Remembering my brother, WO Thomas Forsythe.
From my files....
“On September 27, 1969, all of the 101st units had pulled out of the A Shau Valley, thus closing one chapter in the division’s history. The A Shau Valley would have been difficult to defend during the upcoming monsoon season. Low hanging clouds and unpredicable weather were the biggest factors in abandoning the valley. There was an artillery raid in either November or December, 1969. The Phoenix flew the troops into the abandoned firebase, possibly Airborne for the raid. The Phoenix continued to fly missions and hadn’t lost anyone to hostile action until December 21st when Captain Arthur Herndon, WO Thomas Forsythe and Specialist 4 David L. Egleston were killed while flying a mission near the DMZ. They were caught in a cross fire
of .51 caliber machine guns. Specialist Amos survived the crash by jumping from the aircraft just prior to impact. He would survive another crash less than two months later by jumping from the aircraft which was piloted by CPT Donald Swanson. Another Phoenix aircraft had taken fire in that area of the DMZ on December 20th, the aircraft was piloted by CWO Bob Sauer. Sauer had given a spent round from that action to Tom Forsythe who wanted it as a good luck charm.
http://www.phoenix158.org/taps/
BTW, Specialist Amos who jumped from two crashing choppers was sent back to the States. His CO said he might not survive a third jump.
May WO Thomas Forsythe and his Brothers in Arms RIP.
Uncommon valor was a common virtue.