From Tom Fitchett February 15, 2010
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Clifford Kay Welding
First Lieutenant
B TRP, 7TH SQDN, 17TH CAVALRY, 1ST AVIATION BDE, USARV
Army of the United States
Roca, Nebraska
July 28, 1941 to November 21, 1968
CLIFFORD K WELDING is on the Wall at Panel 38W Line 032
www.VirtualWall.org, Ltd ®(TM) Last update 02/01/2010
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Clifford Kay Welding
First Lieutenant
PERSONAL DATA
Home of Record: Roca, NE
Date of birth: 07/28/1941
MILITARY DATA
Service: Army of the United States
Grade at loss: O2
Rank: First Lieutenant
ID No: O5256943
MOS: 61204: Armored Reconnaissance Unit Commander (Pilot)
Length Service: 02
Unit: B TRP, 7TH SQDN, 17TH CAVALRY, 1ST AVIATION BDE, USARV
CASUALTY DATA
Start Tour: 08/26/1968
Casualty Date: 11/21/1968
Incident Date: 11/21/1968
Age at Loss: 27
Location: Binh Thuan Province, South Vietnam
Remains: Body recovered
Casualty Type: Hostile, died outright
Casualty Reason: Helicopter - Pilot
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Helicopter OH-6A 67-16355
Information on U.S. Army helicopter OH-6A tail number 67-16355
The Army purchased this helicopter 0968
Total flight hours at this point: 00000047
Date: 11/21/1968
Incident number: 68112101.KIA
Unit: B/7/17 CAV
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was LOSS TO INVENTORY
This was a Recon mission for Unarmed Recon
Unknown this helicopter was Unknown at UNK feet and UNK knots.
Unknown
UTM grid coordinates: AN962487
Count of hits was not possible because the helicopter burned or exploded.
Small Arms/Automatic Weapons; Gun launched non-explosive ballistic projectiles less than 20 mm in size. (7.62MM)
Systems damaged were: PERSONNEL
Casualties = 02 DOI . .
The helicopter Crashed. Aircraft Destroyed.
Both mission and flight capability were terminated.
Burned
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center Helicopter database. Also: OPERA, LNOF, 80466, CASRP, CRAFX, JSIDR, HUGHS, Joe Shepherd (Operations Report. Lindenmuth Old Format Data Base. Joint Services Incident Damage Report. Crash Facts Message. Casualty Report. )
Summary: Shot down and destroyed by a group of VC during a BDA after a Cobra rocket attack during a VR mission.
Loss to Inventory
Crew Members:
P 1LT WELDING CLIFFORD KAY KIA
OB SGT GREEN STANLEY NORRIS KIA
War Story:
Cliff Welding and SGT Green were flying my wing that day. We were covered by two cobras and were following a fresh trail from an over-night contact into the foothills. We caught a group of 8-10 VC on the trail. Cliff and I both engaged with mini-guns and fire from our observers. We dropped smoke and the cobras rolled in as we moved off to the west. After making several passes, the cobra lead called us back for a BDA (bond damage assessment). Cliff's mini-gun had stopped working so he led back into the area and I followed to cover him. As we neared the smoke from the cobra's rockets we received small arms fire. Then Cliff's aircraft was hit by an RPG. It went down immediatley! I tried to land but could not because of small arms fire. I could see that Cliff was still in the burning aircraft and that SGT Green was out, but that he was burned very bad. I stayed on station until the Blues arrived and confirmed that Cliff was KIA (killed in action) and SGT Green was medevaced.
Submitted by Joe Shepherd, Scalp Hunter 15
This record was last updated on 10/22/1999
Additional information is available on CD-ROM.
Please send additions or corrections to: The VHPA Webmaster Gary Roush.
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Date posted on this site: 09/29/2009
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