The three SOG men were at the SOG training camp at Long Thanh in Bien Hoa province. SFC Celano and SGT Opperman were attending the 1-0 school and SSG Lovelace was an instructor at the school. They were all in the mess hall having lunch when the camp Sergeant Major entered and grabbed the eight men he found there. He said, "Get your shit. We're going in on a downed chopper. The bird is in-bound.
The downed helicopter was an observation chopper, a two-man Loach that had crashed and burned in dense growth thirty clicks from Long Thanh. Efforts were immediately instituted to rescue the crew: CW2 Rog Johnson, pilot; SGT Michael Harris Petty, observer; and SP4 Frederick Anthony Vigil, crew chief.
WO1 Seaborn was in the area flying on a training mission when the orders to help with the rescue effort were issued. He landed at Long Thanh and picked up the eight Special Forces men. They flew to the location of the wrecked Loach craft and lowered rolled aluminum ladders down both sides. The team was climbing down the ladders when a B-40 rocket hit the front of the chopper, taking out the pilot and flight controls. The chopper lifted rapidly, and then rolled to its side, flinging off the men who were clinging to the ladders. All died from the fall. Several who were in the chopper survived. The three crew from the crashed Loach did not survive, and all bodies were recovered along with a NVA body, along with his B-40 launcher and backpack.
SSG Kenneth Lovelace was an instructor at the Recon Team Leaders School, B-53, Long Than, Ops 38. SSG Lovelace was from Bellefontaine, Ohio and married. He was buried Highland Memorial Cemetery, West Liberty, Logan County, Ohio,
SGT Frank Anthony Celano, trainee at Recon Team Leaders School, was 21 years old and from Los Banos, California. He had a fiancée waiting for him back in San Diego. Frank was buried in Los Banos Cemetery, Los Banos, California.
SGT Hugh Daniel Opperman, trainee at Recon Team Leaders School was killed the day after his 21st birthday. Danny was buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii.
WO1 Seaborn was in the area flying on a training mission when the orders to help with the rescue effort were issued. He landed at Long Thanh and picked up the eight Special Forces men. They flew to the location of the wrecked Loach craft and lowered rolled aluminum ladders down both sides. The team was climbing down the ladders when a B-40 rocket hit the front of the chopper, taking out the pilot and flight controls. The chopper lifted rapidly, and then rolled to its side, flinging off the men who were clinging to the ladders. All died from the fall. Several who were in the chopper survived. The three crew from the crashed Loach did not survive, and all bodies were recovered along with a NVA body, along with his B-40 launcher and backpack.
SSG Kenneth Lovelace was an instructor at the Recon Team Leaders School, B-53, Long Than, Ops 38. SSG Lovelace was from Bellefontaine, Ohio and married. He was buried Highland Memorial Cemetery, West Liberty, Logan County, Ohio,
SGT Frank Anthony Celano, trainee at Recon Team Leaders School, was 21 years old and from Los Banos, California. He had a fiancée waiting for him back in San Diego. Frank was buried in Los Banos Cemetery, Los Banos, California.
SGT Hugh Daniel Opperman, trainee at Recon Team Leaders School was killed the day after his 21st birthday. Danny was buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii.
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