HANRATTY, THOMAS MICHAEL
Name: Thomas Michael Hanratty Rank/Branch: E2/US Marine Corps Unit: HMM 265, Marine Air Group 16 Date of Birth: 19 June 1946 Home City of Record: Beulah CO Date of Loss: 11 June 1967 Country of Loss: South Vietnam Loss Coordinates: 165454N 1065530E (YD048689) Status (in 1973): Killed In Action/Body Not Recovered Category: 2 Acft/Vehicle/Ground: CH46A Refno: 0734
Other Personnel In Incident: Dennis R. Christie, Charles D. Chomel; John J. Foley; Jose J. Gonzales; Curtis R. Bohlscheid; Michael W. Havranek; James W. Kooi, Jim E. Moshier; John S. Oldham; James E. Widener (all missing)
Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 June 1990 from one or more of the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews. Updated by the P.O.W. NETWORK 2003 - see below.
REMARKS: A/C CRASH-EXPLODED-NO SURVS OBS-J
SYNOPSIS: On 11 June 1967, 1LT Curtis Bohlscheid was the pilot of a CH46A helicopter inserting a seven-man Marine Force Recon team into a predesignated area 11 1/2 nautical miles northwest of Dong Ha, South Vietnam -- right on the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). A total of four aircraft were involved in the mission, two CH46's and two UH1E helicopter gunships. Bohlscheid flew the lead aircraft. His crew included MAJ John S. Oldham, LCPL Jose J. Gonzales (crew chief), and PFC Thomas M. Hanratty (crew chief).
Members of the 3rd Recon Company, 3rd Recon Battalion, 3rd Marine Division who were being inserted were CPL Jim E. Moshier, LCPL Dennis R. Christie, LCPL John J. Foley III, LCPL Michael W. Havranek, LCPL James W. Kooi, PFC Charles D. Chomel, and PFC James E. Widener.
The flight departed Dong Ha at about 11:15 a.m. and proceeded to the insertion location. The gunships made low strafing runs over the landing zone to clear booby traps and to locate any enemy troops in the area. No enemy fire was received and no activity was observed. The lead aircraft then began its approach to the landing zone. At an estimated altitude of 400-600 feet, the helicopter was observed to climb erratically, similar to an aircraft commencing a loop. Machinegunmen had been waiting for the opportune time to fire on the aircraft. Portions of the rear blades were seen to separate from the aircraft and a radio transmission was received from the aircraft indicating that it had been hit. The helicopter became inverted and continued out of control until it was seen to crash by a stream in a steep ravine.
Subsequent efforts by ground units to reach the crash area failed due to a heavy bunker complex surrounding the site. The ground units inspected the site from within 500 meters through binoculars and observed no survivors. All eleven personnel aboard the helicopter were therefore classified Killed In Action, Body Not Recovered. Other USMC records indicate that the helicopter also burst into flames just prior to impacting the ground.
For the crew of the CH46A lost on June 11, 1967, death seems a certainty. For hundreds of others, however, simple answers are not possible. Adding to the torment of nearly 10,000 reports relating to Americans missing in Southeast Asia is the certain knowledge that some Americans who were known to be prisoners of war were not released at the end of the war. Others were suspected to be prisoners, and still others were in radio contact with would-be rescuers when last seen alive. Many were known to have survived their loss incidents, only to disappear without a trace.
The problem of Americans still missing torments not only the families of those who are missing, but the men who fought by their sides, and those in the general public who realize the full implication of leaving men unaccounted for at the end of a war.
Tragically, many authorities believe there are hundreds of Americans still alive in captivity in Southeast Asia today. What must they be thinking of us? What will our next generation say if called to fight if we are unable to bring these men home from Southeast Asia?
