This Military Service Page was created/owned by
A3C Michael S. Bell (Unit Historian)
to remember
Hatlestad, Richard L., 1st Lt.
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Casualty Info
Home Town Sepulveda
Last Address Tan Son Nhut AB
Casualty Date Apr 12, 1963
Cause Non Hostile- Died Other Causes
Reason Air Loss, Crash - Land
Location Thailand
Conflict Vietnam War
Location of Interment Oakwood Memorial Park - Chatsworth, California
C-123B Tail #56-4380 Crashed at Nakhon Phanom RTAFB 13th Air Force 464th Troop Carrier Wing 777th Troop Carrier Squadron ------
The other crew members who perished on this flight were: 1Lt Raymond Doyle SSgt Stanley Truesdale There may have been two survivors: SSgt Donald Carson Harry Williams III ------
On 12 April 1963, a C-123 Provider (tail number 56-4380) crashed on take-off from the still-under-construction airfield at Nakon Phanom, Thailand, killing the three crewmen and two Thai civilians on the ground. While the aircraft and the two pilots were assigned to the 777th Troop Carrier Squadron temporarily based at Don Muang Airfield, Bangkok, the US Air Force casualty list indicates Staff Sergeant Truesdale was assigned to the 776th Troop Carrier Squadron. The three men were: 1LT Raymond E. Doyle, Merion, PA, 777th TCS 1LT Richard L. Hatlestad, Sepulveda, CA, 777th TCS SSGT Stanley E. Truesdale, San Diego, CA, 776th TCS ------
"I was one of the Loadmasters on the C-123 that crashed Apr 12, 1963." Posted by: Harry Williams III Email: Relationship: Other: Friday, May 25, 2001 ------
=========
Rec'd 19 Aug 2010:
... follow up today on a SSgt. Donald Carson. He was the 4th crewman on this C-123. He survived the crash, dying 3 days later. His name was "over looked" on the Wall, but finally corrected.
>
>The other crewmen:
>1st Lt. RAYMOND E .DOYLE JR
>1st Lt. RICHARD L. HATLESTAD
>SSgt. STANLEY E. TRUESDALE
Comments/Citation:
"I hate to be the bearer of sad news, but the C-123 that crashed at NKP was trying to snag a pair of panties that was flying from a flagpole with a tiedown chain slung out the back ramp. That accident was famous at Pope even after I got there and started flying." "I knew several people who were TDY to Saigon when that incident happened. The troops at NKP had run a pair of panties up a flagpole. This particular crew got the bright idea of trying to snag it with a tiedown chain. I've forgotten if they got too low and hit the pole or if the airplane stalled, but that's what happened." -----
