Arnold E. Holm

Article published May 27, 2011
Remains found of Waterford native Holm; died in helicopter crash in Vietnam in 1972
Stephen Chupaska
It took nearly 39 years and countless hours of painstaking work, but it seems fitting that the news about the remains of Army Capt. Arnold E. Holm comes now, as Americans remember their war dead on  Memorial Day weekend.
The Defense Prisoner of War Missing Personnel Office said Friday that they have made a “group identification” of the remains of Holm, a Waterford native whose helicopter was shot down in Vietnam in 1972, and two of his crewmates.
According to spokesman Larry Greer, bone fragments from Holm and two others involved in the crash could not be individually certified. But Greer said there is enough biological material and bits of debris found at the crash site to deduce that the fragments belong to Holm and the others crew members, Pfc. Wayne Bibbs of Illinois and Spc. Robin Yeakley of Indiana.
“It’s as good as you can get,” Greer said.
Holm’s widow, Margarete Holm, who is retired and living Lebanon, Pa., had hoped more remains would be found.
“But one has to be realistic,” she said Friday in a telephone interview.
Greer said the “group identification” process is common during violent plane crashes and similar disasters.
The families of all three servicemen needed to approve of the group identification before the Defense POW Mission Personal Office released the information to the public.
On June 11, 1972, Holm’s Cayuse Scout helicopter came under fire while flying over Thua Thien-Hue province in northcentral Vietnam. The aircraft crashed to the ground, and the ordnance it carried exploded.
Greer said the helicopter was carrying phosphorus grenades, which give off intense heat when detonated.
“That’s one of the reasons it was difficult to find remains,” Greer said.
According to reports, a second helicopter sent to rescue Holm and his crewmates was also shot down.
Michael Austin, a retired helicopter pilot who was stationed at the same base in Vietnam as Holm, said in 2002 that “June 11 and June 12 were just a devastating couple of days for that platoon.”
Greer said the Defense Department launched six investigations since 1997 to locate the remains of the three servicemen and a number of factors plagued the search, which in addition to forensic evidence, included interviews with American military personnel and local villagers. 
Greer said that there were 20 reported crashes of the same type of helicopter Holm flew in a 15-kilometer radius of the suspected crash site.
“There were investigations into all 20 crashes,” Greer said, adding that some the information became muddled.
Greer said that wreckage from the crashes was heavily scavenged by people living near the site, further complicating the search.
The Vietnamese Office For Seeking Missing Persons, which acted as guides to the crash site and conducted searches on their own, assisted American teams.
The Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) excavated the crash site during the summer of 2008 and recovered a small amount of remains. JPAC later said DNA tests were inconclusive.
In 2008, search teams found two dog tag fragments belonging to Yeakley.
“That nailed the fact,” Greer said.
Born in 1944 in New London, Holm grew up on Tiffany Avenue in Waterford and excelled at basketball, football and baseball at Waterford High School.
He enlisted in the Army in 1962, where he earned a commission. Holm was 28 when he died.
Austin said in 2002 that Holm “was the most exceptional scout (he) ever worked with.” 
“He was aggressive, but he was never careless,” Austin said. “He didn’t shy away from anything. He led by example.”
Margarete Holm said a burial service has been tentatively scheduled for October at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, but that she would also be holding a service at the Church of the Redeemer, in New London, the same church where she and Holm were married in 1966.
According to military protocol, the remains from the crash will be buried together and the names of Holm, Bibbs and Yeakley will be carved onto a single marker and join the rows of white gravestones in the nation’s most hallowed ground.
s.chupaska@theday.com

James D Marett

The entry shown below was entered in the Vietnam Helicopter Pilot Association data base. Doug Marett was the commanding officer of Troop C, 7/17th Cavalry from January 1967 at Fort Knox Ky, to April 1968 at Chu Lai, RVN. He was the first Blue Ghost 6 and commanded the troop during combat operations in the Tet Offensive for which Troop C was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation.  A search for an obituary has been unsuccessful and a reply from his family is not yet received.  Notice of his passing is posted herewith.

MARETT JAMES D

LTC James "Doug" D. Marett was a VHPA member who died after his tour in Vietnam on 07/23/2008 at the age of 79 from Doug died of a heart attack following lung cancer. 
Anderson, SC 
Flight Class 57/59 
Date of Birth 04/25/1929 
Served in the U.S. Army 
Served in Vietnam with C/7/17 CAV in 67-68, HHT/7/17 CAV in 68, HHT/7/1 CAV in 69, 1 AVN BDE in 70 
This information was provided by Returned Invoice

More detail on this person: Doug died of a heart attack following lung cancer.

