21 Feb 2005 William P. Rollins was born in Snyder, Texas. He was a 1966 graduate of Snyder High School. He joined the U. S. Army to participate in the Warrant Officer Helicopter Flight Training Program in the early spring of 1967. On September 29, 1968, he was the co-pilot on a UH-1C Huey that was performing aerial reconnaissance for a ground armored unit when the helicopter was struck repeatedly by small arms ground fire. The helicopter crashed and killed all on board, which included the aircraft commander, WO1 Rollins, the crew chief and the gunner. Mr. Rollins had turned 20 years old two months before. At the time of his death, he could not buy alcohol in the civilian world and could not vote. Mr. Rollins was buried with full military honors in the Hillside Memorial Gardens cemetery in his hometown of Snyder, Texas. He was awarded a posthumous Bronze Star for meritorious service and a Purple Heart. He is remembered by his community and by the Permian Basin Vietnam Memorial in Midland, Texas. From a PBVVM representative, Billy M. Brown bmbrown@grandecom.net

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall Four men from the HQ Troop, 2nd Sqdn, 11th Armored Cav, were killed when their UH-1C gunship (tail number 66-00523) was shot down on 29 Sep 1968: WO William P. Rollins, Snyder, TX, pilot WO Jerry L. Harris, Mobile, AL, copilot SP5 Blaine J. Shepherd, Thistle, UT SP4 John J. Matuska, Garfield Heights, OH

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