Charles Robert O'Steen

The database page for Charles Robert O'Steen

6 Aug 2004 Charles is remembered by the men of the 15th Combat Engineer Battalion and the men of HQ company with whom he served. He was lost while on a recon mission when the helicopter he was in crashed into a river.

A Note from The Virtual Wall At about 1745 on 05 Feb 1969 OH-6A tail number 67-16502 of B Company, 9th Avn Bn, departed Dong Tam with four men aboard to conduct an engineer reconnaissance mission of bridges on LTL-29 some 5 to 7 KM southeast of Moc Hua, Dinh Tuong Province. At about 1817 the aircraft struck the water and sank. Shortly afterwards the flight following service intiated search and rescue operations as a result of a missed position report due at 1815. The 9th Avn Bn scrambled an aircraft but on arrival in the seach area the pilot was advised the OH-6A had crashed in the river and that two survivors had been rescued by a Regional Forces unit. SAR efforts for the two missing men continued until 0200 06 Feb, when they were suspended until sunrise. At about 1100 06 Feb US Navy divers located the wreckage in 30 feet of water and connected a cable to a RivDiv 535 patrol boat, which then dragged the fuselage into shallow water. After further efforts a UH-1H was able to lift the wreckage from the water and bodies of the two missing men were recovered on 07 Feb 1969. The four men aboard were Crewmen, B Co, 9th Avn Bn WO Willard H. Burkhart, Helton, KY, pilot (died) [Rank/Initials unknown] Perry, gunner (survived) Passengers, HHC, 15th Eng Bn 1LT W. R. Herschlip (survived) SSG Charles R. O'Steen, Jacksonville, FL (died)

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With all respect
Jim Schueckler, former CW2, US Army
Ken Davis, Commander, United States Navy (Ret)
Channing Prothro, former CAP Marine
Last updated 08/10/2009