This information was last updated 10/06/2008

Please send additions or corrections to: The VHPA Webmaster Gary Roush.

Return to the Helicopter Pilot DAT name list

Return to VHPA web site

Date posted on this site: 03/09/2011

Warren Newton

The veterans and citizens of Canby, OR will be dedicating a Vietnam Veterans Memorial honoring one of your Blue Ghosts, Warren Newton, on August 6, 2011. The sculpture is not yet in place, but the Huey and other memorial pieces are. I visited it today and it is beautiful. Hopefully some of you can be there for the dedication.

Susan Johnson

Bellingham, WA.

smjmatty@comcast.com

Joe Johnson - Scout Crew Chief

From Victor Cook

To: Bill Hatch   February 22, 2011

Good afternoon Bill,

 

I received this message from James Beauford.  I wanted to pass this sad bit of information to you.

 

Victor

-----Original Message-----
From: jbeauford
Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2011 10:09 AM
To: vcook
Subject: Joe Johnson

 

Hey Victor,

           Just thought I would let you know that Joe Johnson was killed in a helicopter crash several years after we left Viet Nam. The person I talked with lived in Alabama and  said she went to high school with Joe. She said he went to Germany after he got back, but didn't know if he got killed in Germany or went back to Viet Nam and was killed there. Just thought I would let you know.

 

                                                                  Take care, James

Bill,

I found a military crash aircraft website and copied this information.  I have been trying to find an obit for Joe and have having some problems.  I know he was from Elba, Alabama.  However, he was married to Mary and lived in Brantley, Al. 

Victor  

 http://www.armyaircrews.com/images/news/030575_uh1.gif

CW2 Larry N. Sain [P] Mar 5,1975

CW2 Larry N. Sain [P] SP6 Joseph H. Johnson SP5 Everett W. Wancura SP4 Bengt E. Johanson SP4 Daniel V. McGrew P injured 55 AVN A/C struck a power line and crashed into a small tributary of the North Han River near Chuncheon at 1030 hours Huey accident in Korea

 

 

 

                                            (This Photo was posted in 2005)

Blue Ghost Photos

 

Specialist 5th Class Joseph E. Johnson, Elba, Alabama served as a Scout Platoon crew chief and door gunner in 1967-68. Was twice awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and received two awards of the Purple Heart.

Does anyone know the whereabouts of this man?

 

          

   

 

 

Valorous Unit Award

Department of the Army, US Army Resources Command, 200 Stovall Street, Alexandria, VA 22331-0400

Permanent Orders 089-10  30 March 2010

Anyone serving with F/8 during that time is eligible to wear the VALOROUS UNIT AWARD.

This link will go to the PDF copy of the Order.

http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/Retro%20Awards/2010/089-10_20100330_HRCMD.pdf

Please pass the word to anyone you know who was there at that time.

 

Hey, what's 39  years among friends?  
 

Dick Crawley
"Blueghost Green"
F/8 Cav
Oct '70 - Oct '71

Bat 21 SAR

From:

  Scatback Scribe <scatbackscribe@gmail.com> Hide

Add to: To Do, Calendar

To:

   <blueghosrd@aol.com>

Date:

Sun, Sep 5, 2010 5:32 pm

Blue Ghost Red,

 

Bill, I’m interested in contacting the living members of F Troop, 8th Cavalry, of the 196th Light Infantry Brigade, Marble Mountain AAF -- “Blue Ghost” who participated in the Bat 21B SAR effort in April 1972. 

 

I don’t know the status of the following individuals:  Capt Mike Rosebeary, Blueghost 28; CWO George Ezell, Blueghost 24; Tim Sprouse, Blueghost Red; Capt Thomas White, operations officer; etc.  There may be other Blueghosts who flew on Bat 21; however, I may not know their names.  If you do, please include.

 

I’d also like to communicate with Mike Austin, Blueghost 23 who has written about the Bat 21 SAR.

 

Can you help with e-mail and/or phone numbers?

 

Thxs,

Bob Laymon, CMSgt, USAF (E-9 Ret.)

Scatback Scribe

Director of History

Tan Son Nhut Association

 

BLUEGHOST REUNION 2010

John "Doc" Anderson (L)
Richard "Gus" Gustafson(R)

Orlando, FL reunion by Blueghost737, Carter Davis.