Do we have anyone living in the Honolulu area? If so, maybe they could check around to see if Marjorie is still there. She was a very nice lady, so there is a good chance that she remarried, but it would be great if she could be contacted and advised about the reunion. She might appreciate the fact that we still think about Dick.

Best of luck to you and Doc, and Jim Mann, and all the other Tomahawks. I have fond memories of Phu Loi and all you guys.

Ben Powell

MEMORIES FROM THE THOSE 
WHO SEARCHED FOR THE CRASH

(Excerpts from several email "Doc’ Daugherty who was also a best friend of Darcey.)I was with the 128th from Jan 67 - Aug 68, serving first as a 1st Platoon Slick driver (Tomahawk 19) then as Gunslinger 34. Ed Drake was my CE in 1st platoon, then he went to maintenance and Garcia took over his ship, if I remember right. Also remembering that you were in 2nd Platoon, You may be interested to know the following....

Toward the end of Operation Junction City, On the night that the 2nd Platoon lost a/c #744 with all crew aboard, Steve Dillman and I were flying the a/c that went out that night and found the crash. My daughter, Darcy, is named in honor of my best friend who was lost that night. Keep up the good work, Bill. It is appreciated.

Richard "Doc" Daugherty 67-68
Gunslinger 34, 128th AHC
Irwin,Pa

(more follow-up excerpts from email)

You and are not alone in the bad feelings concerning 744 and that day’s missions. Jim Mason was scheduled to fly with Dick Newton that day. He became ill the night before and switched with Darcy. The hand of fate?

I had already flown 12 hours that day. My logbook shows CA time then the daily flights up in the Quin Loi, Minh Than, Bridge Site area. You know the area we worked during Junction City.

The 2nd entry in my logbook for that day is 2.3 hours of night admin flight and .9 hours night IFR. Steve and I had volunteered to take a ship and go out to look for the missing AC due to our close friendship with Darcy. I'm sorry that I didn't remember that you were crewing the ship we flew that night. Too many years gone by I guess.

Anyway, I remember that Maj. Creadur was going along in back, along with some of the strap hangers from up at 11th Btn. HQ I did not realize at the time, but they had all been drinking together most of the evening up at the Btn. Officer’s Club bar. I don't remember all the names anymore, but this same group of senior officers were together most of the time. Steve climbed in the Left seat and I in the Right. I remember it being "black as Hell" that night, with no moon and some weather worries. We decided on these seating arrangements so I could get on the gages if we ran into bad weather.

The plan was to try to fly over the areas and routes that had been commonly used by most all of the aircraft during these similar daily missions. We had climbed up to nose bleed altitude in order to see over the greatest possible distance. I don't know if you remember or not, but I sure do..... As we were flying along right below the cloud deck, I was flying the aircraft when all at once, one of the drunks in back (Steve remembers who) got a bad case of Vertigo and decided we were going to crash. He jumped up and was trying to get at the controls by climbing over the seat. I was doing my best to try and hang onto things and Steve was using his elbow, trying to drive this idiot back where he belonged. In the process, he broke several of the guys ribs. You guys in the back finally were able to get hold of him and get him off us and we resumed our search. I still don't know how you restrained him.

I remember spotting the fires burning in an odd area to the West of highway #13, as we were going North. We dropped down and moved into the area to get a closer look. Everything else was pretty much as you described in your story. You know, I had read it before and it just never dawned on me that you were telling about this particular incident. I remember flying the aircraft and descending over the wreckage. I can hear the conversations in my mind and see it all before me right now as I'm typing this, just like I was watching it on a TV show. Even after all these years it's all still there.

Well Bill, That's about all I can add. If we could get Steve in on this he might be able to fill in some more of the names. I'm pleased to finally find out who else was along in the crew that night.

Thanks. If I can add anything else from that time period concerning our activities, please feel free to call on me. I loved the 128thAHC, and everyone in it. I felt at that time, as I still do today, that we were fortunate to have been blessed with something special. It seemed to create almost a family atmosphere within our group that was different from what was normally seen. It may have been just the time and place, but the closeness that many of us still maintain bears witness to that. I'll be a Tomahawk till the day I die, and Ill never forget.

Richard "Doc" Daugherty 67 - 68
Gunslinger 34, 128th AHC

MORE CONVERSATIONS ...FROM "DOC" AND STEVE

Bill; I sent our notes to Steve Dillman because I knew he would remember the names better than I. His answer goes right along with what Ben Powell had to
say. Glad someone can still remember names.
                                                   Doc
  ----------------------------------------------------------------
Doc; I think you and got it right, except that I believe it was Major Cornelius F. McGillicuddy instead of Major Creadur. And he was the one who ended up with the broke ribs which he claimed happened when he was placed in the swimming pool. I saw that and no way could that have broken ribs. I also remember seeing the black dot on the back side of the attitude indicator several times before we got him off the controls. I believe that (Bob) Codney an Hartwell were crewing in the back for Red Dog 6 Lt. CO Starker.  Bob might remember what went on from that aircraft.
Steve Dillman

DETAILED ACCIDENT REPORT FOR 744
http://www.vietnamexp.com/Tomahawk/kiaac.htm/64-13744.htm