07 December 1997 In Memory of Morris Edward "Eddie" Williams Boise, Idaho Oct 9, 1951 to Feb 6, 1970

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall This memorial originally was established as a link page to a memorial maintained on a separate Internet site. That memorial, and whatever information it contained, has disappeared. Regretably, in 1997 The Virtual Wall did not record the memorial page's content or the sponsor's name and contact information - and we now have no idea what it said or who originated it. Never the less, the sponsor's intention was to remember Eddie Williams's service. The Virtual Wall can do so only by describing the circumstances of his death. At about 1930 [7:30 pm] on 06 Feb 1970 the 326th Medical Battalion's Air Ambulance Platoon at Phu Bai airfield received a request to medevac a soldier who was vomiting blood. The alert crew was briefed for the mission and departed Phu Bai in UH-1H tail number 68-15241. After an initial delay due to confusion regarding the ground unit's radio frequency the medevac aircraft made contact with the ground unit and arrived at their location. By this time it was full dark. The ground unit had established a pick-up zone in front of a church and lighted the PZ with trip flares. The unit was not in contact with enemy forces and there was no ground fire against the Huey. On arrival the aircrew initiated a left-hand orbit over the churchyard, using the Huey's external search light to illuminate the PZ, before coming to a hover at 200 to 300 feet above the PZ. After 10 to 15 seconds at hover the Huey began to accelerate as though the pilot had decided to make another approach. The aircraft began a steep left turn and disappeared from the ground unit's view as it passed around the south side of the church. It appeared again on the north side of the church, still in a descending steep left turn and maintained that attitude until impacting the ground in an approximately 80-degree nose-low left bank. The left skid impacted first and the bulk of the helicopter continued in motion for about 40 feet before stopping. Three men were killed in the crash: CPT Jesse A. Wisdom, New Braunfels, TX, pilot; WO Gary D. Thatcher, Missoula, MT, copilot; and SP4 Morris E. Williams, Boise, ID, crew chief.

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