Name: James Larry Phipps
Rank/Branch: W1/US Army
Unit: Troop C, 7th Squad, 17th Air Cavalry, 17th Aviation Group, 1st Aviation Brigade
Date of Birth: 09 December 1943 (Washington DC)
Home City of Record: Mattoon, IL
Date of Loss: 09 January 1968
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 153817N 1080930E (AT955308)
Status (in 1973): Missing in Action
Category: 2
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: UH1C

Other Personnel in Incident:

Warren E. Newton
Rainier S. Ramos
(missing)

Fred J. Secrist
(remains recovered)

Source:

Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 June 1990 from one or more of the following:

Raw data from U.S. Government agency sources.
Correspondence with POW/MIA families.
Published Sources
Interviews

SYNOPSIS:

On January 9, 1968, the crew of a UH1C (tail #66-00745) consisting of WO1 James L. Phipps, aircraft commander; WO Rainier S. Ramos, pilot; SP4 Warren E. Newton, doorgunner; and PFC Fred J. Secrist, gunner, were on a gunship-cover mission about 20 miles west of the city of Tam Ky in Quang Tin Province, Republic of Vietnam.

LT Williamson, the pilot of another helicopter, was flying as scout in front of WO Ramos' aircraft when he received a call from WO Phipps indicating that he had been hit, was on fire, and was going down. LT Williamson stated he would follow the aircraft down. He saw smoke training from Ramos' aircraft, but did not sight flames until the aircraft impacted on the ground.

The helicopter hit and exploded (the estimated impact speed was between 65 and 80 knots). The senior officer of Troop C, 7th Squad, 17th Air Cavalry arrived and made several passes over the downed aircraft. Heavy automatic weapons fire from the north and east of the downed aircraft was received on the third pass, but it was noted that the downed aircraft was gutted by fire and explosions. At no time was any evidence seen that suggested that the crew had been thrown clear of the crash.

During the first 45 minutes of the on-scene observation, the munitions, consisting of 2.75 rockets and 40 mm grenades were exploding every minute or two. The senior officer remained in the area for about one and one-half hours. On January 20, a recovery operation was initiated and the remainder of the aircraft was located in the bottom of a large trench. About three sets of remains were recovered, but only one set (that of PFC Secrist) was subseqently identified.

Newton, Phipps and Ramos were not declared dead, but Missing in Action, indicating that there was still the possibility that they were thrown clear of the aircraft and captured by the enemy.

Since American involvement in Vietnam ended in 1975, over 10,000 reports relating to Americans missing, prisoner, or otherwise unaccounted for in Indochina have been received by the U.S. Government. Many officials, having examined this largely classified information, have reluctantly concluded that many Americans are still alive today, held captive by our long-ago enemy.

Whether Newton, Phipps and Ramos survived the crash of their helicopter to be captured by the enemy firing at other aircraft in the area is certainly not known. It is not known if he might be among those thought to be still alive today. What is certain, however, is that as long as even one American remains alive, held against his will, we owe him our very best efforts to bring him to freedom. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to keep pushing this issue inside the Beltway...

The need to get specific answers is more important now than ever before. If still alive, some MIAs are now in their 70s...They don't have much time left. We have to demand the answers from the bureaucrats and keep standing on their necks (figuratively speaking) until they get the message that THEY work for US and that we are serious about getting these long overdue responses. Diplomatic considerations aside... We can no longer allow questionable protocols established by pseudo-aristocratic armchair strategists, to determine or influence the fate of the men who were in the trenches while the diplomats were sharing sherry and canapes and talking about "Their Plans" for the future of SE Asia.

...for all of the hard work you have put into this Operation! It is very much appreciated by me and many others. Thank you!

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