded that because of the wind conditions, the lightness of the poncho liner, and the fact that it had literally become part of the terrain, further attempts would be futile. [Note: A Michigan newspaper published a brief account of Beckwith's loss in about 1986. This account stated that Beckwith had been aboard an observation helicopter when it was hit by rifle fire from Viet Cong guerrillas hiding in nearby trees. It further stated that Beckwith was shot running across a rice paddy in the Mekong Delta, and that his pilot was also shot, but escaped and was rescued. The Michigan story appears to be accurate except for Beckwith running across a rice paddy in the Mekong Delta. All military data indicate that Beckwith was lost in Quang Tri Province. As the Mekong Delta is some 350 miles south of Quang Tri Province, the "running across a rice paddy in the Mekong Delta" portion of the Michigan story must be discounted as inaccurate.] Losses were heavy in Lam Son 719. The ARVN lost almost 50% of their force. U.S. aviation units lost 168 helicopters; another 618 were damaged. Fifty-five aircrewmen were killed, 178 wounded, and 34 missing in action in the entire operation, lasting until April 6, 1971. Harry Beckwith came from a military family and planned a career in the Army. His father, Army Sgt. Major Harry M. Beckwith, Jr., was stationed in Saigon when his son was lost in 1971 on his third tour of Vietnam. While a tank commander at Cu Chi in 1968, Harry Beckwith was awarded the Silver Star for rescuing, despite his own serious injuries, three others pinned under a tank during an armored attack. Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 01 September 1990 from one or more of the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews

War Story:
Jim Ross survived shoot down and crash. The observer and gunner were killed by .51 cal and Ross had broken back and foot. He spent about a year in the hospital recovering. from Russ Whipple, July 1996

This record was last updated on 05/25/98
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The following is crew member information for this incident:
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Name: SGT Harry Medfor Beckwith III
Status: Body Not Recovered from an incident on 03/24/71 while performing the duty of Gunner.
Age at death: 22.6
Date of Birth: 08/18/48
Home City: Flint, MI
Service: regular component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: D/3/5 CAV
Major organization: 5th Infantry Division
Service: U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 04W-072
Aircraft: OH-58A tail number 69-16136
SSN: 567805131
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 11D40 = Armor Reconnaissance Specialist
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: small arms fire
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: observer
Vehicle ownership: government
Started Tour: 12/02/70
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - non-aircrew
The initial status of this person was: missing in action - interim
Length of service: *
Location: Quang Tri Province I Corps.
Military grid coordinates of event: XD668543
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - killed
single male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: Protestant - no denominational preference
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 09/16/96
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Name: SP4 William Edward Neal
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 03/24/71 while performing the duty of Crew Chief.
Age at death: 27.4
Date of Birth: 11/08/43
Home City: Martinsville, IN
Service: regular component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: D/3/5 CAV
Major organization: 5th Infantry Division
Service: U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 04W-073
Aircraft: OH-58A tail number 69-16136
SSN: 317425474
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 12B2P = Combat Engineer
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: vehicular accident
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: crew chief
Vehicle ownership: government
Started Tour: 06/30/70
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - other aircrew
The initial status of this person was: no previous report
Length of service: *
Location: Quang Tri Province I Corps.
Military grid coordinates of event: XD668543
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 09/16/96
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The following is Goldbook information on US Army helicopter OH-58A tail number 69-16136
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 0670.
Please provide any additional information on this helicopter to the VHPA.
 

DATE  FLT HRS    UIC      UNIT          AREA          POST          COUNTRY
7006   0    0 WHB1AA 166 TRANS CO     VIETNAM                     RVN
7007   0    0 WHB1AA 166 TRANS CO     VIETNAM                     RVN
7008   0    0 WHB1AA 166 TRANS CO     VIETNAM                     RVN
7009   1    1 WCLSAA 388 TRANS CO     VIETNAM                     RVN
7010   0    1 WCLSAA 388 TRANS CO     VIETNAM                     RVN
7011  24   25 WAAMC0 TRP C 3SQ 17CAV  VIETNAM                     RVN
7012  68   93 WAAMC0 TRP C 3SQ 17CAV  VIETNAM                     RVN
7101 107  200 WAAMC0 3 17 AC SQ C TP  VIETNAM                     RVN
7102  98  298 WDF2D0 D TRP 3 5 CAV    VIETNAM                     RVN
7103   0  298 WC5EAA 608 TC DS        VIETNAM                     RVN
7104   0  298 WC5EAA A BTRY 4 77 ART  VIETNAM                     RVN
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Please send additions or corrections to:

VHPA Head Quarters or Gary Roush or Mike Law
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Printed from databases on: 08/27/00

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