16 Dec 2002 His name is Michael Anthony Gooden. When I was young, he was my best friend. I looked up to him, and when he entered the Marine Corps he became my idol. I was six. He died in Quang Tri. You did what you felt that you had to do. Duty called. You have honored our country. From his nephew, Bob Smith E-mail address is not available.

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall On 15 July 1966 an air assault was conducted into Landing Zone Crow, about 5 miles northeast of the Rockpile in Quang Tri Province. Since LZ Crow was marginally large enough to hold four CH-46s at a time, the 24-ship assault force was divided into six sections of four aircraft each. The first two sections landed witout incident, but one CH-46 from the third section landed long into a tree line but came to rest outside the LZ area. Disaster struck the fifth section when the rotor disks of two CH-46s overlapped causing severe damage to both aircraft and killing two Marines on the ground. A CH-46A (tail number 152500) from HMM-265 was detailed to carry a reaction force to guard the three downed CH-46s at LZ Crow. According to an official USMC source "At 1815, while inserting a reaction company to guard the three CH-46s in LZ Crow, HMM-265's EP-171, ... was hit at 1,500 feet by 12.7mm fire. Photos taken from the ground show smoke coming from the cockpit windows and flames from the rear of the aircraft. When they tried landing on Crow, smoke filled the cockpit so no one could see. They overshot the LZ and crashed ..." Fifteen men died in the crash: HMM-265, MAG-16 Sgt Robert R. Telfer, Fonda, NY A Co, 1st Eng Bn 2ndLt Ronald K. Cullers, Shelbina, MO B Co, 3rd Eng Bn Cpl James M. Reid, Philadelphia, PA E Co, 2nd Bn, 1st Marines SSgt Herolin T. Simmons, Ahoskie, NC (Silver Star, 5/29/66) Cpl Orson H. Case, Johnstown, NY HM3 Andrew P. Chamaj, Scenery Hill, PA Cpl Paul R. Chambers, Scottsboro, AL Pfc James W. Cherrick, New York, NY Pfc Michael A. Cunnion, Mount Vernon, NY Pfc Michael A. Gooden, Bellflower, CA Pfc Carl W. Schloemer, Bellefontaine Neighbors, MO Pfc Gerald E. Stubstad, Chicago, IL H&S Co, 2nd Bn, 1st Marines HM3 Mark V. Dennis, Miamisburg, OH H&S Co, 3rd Bn, 4th Marines Cpl William J. Lilly, Rowayton, CT HN John N. Morris, Meldrim, GA Meanwhile, three more Marines died in the ground fighting: H&S Co, 3rd Bn, 4th Marines SSgt Paul G. Hendrix, Hartselle, AL K Co, 3rd Bn, 4th Marines Cpl William L. Douglas, Canal Fulton, OH (Silver Star) LCpl Narciso R. Cerna, San Antonio, TX (Silver Star) Additional Information is available on the Pop-A-Smoke site

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