MACKLIN RONALD WAYNE

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Name: WO1 Ronald Wayne Macklin
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 10/20/1965 while performing the duty of Pilot.
Age at death: 27.6
Date of Birth: 03/03/1938
Home City: Glendale, CA
Service: AV branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 119 AHC
Major organization: other
Flight class: 64-7W
Service: AV branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 02E-127
Short Summary: Gunship shot down at battle of Plei Me east of Ia Drang escorting MEDEVAC into beseiged Special Forces camp. W/ Don Knowlton.
Aircraft: UH-1B tail number 64-00135
Call sign: CROCODILE
Service number: W3152167
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 062B = Helicopter Pilot, Utility and Light Cargo Single Rotor
Primary cause: Hostile Fire
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: weapons
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: aircraft commander
Started Tour: 01/10/1965
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - other aircrew
Length of service: 06
Location: Unknown Province

Additional information about this casualty:
INCIDENT 65102000.TXT "WO Macklin and WO Knowlton died together in a 119 Avn. Co. gunship on 10/20/65. The Crew chief, SP/5 Franklin D. Racine, and the gunner, SP/5 Wesley McDonial, were also killed. I believe our gunners were TDY from the 25th Infantry Division at the time. Racine often told his buddies he knew he would be killed, but wanted to live until his baby was born. His son was born in the States a few hours before he crashed, but the notification arrived afterwards. We think a nearby 20 mm gun brought them down - it was later captured. CPT Robert K. Wright (VHPA member) was the platoon leader and team leader of this mission. We could not recover the bodies for about a week, when the battle of Plei Me ended. One of the pilots who helped recover them, VHPA member Jerry Riches, told me there was a 20 mm hole through one of the pilot's footrests under the pedals. The aircraft had crashed from low level flight and burned." from Charles E. Oualline, 6 December 1993

Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - died while missing
married male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Religion: Roman Catholic
Burial information: SAN FERNANDO MISSION CEMETERY, MISSION HILLS, CA
The following information secondary, but may help in explaining this incident.
Category of casualty as defined by the Army: battle dead Category of personnel: active duty Army Military class: warrant officer
This record was last updated on 08/25/1996

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Date posted on this site: 10/25/2024