| Date: 2 June 1965 |
| Aircraft type: O-1B Bird Dog |
| Serial Number: 133810 |
| Military Unit: VMO-2, MAG-16 |
| Service: USMC |
| Home Base: Da Nang |
| Name(s): |
| 1Lt Richard Eugene Heister (KIA) |
| Capt Werner Erhard Lutz (KIA) |
| On 9 March, in conjunction with the landings the previous day at Da Nang of the 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Marine Aircraft Group 16 was formed to control the helicopter squadrons at Da Nang. When more Marine aviation units arrived at both Da Nang and Chu Lai the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing was established at Da Nang to control all Marine Corps aviation units in South Vietnam. On 3 May the VMO-2 detachment at Da Nang was joined by the rest of the squadron which also included UH-1E helicopters as well as the Bird Dogs. A month later one of its O-1s stalled and spun into the ground while on a visual reconnaissance mission near the Hai Van Pass in Quang Nam province. Both crew were killed in the crash. One of the HH-43 Huskies from Nakhon Phanom, flown by Capt F Lockhart, was scrambled but was hit by ground fire and crashed. All three crewmen survived and were themselves rescued. |
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