LANIER DAYTON WAYNE

Narrative

On May 9, 1968, a U.S. Army helicopter OH-13S (tail number 63-09097) from Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC), 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division was on a reconnaissance mission for 1st Cavalry ground troops when it came under enemy and was shot down. Both crewmen, aircraft commander WO1 Dayton W. Lanier and crew chief CPL Chris W. Frankhauser, suffered fatal injuries in the attack. The following is an account for this incident: WO1 Lanier and CPL Frankhauser were flying as part of a two ship scout team which was working its way up the valley in front of some ground forces. The two ships were doing lazy circles to cover each other as they moved up the valley. The second crew witnessed aircraft 097 straighten out of its turn, start a climb, and then spin back down into the trees where there was a dull explosion. There was no radio transmission from 097. The other scout helicopter dove to cover the crash scene, but came under heavy fire. They banked to get away from that area, returning fire, and managed to get out of range of the enemy troops. Gunships were scrambled from the A Shau Valley and the soldiers on the ground were directed to move up to where the ship had gone down. The soldiers reported that the crew would have been killed in the crash rather than in the post-impact fire. It appeared to the other scout crew that the aircraft had come under fire, tried to get out of the area, and that the pilot had probably been hit and lost control of the helicopter. (Information supplied by Frank Vanatta) [Taken from flying-circus.com] From: William M. Killian