9 Jul 2004 REMEMBERED

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall On 24 May 1968 six UC-123B aircraft from the 12th ACS were conducting a RANCHHAND herbicidal spray mission on a Viet Cong base camp area near Xom Rach Goc at the southernmost tip of South Vietnam. The flight received heavy automatic weapons fire during the run and on pulling off the number two aircraft, UC-123B tail number 54-0588, was trailing smoke and flames from its port engine. The Provider's left wing then caught fire, the aircraft went into an uncontrolled roll, and crashed about a mile off-shore. Although the body of one crewman was recovered, the other two were not: LTC Emmett Rucker, Wichita Falls, TX, pilot, body not recovered MAJ James L. Shanks, Freeport, NY, copilot, body not recovered SGT Herbert E. Schmidt, Kansas City, MO, loadmaster

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