Brothers (& Sisters) Killed in Action in USMC Helicopters or while assigned to USMC Helicopter or Tiltrotor Squadrons
19690613Vietnam
Download PDFIncident Date 19690613 Ground -BuNo unknown- - Accidental self-destruction, Walked into Rotor Blade
Scrimshaw, Wayne Gregory Cpl Grnd Casualty H&MS-39 MAG-39/1stMAW 1969-06-13 (vvm 22:044)
Cpl Scrimshaw inadvertantly walked into a rotor blade on ramp at Qu8ang Tri Airfield.
Submitted by: N/A, 20130416
CPL Wayne Gregory Scrimshaw was working for me and the Commanding General of the 3rd Marine Division Forward when he walked into the tail rotor of a helicopter.
Each morning the Generals Helicopters would bring the weather information from Quan Tri to Vandergrift SB where Cpl Scrimshaw picked them up and delivered them to me in the briefing bunker. I would use the information to brief the General.
He was going on R&R and that was the only thing he could think about. He was so much in love with his wife Ruby and excited to be going to see her.
The morning it happened, the General was getting ready to start a big push and every thing was in a rush. I believe that, plus Cpl. Scrimshaw's thinking about his R&R, he just was not watching where he was going. He had done this delivery many times so it was not any different, except all of us were in a hurry to get the briefing going. Since I was one of the first to brief we waited until he brought the weather map and the forecast information before starting.
When told what had happened I tried to go to him but the rest of the officers would not let me out of the bunker.
He was first treated by the doctor and corpsman from Charlie Med. The helicopter landing pad was on top of their bunker. Then he was flown back to Dong Ha and the hospital there.
He was killed instantly and never knew what happened. We were all in shock and the briefing was delayed. I'm sorry that I could not have gone to him but I was physicaly held.
He was the only weather person that died in Viet Nam.
It was a great pleasure to have the opportunity to serve with Cpl Scrimshaw and become a friend.
From a fellow Marine
George Champion
As a young Staff Sergeant, weather guesser and fellow Marine, I was the one that replaced Wayne Scrimshaw at FB VANDEGRIFT after he was killed. Although we never met, I spoke with Wayne a few times over the land line from Quang Tri where I was in the weather van. We spoke the day or so before his passing. He was very excited to be heading out to Hawaii to meet his wife for R&R. Ive never forgotten him and he is certainly on my mind every Memorial Day, including today Memorial Day 2020, some 51 years later. I was 22 then. Im 73 now. I often think that he died so young while I have lived a full life. Im saddened by the thought. I still have my pencil tracing of Cpl Scrimshaws name from the Vietnam Wall. Its a cherished personal remembrance of him.
Submitted by: Edward E. Holley, 20200525