ANDERSON, THOMAS EDWARD
Name: Thomas Edward Anderson
Rank/Branch: United States Marine Corps/E4
Unit: HMM-163
Date of Birth: 27 July 1939
Home City of Record: Spenard AK
Date of Loss: 06 October 1962
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 152218 North 1083834 East
Status (in 1973): Killed In Action/Body Not Recovered
Category: 5
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: UH34D
Missions:
Refno: 0015
Other Personnel in Incident: Hamiliton, Richard E.; Griffin, Gerald C.;
Norton, Gerald O.;Pendell, Jerald W.; Valentin Jr, Miguel A. (all remains
receovered); Sinnot, William, wounded and rescued.
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. 2003 notes and source below. 2020
REMARKS:
Crashed in Quang Nam Province, was part of Aircrew
======================
Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2003 18:28:52 -0500
From: Jerry Ostapowicz <jostapwicz@comcast.net>
USMC/Vietnam Helicopter Association
Subject: Comments on Anderson, Thomas Edward, et al
INCIDENT DATE 621006 HMM-163 UH-34D 145790+
[Crew]
Anderson, Thomas Edward CPL CrewChief HMM-163/MAG-16 (SHUFLY Squadron)
621006
Hamilton, Richard Elmer SGT Gunner HMM-163/MAG-16 (SHUFLY Squadron) 621006
Tunney, Michael Joseph 1stLT Copilot HMM-163/MAG-16 (SHUFLY Squadron) 621006
[Passengers]
Griffin, Gerald Charles, LT(USN) Pass-FltSurgeon HMM-163/MAG-16 (SHUFLY
Squadron) 621006
Norton, Gerald Owen HM2(USN) Pass-Corpsman HMM-163/MAG-16 (SHUFLY Squadron)
621006
Pendell, Jerald Wayne SGT Pass HMM-163/MAG-16 (SHUFLY Squadron) 621006
Valentin Jr., Miguel Angel LCPL Pass HMM-163/MAG-16 (SHUFLY Squadron) 621006
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ANDERSON THOMAS EDWARD : 1660558 : USMCR : CPL : E4 : 6481 : 23 : SPENARD :
AK : 19621006 : Air Loss Crash Land : Crew : body NOT recovered : Quang Nam
(DaNang) : 04 : 19390727 : Cauc : Roman Catholic / single : 01E : 012
GRIFFIN GERALD CHARLES : 615529 : USNR : LT: O3: 2100 (Flt Surgeon): 28 :
OMAHA : NE : 19621006 : Air Loss Crash Land : Passenger : body recovered :
Quang Nam (DaNang) : 06 : 19340714 : Cauc : Roman Catholic / single : 01E :
012
HAMILTON RICHARD ELMER : 1410541 : USMCR : SGT : E5 : 6442 : 27 :
ALBUQUERQUE : NM : 19621006 : Air Loss Crash Land : Crew : body recovered :
Quang Nam (DaNang) : 08 : 19350424 : Cauc : Protestant / married : 01E : 012
NORTON GERALD OWEN : 5323996 : USNR : HM2 : E5 : HM2 : 23 : MOULTON : IA :
19621006 : Air Loss Crash Land : Passenger - Corpsman: body recovered :
Quang Nam (DaNang) : 03 : 19381231 : Cauc : Protestant / single : 01E : 012
PENDELL JERALD WAYNE : 1526810 : USMCR : SGT : E5 : 1319 : 29 : MACOMB : IL
: 19621006 : Air Loss Crash Land : Passenger : body recovered : Quang Nam
(DaNang) : 06 : 19330523 : Cauc : Protestant / married : 01E : 012
TUNNEY MICHAEL JOSEPH : 081580 : USMC : 1stLT : O2 : 7331 : 26 : ALEXANDRIA
: LA : 19621006 : Air Loss Crash Land : Copilot : body recovered : Quang Nam
(DaNang) : 04 : 19351012 : Cauc : Roman Catholic / married : 01E : 013
VALENTIN MIGUEL ANGEL JR : 1924035 : USMCR : LCPL : E3 : 6611 : 19 :
ROCKAWAY BEACH : NY : 19621006 : Air Loss Crash Land : Passenger : body
recovered :Quang Nam (DaNang) : 02 : 19430214 : Cauc : Roman Catholic /
single : 01E : 013
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Comments on Incident:
HMM-163 IN MEMORIAL 09 Oct 1962
Defense Intelligence Agency Reference Notes:
Information on U.S. Marine Corps helicopter UH-34D tail number 145790
Date: 06/10/62 MIA-POW file reference number: 0015
Incident number: 62100606.KIA
Unit: HMM-163
South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: BT470007
Casualties = 07 DOI, 01 INJ . .
