CESTARE, JOSEPH ANGELO

Name: Joseph Angelo Cestare
Branch/Rank: United States Marine Corps/O2
Unit: AVIATION MARINE OBSERVATION 2 MARINE AIR GROUP 16
Date of Birth: 04 November 1942
Home City of Record: NEW YORK NY
Date of Loss: 20 April 1968
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 154839 North  1080638 East
Status (in 1973): Killed In Action/Body Not Recovered
Category: 5
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: UH1E #152346
Missions:

Other Personnel in Incident: William Walker, Killed in Action/Body not
Recovered

Refno: 1136

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. Updated 2003  - see source below.

REMARKS:

QUANG NAM

==========================================

Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2003 20:15:14 -0500
From: Jerry Ostapowicz <jostapwicz@comcast.net>
USMC/Vietnam Helicopter Pilots
Subject: Comments on Cestare, Joseph Angelo, et al

Incident Date 680420 HML-167 UH-1E 152436+

Zutterman Jr., Joseph A SGT Gunner VMO-2 680420
Cestare, Joseph Angelo 1stLT Pilot HML-167 680420
Walker, William John MAJ Copilot 1stMAW 680420

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CESTARE JOSEPH ANGELO : 095688 : USMC : 1stLT : O2 : 7563 : 25 : NEW YORK :
NY : 19680420 : hostile, crash, land : Pilot : body NOT recovered : Quang
Nam(DaNang) :02 : 19421104 : Cauc : Roman Catholic/single : 51E : 005
WALKER WILLIAM JOHN : 073919 : USMCR : MAJ : O4 : 7564 H-53: 33 : RIVERSIDE
: CA : 19680420 : hostile, crash, land : Copilot : body NOT recovered :
Quang Nam(DaNang) :12 : 19341121 : Cauc : Protestant/married : 51E : 014

ZUTTERMAN JOSEPH A JR : 2067649 : USMCR :SGT : E5 : 5711 : 23 : MARYSVILLE :
KS : 19680420 : hostile, crash, land : Crew : body NOT recovered : Quang
Nam(DaNang) :02 : 19441003 : Cauc : Roman Catholic/single : 51E : 009

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From VMO-2 Squadron command Chronology:
On 20 April, two VMO-2 gunships and one HML-167 gunship launched a search
and destroy mission in the [Operation] Foster area. During a gun run, the
HML-167 aircraft crashed, killing all aboard. The VMO-2 gunships provided
cover in the crash area, and other gunships were launched to provide
suppressive fire in the area.
Comments on Incident:
Various members of the Wing Staff came to the VMO squadrons for proficiency
flight time in the UH-1E (huey). Maj Bill Walker, who was an H-53 pilot by
MOS, was doing this as the copilot on this day with HML-167. Many of the
crews were integrated from different squadrons, as HML-167 was newly
commissioned as a Marine Light Helicopter (huey) squadron on 15 March 1968,
obtaining many of its crew members and aircraft from VMO-2. Submitted by
Alan H. Barbour, pilot, VMO-2