Arthur James Lord
Major
478TH AVN CO, 11TH AVN GROUP, 1ST CAV DIV, USARV
Army of the United States
Savannah, Georgia
January 06, 1941 to April 13, 1977
(Incident Date April 19, 1968)
ARTHUR J LORD is on the Wall at Panel 50E, Line 49

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30 Nov 2003

It is with much regret that I did not know this man, however I have worn his POW bracelet since I was in High School so he is very much part of my world. I have an older brother that returned from Vietnam, but he has never been the same nor fully recovered from his experience.

I did not see a memorial for Major Lord, so this is why I am posting this. I did see the Memorial for the others that were with him when they became MIA's. This includes Charles W. Millard; Philip R. Shafer; and Michael Werdehoff.

If you are the family or close friends of Major Lord please contact me and I will return his bracelet to you since he has come home. I understand that his remains were identified some time in 2001.

Respectfully,
Shirlene James
shirlene@houston.rr.com


 

A Note from The Virtual Wall

Landing Zone Tiger was located in the upper reaches of the A Shau Valley. Following initial air assaults by 1st Cav elements, larger helicopters were needed for resupply. Three of the aircraft, all hampered by sling loads, were shot down as they approached the LZ:
  • CH-47A (tail number 64-13124, A Company, 228th Avn Bn) received small arms fire from the ground and crashed. The pilot and co-pilot were able to crawl away from the wreckage, but three other crewmen were not found:
    • SSG Douglas R. Blodgett, gunner, Alexandria, VA (11/19/1978)
    • SSG William R. Dennis, flight engineer, Pittsburgh, PA (03/29/1977)
    • SSG Jesus A. Gonzalez, crew chief, El Paso, TX (04/10/1978)

  • CH-47A (tail number 66-19063, B Company, 228th Avn Bn) was hit by 37mm rounds in the aft pylon area during approach. The aircraft was in flames as it descended. The flight engineer and crew chief jumped while the aircraft was still 50 feet or more above the treetops. Their bodies were not found. The other three crewmen, although injured, survived the crash. Lost were
  • CH-54A (tail number 64-14205, 478th Avn Company (Heavy Helicopter)) was on approach to the landing zone when an explosion occurred in the cockpit. The aircraft crashed against a cliffside about a mile distant from the LZ. The crash was not survivable. Four men were lost:
    • MAJ Arthur J. Lord, pilot, Savannah, GA (04/13/1977)
    • CWO Charles W. Millard, pilot, Wilson, NC (09/14/1978)
    • MSG Michael R. Werdehoff, flight engineer, Toledo, OH (06/05/1978)
    • SP6 Philip R. Shafer, crew chief, Grand Junction, CO (09/02/1975)

At day's end, the heavy helicopter companies had five injured and nine missing in action. Over time the Secretary of the Army approved Presumptive Findings of Death for the missing men; the dates are shown above in parentheses. The four men from the CH-54 - Major Lord, CW4 Millard, MSG Werdehoff, and SP6 Shafer - were repatriated in 1999 and positive identification of their remains announced on 19 Nov 2001, but as of 30 Nov 2003 the five men from the two CH-47s remain among the missing.


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