Photos courtesy of Frank Jones and Edited by Randy White
A Frank Jones photo of the ship Maj. Robert L Grof was killed in on April 10, 1971. Maybe the flight can help I.D. the people in the photo. RW
The sitrep for B Troop, April 10, 1971. The grid coordinates for FSB Rendezvous are YC 436 960, so I believe there's a mistake in the report. The grids given on the C.D. must be where the ship was hit at. This is very near the border on the west side of the Valley, in the FSB Erskine -Bradley area.
Info from the VHPA C.D. about the incident.
Name: MAJ. Robert Lester Grof
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 04/10/71 while performing the duty of Pilot.
Age at death: 32.7
Date of Birth: 07/27/38
Home City: Lansing, MI
Service: AR branch of the regular component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: B/2/17 CAV 101 ABN
Major organization: 101st Airborne Division
Service: AR branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 04W-115
Short Summary: C&C hit by 37mm in right seat killing Grof. WO Stone flew A/C back to Firebase Veghel, RVN. After Lam Son 719.
Aircraft: UH-1H tail number 68-15753
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 1983
Primary cause: 37MM
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: small arms fire
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: aircraft commander
Vehicle ownership: government
Started Tour: 07/09/70
"Official" listing: ground casualty
The initial status of this person was: no previous report
Location: Quang Tri Province I Corps.
Military grid coordinates of event: YD165108
Additional information about this casualty from Michael P. Loyd, CE 67N2F, 170th AHC BIKINI/BUCCANEER Apr66-Feb69, B Trp 2-17th Air Cav BANSHEE Oct70-Jan72, 48th AHC BLUE STAR/JOKERS Jan72-May72, Fairbanks, Alaska, Oct. 97:
I remember the Hendrix "Love Birds" well. It was one of those good news, and very bad news things, that seem like a Hollywood script. They had a very fine Air Cav wedding, complete with swords, Cav hats, and send off in, what else, a Loach. I was out there waving with the rest, her in her white gown, heading off for their honeymoon. Since her parents couldn't be there, Patti had our Commander, Maj Grof, give her away. That's the good news. The A Shau Valley was our AO and unhappy hunting ground. We went out there as often as we could, weather permitting. Maj Grof went out on a weather recon, to see if the AO was workable, that way we didn't send a whole gaggle, only to return. He descended down a "Sucker Hole", and took a 37mm in the chin bubble. The Peter Pilot, on his very first in-country mission, managed to get the Huey down in one piece at Fire Base Rendezvous, with no hydraulics. Our FO LT Michael Rodak, attended Maj Grof, and kept him alive until he arrived at the 85th Evac. After hours of operating, he just had to much damage to his intestines, he passed away with Patti attending him. Very bad news.
Reason: gunshot or small arms fire
Casualty type: Hostile - died of wounds
married male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: Methodist (Evangelical United Brethren)
The following information is secondary, but may help in explaining this incident.
Category of casualty as defined by the Army: battle dead
Category of personnel: active duty
Army Military class: officer
This record was last updated on 10/13/97
The instrument panel of the Grof ship.
Grof's Aircraft History
Date : Thu, 16 May 2002 22:45:33 -0400
Doug, Here's the information on Grof's bird. Dan, the tail number is below and not the 893 as posted...there was no 893 in HHT, but there was a 853. RW
Helicopter UH-1H 68-15753
Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 68-15753
The Army purchased this helicopter 0769
Total flight hours at this point: 00000653
Date: 06/21/70
Accident case number: 700621021
Unit: B/2/17 CAV
The station for this helicopter was Phu Bai in
Number killed in accident = 0 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 0
costing 6100
Source(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Army Aviation Safety Center database.
Crew Members:
AC W1 POTTER AF
P W1 ERIKISON GO
Accident Summary:
ACFT INSERTING TRP INTO HOT LZ LZ WAS SURROUNDED BY HIGH TREE STUMPS ACFT HAD M/R BLADE STRIKES BOTH M/R BLADES DMG \
Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 68-15753
The Army purchased this helicopter 0769
Total flight hours at this point: 00000986
Date: 02/08/71
Accident case number: 710208141
Unit: B/2/17 CAV
The station for this helicopter was Camp Eagle in
Number killed in accident = 0 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 0
costing 6100
Source(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Army Aviation Safety Center database.
Crew Members:
P W1 FAHY T
Accident Summary:
HOVERING OVER LZ VOTH MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRUCK TREES.
Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 68-15753
The Army purchased this helicopter 0769
Total flight hours at this point: 00001058
Date: 04/10/71
Incident number: 71041033.KIA
Unit: B/2/17 CAV
South Vietnam
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Also: OPERA (Operations Report. )
Loss to Inventory
Crew Members:
P MAJ GROF ROBERT LESTER KIA
This record was last updated on 05/25/98
The following is Goldbook information on US Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 68-15753
It is provided here as an ESTIMATE of the history of this helicopter and is not intended to be the final authority.
This helicopter was purchased by the US Army in 0769.
