Family Reference Samples (FRS) Program
Jennifer S. Morrison - Chair.

ADAMS, LEONARD E

Name:  Leonard E Adams
Rank/Branch:  PFC/USAAF
Serial Number:  35899388
Unit:  45th Infantry Division, 157th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Battalion, Headquarters Company
Home City of Record:  Vermillion County, IN
Date of Loss:  21 January 1945
Location of Loss:  Reipertswiller, France

THOMPSON, JAMES EDWARD

Private First Class James E Thompson served his country in the United States Marine Corp., 2nd Marine Division. He was killed in action (KIA) during the Battle for Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands, Tarawa Atoll, Betio, in the Pacific during World War II.

HARMON, GILBERT LARRY

Private First Class Gilber Larry Harmon attended Farmersburg High School, enlisted with the Marines in Terre Haute (while residing in West Terre Haute), and completed basic training at Parris Island, South Carolina.

Private First Class Harmon was a member of Company I, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division. He was listed as Missing in Action while fighting the enemy in Korea on July 26, 1953. He was presumed dead on July 26, 1954.

RICE, DONALD RAY

Sergeant Donald Ray Rice was a member of Company L, 3rd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was seriously wounded by the enemy in South Korea on September 27, 1950 and returned to duty on October 8, 1950. He was taken Prisoner of War while fighting the enemy in South Korea on May 18, 1951 and died while a prisoner on October 31, 1951. His remains were not recovered.

DUCAT, PHILLIP ALLEN

Name: Phillip Alan Ducat
Rank/Branch: CAPT/USMC
Serial Number:
Unit: Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 161, Marine Air Group 16, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing
Date of Birth: 04 September 1939
Home City of Record: Fort Wayne, Allen, IN
Date of Loss: 25 September 1966 (27 years old)
Location of Loss: Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 164656N 1065421E
Status (in 1973): Killed/Body Not Recovered
Category: 3
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: UH34D

Captain Phillip Allen Ducat was a helicopter pilot assigned to HHM 161, Marine Air Group 16. On Sepember 26, 1966, Ducat was assigned a medical evacuation mission in Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam. His co-pilot was 1Lt. Dean W. Reiter of the same Marine helicopter company and Hospital Corpsman Third Class Peter Robert Bossman, a U.S. Navy Corpsman. (NOTE: According to Navy records, Bossman was assigned to HHM 161, MAG 16.)

When the helicopter was approximately 22 miles west of Dong Ha, Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam, the aircraft was hit by enemy ground fire, burst into flames and exploded prior to impact with the ground. The crew aboard was killed, and the intense fire of the crash consumed all remains.

The crew of the UH34 was was listed as killed, body not recovered. They are among over 2300 Americans who remain prisoner, missing or otherwise unaccounted for from the Vietnam war. The cases of some, like Bossman, Ducat and Reiter, seem clear - that they perished and cannot be recovered.

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DUCAT PHILLIP ALLEN : 086222 : USMC : CAPT : O3 : 7335 : 27 : FORT WAYNE : IN : 19660925 : hostile, crash, land : Aircraft Commander : body NOT recovered :Quang Tri :04 : 19390904 : Cauc : Roman Catholic/married : 11E : 013

PARKER VERNON HOWARD JR : 2023506 : USMCR : CPL : E4 : 6422 : 21 : SECANE : PA : 19660925 : hostile, crash, land : Crew : body recovered : Quang Tri :04 : 19450620 : Cauc : Protestant/single : 11E : 016

REITER DEAN WESLEY : 090274 : USMC : 1stLT : O2 : 7335 : 23 : MANCHESTER : MO : 19660925 : hostile, crash, land : Copilot : body NOT recovered : Quang Tri :04 : 19421010 : Cauc : Protestant/married : 11E : 017

BOSSMAN PETER ROBERT : 6984246 : USNR :HM3 : E4 : HM3 : 21 : WEST SENECA : NY : 19660925 : hostile, crash, land : Crew - Corpsman: body NOT recovered :Quang Tri :03 : 19441203 : Cauc : Protestant / single : 11E : 012

Comments on Incident:
Capt. Phillip A. Ducat was a helicopter pilot assigned to HMM-161, Marine Air Group 16. On September 26, 1966, Ducat was assigned a medical evacuation mission in Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam. His copilot was 1Lt. Dean W. Reiter of the same Marine helicopter squadron and Hospital Corpsman Third Class Peter Robert Bossman, a U.S. Navy Corpsman. (NOTE: According to Navy records, Bossman was assigned to HMM-161, MAG-16.) When the helicopter was approximately 22 miles west of Dong Ha, Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam, the aircraft was hit by ground fire, burst into flames and exploded prior to impact with the ground. The crew aboard was killed, and the intense fire of the crash consumed all remains. Three of the crew of the UH-34 were listed as killed, body not recovered. They perished and cannot be recovered.

Submitted by John Lane.

Comments on Incident:
The H-34 was not hit by the NVA but by our own artillery from Camp Carroll. According to Marion Sturkey's book "Bonnie-Sue," on page 173 and 174, it was the only documented instance that a Marine helicopter in flight was knocked out of the air by our artillery. In addition, they had made a pick up of one or two WIA's. I guess this guy or guys are listed MIA. Submitted by Bennie C. Phillips, VMO-2 crew-chief on medevac escort gunship.

Comments on Incident:
We were the chase aircraft. The H-34 had just picked up a WIA or two. I know they had been down in the zone . They had come out of the zone and were climbing for altitude and called for a SAV-A-PLANE [a request to the artillery command center for clearance away from artillery fans] and they got one. Well they didn't get the right one because that is about the time they took the hit. We were about 75 yards behind them. They were hit in the pilots crew station. The rotor head went one way and the H-34 went straight down (on fire like a flare). Submitted by Bennie Phillips, VMO-2 crew-chief on medevac escort gunship.

Comments on Incident:
The parents of Lt Dean Reiter did not have any information regarding the incident other than an initial MIA report from the USMC after the incident. For many years, they "held hope" that their son would return. In 1998, Mr. Reiter contacted the USMC/Vietnam Helicopter Assoc regarding his son. Through our research, contacts, and eye-witness reports of the condition of the aircraft after the incident, it was confirmed to Mr. Reiter's satisfaction that his son had in fact died in the incident; that there was no chance that anyone could have survived the incident and resulting incineration. LT Reiter's official files were registered as KIA, but the family was not properly notified. An examination of all personnel files involved in the incident indicates final registration as KIA. Submitted by A.H. Barbour, Association Historian, 1998.

Comments on Incident:
Phil [DUCAT], Herb Kennedy and I were TAD from HMM-164 (H-46's} and volunteered to go to HMM-161 to fly H-34's on operation Hastings. HMM-161 was short of H-34 aircraft commanders and we had been 34 aircraft commanders. Shortly before Phil's accident I was sent Forward Air Controlling with the 3rd. Battalion, 7th. Marines on Operation Prairie, which was the follow-up to Hastings and in the same area. 3/7 was protecting a bridge in the area that Phil's helo crashed. We found many engine parts of Phil's helo and we found one of his boots xxxxxxxxx . I knew it was his boot because of the way he kept them spit shined and the way he laced them with parachute cord. Submitted by Larry D. Robinson, HMM-164, friend, TDY roommate at HMM-161.