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Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2003 19:41:17 -0500 From: Jerry Ostapowicz <jostapwicz@comcast.net> USMC/Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Subject: Comments on Sommersail 1 Team
INCIDENT DATE 670611 HMM-265 CH-46A 150270+ EP-158
[CREW] Hanratty, Thomas Michael PFC CrewChief HMM-265 670611 Gonzalez, Jose Jesus LCPL Gunner HMM-265 670611 Bohlscheid, Curtis Richard CAPT Aircraft Commander HMM-265 670611 Oldham, John Sanders MAJ Copilot HMM-265 670611
[PASSENGERS] Chomel, Charles Dennis PFC Pass 3rdForceRecon 670611 Christie, Dennis Ray LCPL Pass 3rdForceRecon 670611 Foley III, John Joseph LCPL Pass 3rdForceRecon 670611 Havranek, Michael William LCPL Pass 3rdForceRecon 670611 Kooi, James Willard LCPL Pass 3rdForceRecon 670611 Moshier, Jim Edwin CPL Pass 3rdForceRecon 670611 Widener, James Edward PFC Pass 3rdForceRecon 670611
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BOHLSCHEID CURTIS RICHARD : 078631 : USMCR : CAPT : O3 : 7562 (H-46) : 30 : POCATELLO : ID : 19670611 : hostile, crash, land : Crew : body NOT recovered : Quang Tri :08 : 19361209 : Cauc : Protestant/married : 21E : 091 CHOMEL CHARLES DENNIS : 2268368 : USMCR : PFC : E2 : 0311 : 19 : COLUMBUS : IN : 19670611 : hostile, crash, land : Passenger (3rdForceRecon) : body NOT recovered : Quang Tri :00 : 19470823 : Cauc : Roman Catholic/single : 21E : 087
CHRISTIE DENNIS RAY : 2234699 : USMCR : LCPL : E3 : 7141 : 20 : IMPERIAL BEACH : CA : 19670611 : hostile, crash, land : Passenger(3rdForceRecon) : body NOT recovered : Quang Tri :01 : 19460811 : Cauc : Roman Catholic/single : 21E : 087
FOLEY JOHN JOSEPH III : 2253524 : USMCR : LCPL : E3 : 0311 : 20 : PLAINFIELD : NJ : 19670611 : hostile, crash, land : Passenger(3rdForceRecon) : body NOT recovered : Quang Tri :00 : 19470611 : Cauc : Roman Catholic/single : 21E : 088
GONZALEZ JOSE JESUS : 2018669 : USMCR : LCPL : E3 : 6341 : 22 : EL PASO : TX : 19670611 : hostile, crash, land : Crew : body NOT recovered : Quang Tri :04 : 19440626 : Cauc : Roman Catholic/single : 21E : 088
HANRATTY THOMAS MICHAEL : 2217895 : USMCR : PFC : E2 : 6311 : 20 : BEULAH : CO : 19670611 : hostile, crash, land : Crew : body NOT recovered : Quang Tri :01 : 19460619 : Cauc : Roman Catholic/single : 21E : 089
HAVRANEK MICHAEL WILLIAM : 2231606 : USMCR : LCPL : E3 : 0311 : 19 : MISSOULA : MT : 19670611 : hostile, crash, land : Passenger(3rdForceRecon) : body NOT recovered : Quang Tri :00 : 19480530 : Cauc : Roman Catholic/single : 21E : 089
KOOI JAMES WILLARD : 2245916 : USMCR : LCPL : E3 : 3516 : 18 : FRUITPORT : MI : 19670611 : hostile, crash, land : Passenger(3rdForceRecon) : body NOT recovered : Quang Tri :01 : 19481118 : Cauc : Roman Catholic/single : 21E : 090
MOSHIER JIM EDWIN : 2242254 : USMCR : CPL : E4 : 0311 : 23 : BAKERSFIELD : CA : 19670611 : hostile, crash, land : Passenger(3rdForceRecon) : body NOT recovered : Quang Tri :04 : 19430803 : Cauc : Protestant/married : 21E : 091
OLDHAM JOHN SANDERS : 067132 : USMCR : MAJ : O4 : 7562 (H-46) : 33 : TINNIE : NM : 19670611 : hostile, crash, land : Crew : body NOT recovered : Quang Tri :16 : 19330703 : Cauc : Protestant/married : 21E : 091
WIDENER JAMES EDWARD : 2317507 : USMCR : PFC : E2 : 0311 : 18 : CHURCHVILLE : NY : 19670611 : hostile, crash, land : Passenger(3rdForceRecon) : body NOT recovered : Quang Tri :00 : 19481112 : Cauc : Protestant/single : 21E : 093
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Comments on Incident: 3rd Force Recon Company - TEAM SOMERSAIL ONE: Sgt. Jim E. Moshier, LCpl. James E. Kooi, LCpl. Michael W. Havranek, LCpl. John J. Foley, LCpl. Dennis R. Christie, Pfc. Charles D. Chomel, Pfc. James E. Widener On 11 June 1967 a seven man Recon Team "Somersail-One" from 3rd Force left Dong Ha for an insertion LZ at YD 041681. This LZ was directly on the southern boundary of the DMZ . This area was four kilometers north of Hill 208 which was identified, during Operation Hastings in July 66, as the Division Command Post for the 324B NVA and 900 meters west of Hill 174, another well known NVA position.
