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.
REMARKS:
Crashed in Quang Nam Province, was part of Aircrew
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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
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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.