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MSgt Frank DiDia
to remember
Martin, Walter Wesley (Pony), Maj.
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Casualty Info
Home Town Pittsburg, KS
Last Address Nha Trang AB, South Vietnam
Casualty Date Jan 17, 1969
Cause KIA-Killed in Action
Reason Air Loss, Crash - Land
Location Laos
Conflict Vietnam War
Location of Interment Highland Park Cemetery - Pittsburg, Kansas
LtCol Wayne Franklin Bolton, USAF, 1974th Comm Group, passenger
TSgt George Albert Kurtyka, USAF, 1973rd Comm Sqdn, passenger
TSgt Juan Arturo Maldonado , USAF, 1973rd Comm Sqdn, passenger
Two crewmen and one passenger survived and were transferred to Clark AFB (Philippines) for hospitalization.
Comments/Citation:
On 17 January 1969, a U.S. Air Force helicopter CH-3C (tail number 62-12582) was lost while supporting a TACAN site (tactical air navigation system for military aircraft navigation and guidance) in northern Laos. Three crew members and three passengers died in the crash. Two crew chiefs and one passenger survived and were transferred to Clark Air Base in the Philippines for hospitalization. The three lost crewmen included pilots MAJ Walter W. Martin and CAPT Richard A. Fleming, and crewman SSGT Albert J. Davis. The passengers were LTC Wayne F. Bolton, TSGT George A. Kurtyka, and TSGT Juan A. Maldonado
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Name: MAJ Walter Wesley Martin
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 01/17/1969 while performing the duty of Pilot.
Age at death: 33.3
Date of Birth: 10/16/1935
Home City: Opolis, KS
Service: regular component of the U.S. Air Force.
Unit: 20 SOS
Service: U.S. Air Force.
The Wall location: 34W-026
Short Summary: Crashed in northern Laos while supporting a TACAN site.
Aircraft: CH-3E tail number 62-12582
Call sign: PONY
Service number: 66567
Country: Laos
MOS: *
Primary cause: Hostile Fire
Started Tour: 04/22/1968
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - pilot
Length of service: 10
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - killed
married male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Religion: Methodist (Evangelical United Brethren)
Burial information: HIGHLAND PARK CEMETERY, PITTSBURGH, KS
This record was last updated on 04/18/1998
