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SPC E-5 JOSEPH RALPH FOSS

Combat Aviation Crew / Door Gunner
145th Airlift Platoon (pre-281st)
From: Skowhegan, Maine
Date of Birth: October 24, 1936
Killed in Action on April 5, 1965
Died from injuries sustained in an aircraft crash
in South Vietnam.

1stAB Army Aviator

1stAB ribbons

guidon

On April 5, 1965, aircraft 63-08631 crashed on takeoff from Ban B'rieng Special Forces Camp. SP/5 Joe Foss did not survive the mishap. Joe was the first causality of the 145th Aviation Platoon.

A family photo of Joe contained the following:

God gave us the strength to bear it
and courage to face the blow
But what it meant to lose him
No one will ever know

Joseph was an early causality of the Vietnam war and holds place number 101 on the Washington DC, Vietnam wall. He was pre-281, but is remembered by the Intruders as one of their own.

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Aircraft Crash Data:
Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1B tail number 63-08631
Date: 04/05/1965
Incident number: 0B765ACD Accident case number: 0B765 Total Loss Accident
South Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 1 . . Injured = 1 . . Passengers = 0
costing 193648
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Army Aviation Safety Center database. Also: OPERA (Operations Report. )
Loss to Inventory

Crew Members:
AC O4 DR SMITH
P O3 R BRAFFORD
CE SP5 FOSS JOSEPH RALPH KIA
G E5 B MACON

This record was last updated on 05/25/1998

__________________________________________

The following is crew member information for this incident:
Name: SP5 Joseph Ralph Foss
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 04/05/1965 while performing the duty of Crew Chief.
Age at death: 28.4
Date of Birth: 10/24/1936
Home City: Skowhegan, ME
Service: regular component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 145 AIRLIFT PLAT
Major organization: other
Service: U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 01E-101
Short Summary: G E5 MACON P O3 BRAFFORD AC O4 SMITH survived.
Aircraft: UH-1B tail number 63-08631
Service number: 11260739
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: * Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: fire or burns
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: crew chief
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - other aircrew
Length of service: 10
Location: Unknown Province
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Non-hostile - died of other causes
married male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Religion: unknown or not reported
The following information secondary, but may help in explaining this incident.
Category of casualty as defined by the Army: non-battle dead
Category of personnel: active duty Army
Military class: enlisted personnel
This record was last updated on 02/18/2004.

A MAN IS NOT DEAD UNTIL HE IS FORGOTTEN

ONCE AN INTRUDER....ALWAYS AN INTRUDER

Huey Sunset

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