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Posted again for Heather, the daughter of Bill Davis.
700922 HMM-262 Vietnam
Incident Date 700922 HMM-262 CH-46D 152577+ Hostile Fire, Crash
[CREW]
Beach Jr., Leo Albert Sgt Crew HMM-262 MAG-16 700922 (vvm 07W:082)
Davis, William Stanley 1stLt Pilot HMM-262 MAG-16 700922 (vvm 07W:083)
Kimbrough, Harold Bruce 1stLt Co-Pilot HMM-262 MAG-16 700922 (vvm 07W:084)
Smith, Frederick Joseph LCpl Crew HMM-262 MAG-16 700922 (vvm 07W:085)
Teffs, James Richard Cpl Crew HMM-262 MAG-16 700922 (vvm 07W:085)
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BEACH LEO ALBERT JR : 378545211 : USMC : SGT : E5 : 6112 : 20 : DETROIT : MI : 19700922 : hostile, crash, land : Crew : body recovered : Quang Nam (Da Nang) : 02 : 19500605 : Cauc : Roman Catholic/single : 07W : 082
DAVIS WILLIAM STANLEY : 552641833 : USMCR : 1stLT : O2 : 7562 (H-46) : 24 : ALHAMBRA : CA : 19700922 : hostile, crash, land : AircraftCommander : body recovered : Quang Nam (Da Nang) : 03 : 19450927 : Cauc : Catholic/married : 07W : 083
KIMBROUGH HAROLD BRUCE : 429847576 : USMCR : 1stLT : O2 : 7562 (H-46) : 24 : BATESVILLE : AR : 19700922 : hostile, crash, land : Crew : body recovered : Quang Nam (Da Nang) : 03 : 19460412 : Cauc : Protestant/married : 07W : 084
SMITH FREDERICK JOSEPH : 183389545 : USMC : LCPL : E3 : 6055 : 22 : PITTSBURGH : PA : 19700922 : hostile, crash, land : Crew : body recovered :Quang Nam (Da Nang) : 02 : 19480823 : Cauc : Roman Catholic/single : 07W : 085
TEFFS JAMES RICHARD : 440465403 : USMC : CPL : E4 : 6242 : 22 : TULSA : OK : 19700922 : hostile, crash, land : Crew : body recovered : Quang Nam (Da Nang) : 03 : 19471110 : Cauc : Roman Catholic/single : 07W : 085
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Personal Narrative:
I was originally assigned that mission as gunner, but had been on active stand-by all that day for possible missions into Laos. Fred Smith, who had only recently completed his gunner qualifications offered to take the later medevac standby mission for me. At the time it was unusual for a standby medevac mission to launch as our squadron (262) normally had two reliable 46's already available as primary birds. The stand-by was merely a back-up.
As it happened, I was around the flight ops area when the decision to launch the stand-by choppers. Although it drew red flags in my mind, nothing really clicked until later. As not only being a gunner, I was also assigned to the Hydraulics Maintenance Department and we had been working off and on for the day on a landing gear problem with one of our other birds. I had gone out to the flight deck when they were checking the work on the gear problem that night. Anyway, we had fired up this bird and was not only toying with the repaired landing gear but were somewhat monitoring radio traffic.
I listened as a ROK compound was messaging that a chopper had gone down in flames and that they were going to try to secure the area. It wasn't but a few minutes later that we were informed that ET-13 had gone down. I should have been on that ship, Fred Smith should have been safe in his rack back at his hootch. I knew and had flown with all the other members of that ill-fated flight. Beach, especially, the crew chief.
Sgt. Beach was a leader, had a couple of tours under his belt, in fact as I recall, I was thinking he was on his third. A confident crew-chief and was highly regarded. Our Squadron, the following day, launched two choppers for the recovery mission, and I know a few details of that although I was refused permission to play an active part for personal reasons. Later reports were just that the ship had gone down in flames and the recovery team found evidence that all fire extinguishers had been used indicating that the flight crew had done their best in the true tradition of the Marines.
The last I heard there were conflicting reports that the bird had been brought down by ground fire or by mechanical problems. I think the ROK's had reported tracer fire from the gound, but who knows?
Submitted by Bob Cunningham, HMM-262 Combat Air Crew
Personal Narrative:
I am 1stLt William Stanley Davis' only child. I was born on May 29, 1970, and my father died on September 22, 1970. I do not know anything about my father, and would like to hear from any surviving US Marines who did.
Submitted by Heather Davis Fabbro, My father
Sgt Leo Albert Beach Jr.:
May we never forget their sacrifice.
Posted : 2006-09-23 13:29
A Sad Day
I remember that day very well. Me and SSgt. David Brown, Crewchief, had just finished flying and were headed back to the hangar. We stopped briefly to speak with Sgt. Beach, who was doing his preflight on that bird. After a brief discussion with him we went back to the hangar. Those were the last words we spoke to him that day.
We were shocked to learn that the bird went down with all aboard killed in action. I spoke with one of the recovery team individuals who said that a fire had broken out in the engine compartment. The engine doors were found open and all fire extinguishers were used up tryinig to put out the fire. They were all found in the crash position with their backs broken. It was probably a big mistake to have opened the compartment doors which would have allowed the fire to spread from the oxygen, but who knows? It is a mystery about the whole incident with rumors and stories. They gave their all trying to handle the situation and were all brave men, but it was a very sad incident that still sticks in my mind.
Posted : 2006-10-07 09:28
