KIA INCIDENT: 19681203 VMO-2 Vietnam

Brothers (& Sisters) Killed in Action in USMC Helicopters or while assigned to USMC Helicopter or Tiltrotor Squadrons

19681203VMO-2 Vietnam

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Incident Date 19681203 VMO-2 OV-10A 155411+ - Hostile Fire, Crash

[CREW]
Norton, Robert Lyon 1stLT Pilot VMO-2 MAG-16 1968-12-03 (vvm 37W:035)
Carney, Robert Arthur 1stLT AO VMO-2 MAG-16 1968-12-03 (vvm 37W:029)

NORTON ROBERT LYON : 067718 : USMC : 1stLT : O2 : 7576 (OV-10) : 35 : WEST HARTFORD : CT : 19681203 : hostile, crash, land : Pilot : body recovered : Quang Nam : 14 : 19331118 : Cauc : Protestant/married : 37W : 035 : ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY SECTION 46 SITE 517
CARNEY ROBERT ARTHUR : 096340 : USMC : 1stLT : O2 : 0805 : 33 : AKRON : OH : 19681203 : hostile, crash, land : Crew – Air Observer (Artillery) : body recovered : Quang Nam : 16 : 19351001 : Cauc : Protestant/married : 37W : 029

Personal Narrative

On the day of the incident, Wimpy Norton and Bob Carney were in an OV-10 on a typical recon and TACA mission out of VM0-2 at Marble Mt. At about two minutes after they were due to land back at home base the operations duty officer came in to me and said that they were over due. I immediately went to Tank Meyers, the XO [Executive Officer] and he quickly launched in another OV-10 on a search. We got on the radios and learned through the AO net that Wimpy had been working for the Regiment at Hill 55. When contacted, Hill 55 said that Wimpy had completed his mission with them and had mentioned going into Happy valley. At the time he would have gone there the clouds were at about the 2000 ft. level and lifting. Tank got this information and immediately went in to the valley to look for him. After about 30 min. of searching Tank said he saw some smoke coming out of the trees on the north slope of the valley at about the 2800ft level. At this time that was the same level as the bottom of the clouds. As the clouds continued to lift he was able to see what appeared to be a crash site there. The trees in the area showed almost no damage and it appeared that the plane had gone in straight down. A recon team later rappelled in and were able to identify Wimpy’s aircraft. It had gone in at a 90 degree dive and little was left. Recovery was made later after the crash site had cooled.

Submitted by: Early W. Spiars, VMO-2, S-3 (Operations) officer, 20030821

1stLt Robert A. Carney and 1stLt Robert L. Norton, Headstone

http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/racarney.htm

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Submitted by: N/A, 20050313