CRONIN, WILLIAM D. JR.

Name: William D. Cronin Jr.
Rank/Branch: O3/US Marine Corps
Unit: HMM 164
Date of Birth: 1961
Home City of Record: Merrimack County NH
Date of Loss: 08 October 1990
Country of Loss: Oman, Saudi Arabia/over water
Loss Coordinates:
Status (in 1997): Missing in Action
Status in 2002: KIA/BNR
Category:
Acft/Vehicle/Ground: UH1N

Other Personnel in Incident: Gary S. Dillon; Kevin R. Dolvin; Thomas R.
Adams Jr.; William J. Hurley; Kenneth T. Keller; John R. Kilkus; Timothy W.
Romei (all missing)

Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 October 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 2002 POW NETWORK.

REMARKS: OPERATION DESERT SHIELD

SYNOPSIS: At approximately 0513 hours on October 8, 1990, two UH1N
helicopters from HMM 164 embarked on the USS OKINAWA for an at-sea NVG
training operation off the coast of Oman.

The two helicopters disappeared from radar and failed to respond to radio
calls during the training mission. Searches revealed no sign of the aircraft
of its crew, and all were declared missing at sea.

The eight men aboard the two helicopters are the first military personnel to
become missing in Operation Desert Shield.