Please provide any additional information on this helicopter to the VHPA.
| DATE | FLT | HRS | UIC | UNIT | AREA | COUNTRY |
| 6907 | 8 | 8 | WAB0B0 | B TP 2-17 101AB | VIETNAM | RVN |
| 6908 | 90 | 98 | WAB0B0 | B TP 2-17 101AB | VIETNAM | RVN |
| 6909 | 69 | 167 | WAB0B0 | B TP 2-17 101AB | VIETNAM | RVN |
| 6910 | 59 | 226 | WAB0B0 | B TP 2-17 101AB | VIETNAM | RVN |
| 6911 | 34 | 260 | WAB0B0 | B TP 2-17 101AB | VIETNAM | RVN |
| 6912 | 27 | 287 | WAB0B0 | B TP 2-17 101AB | VIETNAM | RVN |
| 7001 | 61 | 348 | WAB0B0 | B TP 2-17 101AB | VIETNAM | RVN |
| 7002 | 30 | 378 | WAB0B0 | B TP 2-17 101AB | VIETNAM | RVN |
| 7003 | 54 | 432 | WAB0B0 | B TP 2-17 101AB | VIETNAM | RVN |
| 7004 | 73 | 505 | WAB0B0 | B TP 2-17 101AB | VIETNAM | RVN |
| 7005 | 78 | 583 | WAB0B0 | B TP 2-17 101AB | VIETNAM | RVN |
| 7006 | 70 | 653 | WAB0B0 | B TP 2-17 101AB | VIETNAM | RVN |
| 7007 | 43 | 696 | WAB0T0 | 2SQ 17AC 101ACD | VIETNAM | RVN |
| 7008 | 62 | 758 | WAB0T0 | 2SQ 17AC 101ACD | VIETNAM | RVN |
| 7009 | 0 | 758 | WAB0T0 | 2SQ 17AC 101ACD | VIETNAM | RVN |
| 7010 | 26 | 784 | WAB0T0 | 2SQ 17AC 101ACD | VIETNAM | RVN |
| 7011 | 39 | 823 | WAB0B0 | B TP 2-17 101AB | VIETNAM | RVN |
| 7012 | 23 | 846 | WAB0B0 | B TP 2-17 101AB | VIETNAM | RVN |
| 7101 | 73 | 919 | WAB0B0 | 2 17 ACV B TRP | VIETNAM | RVN |
| 7102 | 67 | 986 | WAB0B0 | 2 17 ACV B TRP | VIETNAM | RVN |
| 7103 | 59 | 1045 | WAB0B0 | 2 17 ACV B TRP | VIETNAM | RVN |
| 7104 | 13 | 1058 | WAB0B0 | 2 17 ACV B TRP | VIETNAM | RVN |
As reported in "The Screaming Eagle" June 7, 1971 - Courtesy Randy White
L-R: from B Troop: W.O. Stone, CPT. Frank Jones. From L Company: CPT. David Ohle, Lt. David Grange and Lt. Bob Suchke.
Bob Suchke told us this was in May of 71. The sitrep, Randy believes it to be, is next.
Bill Collum
Correctly identified by Frank Jones, Brian Price
and Randy White.
Frank Jones
Lou Spiedel and Bill Collum during happier days.
Bill Collum
L-R: Unknown, Maj. Albright, unk., Hoc Bao CO., LTC. Archie Rider.
The tail number appears to be 893.
Date : Thu, 16 May 2002 22:45:33 -0400
The tail number is not 893... there was no 893 in HHT, but there was a 853.
RW
Date : Thu, 2 Jan 2003 16:38:09 -0500
This came in today about the photo of Rider that's posted in Frank Jones's name, with pictures of the Groff KIA ship.
The picture you have posted here is of particular interest to me - I have
been in contact with Maj. Dick Albrecht, the man on the left in the forefront of
the picture.He confirms that the man next to Col. Rider with the helmet on is Major
Doan, Commander of the Hoc Bao, and he believes the other man between him
and Major Doan, is Captain Nge, XO of the Hoc Bao who was KIA before the war
ended.
RW
L-R: Unknown, name tag looks like O'Brien, Frank Jones with plate and Bill Jones.
Lunch time at the Cav.
WO Bill Cullum
I believe this is Lou "John" Spiedel (see below). Frank Jones said the color photo of the guy in the white T-shirt sitting in the hooch I called Spiedel was Collum, but if you look at the name tag on the color photo I've identified as Collum, you'll see that's the name given. Regardless it is Collum and Spiedel with the model biplane, and in these photos. Maybe one of the flight can straighten it out. Please let me know if they do. If any of your guys have other photos they'd like touched up, or photos of L Company people I can copy, please send them my way. I'll be taking over the L Company web site in June, and plan on many additions and changes over the coming months. Always looking for guys who can tell me about our missions from the aircrew point of view, and photos of our guys. RW
From: JonFra304@aol.com Frank D. Jones
Sent: Friday, May 28, 2004 5:35 PM
Subject: R. White Photos 1971 - Ref: photo identified as "Speidel"
I am Frank D. Jones, now a retired Major. The Photograph with the aviator holding the model airplane is not Captain Speidel. It is WO Bill Cullum.
I took the picture and I inventored his property when he was killed. For historical accuracy, the captioned should be corrected.
If the webmaster is Randy White then I say hello and happy Memorial Day. I'm new to this thing called "internet" boy it is great flying it.
Regards, Frank
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