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1990-06-05
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65 lines
ADAMS, JOHN ROBERT
Name: John Robert Adams
Rank/Branch: E5/US Army
Unit: 189th Aviation Co., 17th Aviation Group
Date of Birth: 31 July 1946 (Anderson Dam ID)
Home City of Record: Chico CA
Date of Loss: 08 November 1967
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 144400N 1073600E (YB800300)
Status (in 1973): Missing In Action
Category: 2
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: UH1C
Other Personnel In Incident: WO McKenna (pilot); SP4 Begay (crewmember); WO
Weaks (copilot) - all rescued
Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 June 1990 from one or more of the
following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with
POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews.
REMARKS:
SYNOPSIS: SP5 John Adams was crewchief aboard a UH1C gunship flying cover on a
Special Forces insertion mission west of Dak Tho, Republic of Vietnam on
November 8, 1967. While circling the inserted troops, the helicopter began to
lose power and attempted to land.
Failing to find a suitable landing zone, McKenna allowed the aircraft to settle
tail first into the trees. At the helicopter struck the trees, the tail boom
snapped off, spun and came to rest on an upslope, caving in the front of the
aircraft. McKenna and Begay exited the right side of the chopper, while Weaks
and Adams exited the left. Begay had suffered a broken leg, Weaks had injured
his right foot, and Adams was broken his arm and appeared to be in shock.
The four had barely exited the helicopter when they began to receive small arms
fire. McKenna radioed for help, and he, Begay and Weaks made their way to an
extraction point, with Begay dragging Adams. Begay, because of his own injuries,
was unable to carry Adams far, and left him in a slumped-over position against
some bushes. Begay later stated that Adams' condition had worsened.
While awaiting extraction, McKenna returned to the crash site to see if he could
help Adams. He saw two Viet Cong, one of whom appeared to be shooting at Adams.
McKenna shot at the Viet Cong, then fell down the slope to the creekbed from
which he was extracted. Adams was last seen slumped over just outside the left
cargo door of the crashed aircraft.
Subsequent rescue efforts were frustrated by enemy fire, and the company
commander ordered all rescue attempts terminated. Following termination of
rescue efforts, the downed aircraft was destroyed to prevent capture of weapons
and equipment.
John Adams survived the crash of his helicopter, and with the presence of enemy
forces, stands a good chance of being captured. His helicopter contained
equipment the Army did not want in the hands of the enemy. Twelve 500 lb. bombs,
six CBU-2's, 1600 rounds of 20 mm fire, additional bombs and napalm were dropped
on the crash site to prevent capture.
Whether Adams is one of the hundreds of Americans experts believe are still
alive in captivity is not known. It is possible that he was shot by the Viet
Cong, or worse, died from the heavy bombing laid on the crash site by his own
countrymen. What is certain, however, is that the Vietnamese know what happened
to John Adams.