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or
updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Reference Notes. Defense Intelligence
Agency Helicopter Loss database. Also: 0015, USMC in Vietnam P:83 ()
Summary: Crashed due to mechanical failure while flying SAR for a 20-plane
helilift southeast of Tam Ky.
Loss to Inventory
Crew Members:
CP 1LT TUNNEY MICHAEL JOSEPH KIA
CE CPL ANDERSON THOMAS EDWARD BNR
P 1LT SINNOTT WILLIAM T WIA
Passengers:
1LT GRIFFIN GERALD CHARLES, NOT, A
SGT HAMILTON RICHARD ELMER, NOT, A
HM2 NORTON GERALD OWEN, NOT, A
SGT PENDELL JERALD WAYNE, NOT, A:
LCP VALENTIN MIGUEL ANGEL JR, NOT, A
War Story:
The official USMC history in a chapter titled SHUFLY Moves North states that
the most serious incident recorded during the early operations in I Corps
ironically resulted from mechanical failure rather than VC fire. It occurred
when a search and rescue helicopter crashed and burned on a hillside 15
miles southeast of Tam Ky while covering a 20-plane helilift of 2d ARVN
Division elements. This helicopter carried several mechanics and Navy
medical personnel and was equipped with a hoist. Unable to land near the
downed aircraft because of the thick jungle, other helicopters landed troops
at the base of the hill with instructions to proceed to the crash site on
foot. When the Vietnamese soldiers reached the downed aircraft after cutting
their way through dense vegetation, they found the copilot, crew chief, and
five other members of the task unit dead. The pilot, 1LT William T. Sinnott,
who was injured seriously, was hoisted through the trees and evacuated by an
HUS which came to the rescue. The five Marines killed in the crash were 1LT
Tunney, SGT Hamilton, SGT Pendell, CPL Anderson, LCPL Valentin. Two Navy
personnel, LT Griffin, a doctor, and Hospitalman Norton were also dead.
These were the first deaths suffered by Marine Task Unit 79.5 since
deploying to Vietnam
Comments on Incident:
SAR Mission covering ARVN trooplift. Crashed due to mechanical failure. 1/Lt
William T. Sinnott, Aircraft Commander, survived crash with serious
injuries. LOSS COORDINATES: N15 22 18 E108 38 34
Dept. of Navy Report of Casualty \x96 Valentin Jr, L/Cpl M.A.:
Died 6Oct62 southeast of DaNang South Vietnam result of burns and multiple
injuries sustained while passenger in government helicopter which crashed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
01/2020
https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000BTMTEA4
On October 6, 1962, a UH-34D Seahorse (tail number 145790) with eight crew members carried out a search and rescue mission to recover personnel from a downed aircraft in the Quang Nam-Da Nang Province, South Vietnam. At some point during the mission, this helicopter suffered a mechanical failure and crashed and burned on a hillside southeast of Ty Kam. The pilot survived and was rescued; the other seven crew members were killed in the crash. The bodies of six were recovered but the remains of the seventh man could not be found.
Corporal Thomas Edward Anderson entered the U.S. Marine Corps from Arkansas and was a member of the Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 163, Marine Air Group 16, 1st Marine Air Wing. He was a crew member aboard this Seahorse and was killed when it crashed. His remains were not recovered. Today, Corporal Anderson is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Based on all information available, DPAA assessed the individual's case to be in the analytical category of Active Pursuit.
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