John Gilliland...08Oct67...NSA DaNang

10/8/67 CEW3 John H. Gilliland III, Riverside, CA.

John Henry Gilliland III
Construction Electrician 3rd Class
PERSONAL DATA
Home of Record: Riverside, CA
Date of birth: 10/06/1942
MILITARY DATA
Service: United States Navy
Grade at loss: E4
Rank: Construction Electrician 3rd Class
ID No: B801666
MOS: CEW: Construction Electrician (Wiring)
Length Service: 01
Unit: PUBLIC WORKS, NAVSUPACT DANANG, USNAVFORV
CASUALTY DATA
Start Tour: ------
Incident Date: 10/08/1967
Casualty Date: 10/08/1967
Age at Loss: 25
Location: Thua Thien Province, South Vietnam
Remains: Body recovered
Identified: 10/16/1967
Casualty Type: Non-hostile, died while missing
Casualty Reason: Fixed Wing - Noncrew
Casualty Detail: Air loss or crash over land

URL: www.VirtualWall.org/dg/GillilandJH01a.htm
ON THE WALL Panel 27E Line 071

http://www.vvmf.org/thewall/Wall_Id_No=18609

A Note from The Virtual Wall
On 08 Oct 1967 the weather in the area around Danang was horrific, with low clouds, ground fog, and rain. The poor weather was the direct cause of death for 28 US servicemen as the result of two aircraft accidents, both the result of flying into rock-filled clouds.
The first involved a Navy E-1B early warning aircraft, call sign Sea Bat 700, which was based aboard USS ORISKANY. Sea Bat 700 completed a mission over the Gulf of Tonkin and then diverted ashore to Chu Lai Air Base for a logistics matter. After refueling, the E-1B proceeded north toward Danang, intending to go over water there toward USS ORISKANY. Sea Bat 700 didn't make it; it collided with a mountaintop about ten miles northwest of Danang, killing the five Navy men aboard.

The second accident was even worse. An Air Force C-130B (tail number 61-2649) with five aircrewmen and 18 US servicemen as passengers departed Phu Bai for the short hop to Danang. About 10 minutes into the flight the aircraft hit an 1850 foot peak about 150 feet below the summit. When the wreckage was located two days later it was learned that all aboard had been killed. The toll in this accident was 8 soldiers, 4 sailors, 5 Marines, and six airmen (5 crew, one passenger).