The Flight left Dong Ha at 11:15hrs. A total of four Helicopters were involved. Two CH 46A's and two UH1E gunships. As the insertion helicopter was approaching the LZ it snapped up vertically and then rolled inverted tumbling end over end and crashed. It was seen spiraling out of control and the rear blades were seen separating. The helicopter crashed then burst into flames. The bodies of the men lost were never recovered and they are listed today as KIA/BNR. Summary taken from 3rd Recon narrative. Submitted by John Lane. [The UH-1E gunship crews were eyewitnesses to the crash and indicated no enemy action evident - suspect mechanical failure. Aircraft burned upon impact with full load of fuel - no survivors possible.]
Comments on Incident: I don't know where to start, except to say that the day Dick [Bohlscheid] went down still echoes in my soul. I was lead of the section of the [VMO-2] gunships which escorted Dick's recon insert. We briefed early in the morning. Dick was mission command; he briefed. He was nervous for no reason I could understand. I knew him from the time we were flight instructors together in VT-2, Unit 4, at Whiting. I remember so clearly those recon Marines outside the briefing hootch, there faces covered with camouflage paint, but uneasy also.
As I remember and have remembered forever, Dick tried to insert the team somewhere west of the China Wall, got shot out; we returned to Dong Ha; rebriefed, refueled, went somewhere almost at the base of the China Wall, shot out again. Dong Ha, refueled, rebriefed again. Then ordered to insert that team, period. I guess there was suspicion of pressure, heavy pressure, from the north.
This time we tried just northwest of Dong Ha. I think this was right. I looked at my log book and find that I have three flights that day, the first for a 3.9, the second for a 1.0, and the third, a 0.3. I remember clearing the zone and seeing nothing, nor experiencing any fire. It was a terrible day at that point, and I was relieved. I called Dick in clear and turned to escort him on his port side.
As he transitioned to landing speed, in almost slow motion his nose rose, then rose more sharply, then climbed toward the vertical. Then the a/c rolled inverted, split S, and dived down and exploded. To this day, I will never forget, can never forget, that Dick keyed the mic at about the time he was inverted and started to say something, but what came out was a strangled cry, "Mama." Then it was over.
Sorry to get emotional, but this event, this tragedy, was and is the apotheosis of Vietnam to me. Dick was such a gentle man. God bless him, and all who went with him. For a long time, Dick's name was not on the Wall, because, I guess, he was still MIA, but it is now, and I have touched it. Submitted by Hank Trimble, VMO-2 gunship escort
Comments on Incident: LOSS COORDINATES: 165454N 1065530E (YD048689) [N16 54 54 E106 55 30]
SOURCE: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 June 1990 from one or more of the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews. NETWORK NOTE: In May of 1997, we received a note from a woman correcting an error in the birth date of this biography. That note generated a "Did you know him?" question that brought the following memories and then the additional news copy - which we asked permission to add here. Unfortunately, none of the articles had a source noted. Updated Memorial Day 1997
REMARKS: A/C CRASH-EXPLODED-NO SURVS OBS-J
SYNOPSIS: On 11 June 1967, CAPT. Curtis Bohlscheid was the pilot of a CH46A helicopter inserting a seven-man Marine Force Recon [3rd Force Recon] team into a predesignated area 11 1/2 nautical miles northwest of Dong Ha, South Vietnam -- right on the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). A total of four aircraft were involved in the mission; two CH46's and two UH1E helicopter gunships [VMO-2]. Bohlscheid flew the lead aircraft. His crew included MAJ John S. Oldham, LCPL Jose J. Gonzales (crew chief) and PFC Thomas M. Hanratty (crew chief).
Members of the 3rd Recon Company, 3rd Recon Battalion, 3rd Marine Division [3rd Force Recon] who were being inserted were CPL Jim E. Moshier, LCPL Dennis R. Christie, LCPL John J. Foley III, LCPL Michael W. Havranek, LCPL James W. Kooi, PFC Charles D. Chomel, and PFC James E. Widener.
The flight departed Dong Ha at about 11:15 a.m. and proceeded to the insertion location [YD041681]. The gunships made low strafing runs over the landing zone to clear booby traps and to locate any enemy troops in the area. No enemy fire was received and no activity was observed. The lead aircraft then began its approach to the landing zone. At an estimated altitude of 400-600 feet, the helicopter was observed to climb erratically, similar to an aircraft commencing a loop. Machinegun men had been waiting for the opportune time to fire on the aircraft. Portions of the rear blades were seen to separate from the aircraft and a radio transmission was received from the aircraft indicating that it had been hit. The helicopter became inverted and continued out of control until it was seen to crash by a stream in a steep ravine.
Subsequent efforts by ground units to reach the crash area failed due to a heavy bunker complex surrounding the site. The ground units inspected the site from within 500 meters through binoculars and observed no survivors. All eleven personnel aboard the helicopter were therefore classified Killed In Action, Body Not Recovered. Other USMC records indicate that the helicopter also burst into flames just prior to impacting the ground.