WO Ronald Michael Cederlund, Chicago, IL on www.VirtualWall.org The Virtual Wall® Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall

From the Annual Supplement History of the 191st Assault Helicopter Company, page 19: The company suffered the loss of three crew members on 3 September when their ship was shot down while supporting a combat operation near Rach Kein. The aircraft, a UH-1C gun ship, Tail number 66-00613, was being used to suppress known enemy positions when it came under intensive enemy fire and crashed at 103441N 1063728E.

Listed as killed were: CPT David C. Burch, WO1 Ronald M. Cederlund, and SGT Paul R. Frazier. According to the report, SP5 Heinmiller, the crew chief, survived. However, an eye witness says that SP4 Edward Davis, door gunner, was the sole survivor. SP5 Robert Lynn Heinmiller, Fresno, California and was not involved but was killed later in his tour when the operations building was hit with mortars. Ed Davis was burned in the crash and evacuated to Fort Sam Houston Texas.

CW2 Richard VanDusen visited SP/4 Davis a few hours prior to his flight back to the U.S. Ed stated they had some 'Charlies' in spider holes and CPT Birch was trying to position the aircraft for the best shot. Ed's M60 jammed, while he was trying to unjam it, he looked up in time to see one enemy sit up in his spider hole and fire his AK47. CPT Birch and Mr. Cederland were killed instantly.

The aircraft nosed into the ground and Davis was thrown (blown) clear of the crash in the fireball. He woke up to see an OH6 making an approach to his location. As soon as the OH6 was close to his position, he got to his feet and dove into the passenger area of the OH6 amid intense enemy fire. According to Mr. VanDusen at the time, he said CPT Birch made the mistake he cautioned each new aviator not to make: "Don't ever hover".

Read the entire summary of events for the crash of UH-1C 66-00613 here at the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association website. Details of the Search and Rescue efforts are located there.

The four unit members involved when their helicopter crashed and burned were:

Prior to joining the U.S. Army, Ronald grew up in Chicago, where he attended Gordon Tech High School (Above Photo from there), graduating with the Class of 1965.

After High School, Ronald continued his studies at the University of Illinois (Chicago Center Campus) until he was called up for Military service.

When he joined the U.S. Army, Ronald applied for and was accepted into the Army's Warrant Officer Rotary Wing Aviator Course, and Ronald became a U.S. Army Warrant Officer and a Army Helicopter Pilot when he completed that Course at Fort Stewart Georgia, graduating with the Flight School Class of 68-503.

Shortly after graduating from Flight School, Ronald was sent to Vietnam, where he served with the 191st Assault Helicopter Company until his untimely death in September of 1968.

Ronald was 21 years old at the time of his death, and he was survived by his parents, Mrs. Helen (Bogdala) Cederlund of Evenston Illinois and Mr. Melker Nathaniel Cederlund (1914-1984) of Chicago, Illinois

Ronald's picture and the information for his bio were collected and provided by the 191st AHC Association.

Ronald Cederlund was buried in All Saints Catholic Cemetery and Mausoleum, Des Plaines, Cook County, Illinois.