1Lt Richard Stephen Dyer
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Details of Casualty

Birth: 	Aug. 12, 1943
Death: 	Jun. 30, 1970, Vietnam

1st Lt. Richard Dyer of Pawtucket, Rhode Island is honored on Panel 9W, Row 104 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. On 30 June 1970, UH-1H tail number 66-16693 from B Company, 227th Assault Helicopter Battalion, was flying a command and control mission near the Cambodia/SVN border in Phuoc Long Province, when it was hit by enemy fire, crashed, and burned. The door gunner, PFC John Goosman, was thrown clear on impact and survived the crash. Although he was able to pull one of the pilots from the cockpit, the ferocity of the fire prevented him from freeing any of the other three men aboard. He was able to confirm that none of the others had escaped the aircraft. Shortly thereafter, friendly troops arrived on scene and secured the wreckage. After the fire burned out, the remains accessible in the wreckage were removed to body bags. PFC Goosman and the body bags were transported by helicopter directly from the crash site to medical facilities at Camp Gorvad where the body bags were turned over to Graves Registration personnel who forwarded them to the mortuary at Tan San Nhut. The autopsies determined that only three remains had been recovered. Although mortuary personnel recommended another search of the crash site, enemy presence in the area made that impossible.
The four men who died in the crash were, 1LT Leslie F. Douglas, Verona, MS, B/227th AHB, 1LT Richard Dyer, Pawtucket, RI, B/227th AHB, SP5 John L. Burgess, Kingsley, MI, B/227th AHB (body not recovered), SFC Juan Colon-Diaz, Comerio, PR, passenger, B/1/5th Cavalry 
 
Note: Interred July 2, 2013, in group burial with John L. Burgess & Juan Colon-Diaz.
 
Burial:
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington
Arlington County
Virginia, USA
Plot: Section 60, Site 10234
 
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Created by: Elizabeth Reed
Record added: Dec 29, 2007
Find A Grave Memorial# 23616714