Robert Wayne Gardner

Chief Warrant Officer 2
PILOT  UH-1H #66-00870
22 year old Single, Caucasian, Male
Born on Jun 02, 1947
From: Wheaton, Maryland
Length of service 2 years.
His tour of duty began on Feb 18, 1970
Casualty was on Apr 27, 1970 in Pleiku, South Vietnam
Hostile, helicopter - pilot air loss, crash on land
Body was recovered
Religion: Presbyterian
(Panel 11W - Line 58)

 

Robert Wayne "Bob" Gardner was born in Washington, DC and grew up in Wheaton Maryland.  He attended the University of Maryland before entering the service.

Bob attended Basic Combat Training at Fort Polk, LA and was a member of WOC Class 68-39, Flight A3 in the 5th WOC Company at Fort Wolters. Bob's Flight Class Photo 

He was assigned to the Rat Pack Platoon upon arrival in the 281st AHC.  Bob's outstanding abilities made him a valuable asset to both Rat Pack and even WolfPack guns.  I remember flying with Bob when I was very new in the Rat Pack and he was without doubt one of the coolest and most capable pilots I was privileged to fly with.  Bob earned his IP rating in both the H and C-Model UH-1s. 

Having been a high school quarterback myself,
Bob and I both loved a spirited game of football.

 


Wolf Pack Aircraft Commanders
L - R, Steve Watson, Walt Strobe and Bob Gardner

Nine days after Bob returned from extension leave at home his aircraft was shot down.  Monday, 27 April 1970, Bob was flying as Aircraft Commander, Pilot Stanley Miller, and SP5 George Tom, crew chief, flying a Command & Control mission for the 4th Infantry Division in the An Khe Pass, with 3 passengers on board when their aircraft, UH-1H 66-00870, was shot down near Pleiku, RVN. 

The only surviving crew member, SP4 Gary Fields was gunner for the mission and has a concise recollection of the incident.  Gary remembers flying up the pass when the aircraft became targeted by .50 caliber fire from both sides.  He recalls CW2 Gardner took the brunt of the fire and slumped over the controls as the aircraft nosed over out of control. 

When Gary realized that the aircraft was going to crash, he jumped from the ship and fell approximately 200 feet, landing in a rice patty.  Gary suffered multiple injuries as a result of the fall, and to this date is disabled.  He was the only survivor because he jumped from the aircraft as it crashed in front of the lead ship in the combat assault.  

By crewmate Steve Matthews


Bob and his friend Bob George in the BOQ,
 and preparing rockets in Mai Loc in 1969
                                                        


 


Bob is survived by his parents, Donald M. and Lillian Gardner, who still reside in Wheaton, MD, and three brothers, Ronald, Steven, and Paul. 
Bob is interred in Arlington National Cemetery.

 

 

                                                        

Personal recollections of Bob Gardner from George Dossett:

“I served with Bob in the 281st.  I was a really young W-1 (is that a cliché or what?) right out of flight school, and immediately I was put in Maintenance as a Test Pilot.  I could barely fly straight and level, much less perform sophisticated maneuvers such as hover checks and the like.  My first check test flight check ride was with Albin Szulc, which resulted in a suspected N1 Over speed.  My next flight was with Bob.  His easy nature, friendly attitude, and overall air of competence actually rubbed off on me.  I had a great check ride and knew that I wanted to be able to strap an aircraft onto my back and actually make it a part of me as Bob did.  He was an excellent IP and he instilled a lot of confidence in me as-well-as the other newbie's.  As a result, many of us went on to be IP’s and SIP’s, passing on that legacy from Bob to hundreds of other pilots.”
July 25, 2002


 

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