Michael Anthony Goffredo

Private First Class
CREW CHIEF
18 year old Single, Caucasian, Male
Born on October 7, 1948
From: Griffith, Indiana
His tour of duty began on May 12, 1967
Casualty was on August 6, 1967 in South Vietnam
Hostile, helicopter - crew air loss, crash on land
Body was recovered
Religion: Roman Catholic
(Panel 24E - Line 85)

 

Michael Anthony Goffredo was born in Chicago, Illinois on October 7, 1948.  His parents were Eleanor Trester Goffredo of California – Deceased May 1995, and Peter Goffredo of Chicago – Deceased November 1986.  Michael’s parents met in California just prior to Pear Harbor and were married there in July of 1942.  His father was in the army at the time of their marriage and was deployed to the Pacific Theater shortly thereafter, where he was awarded the Purple Heart for action in combat.   Michael had two older sisters and a younger brother; Toni Goffredo, five years older than Michael now works and lives in Indianapolis Indiana.  Nancy Goffredo Tuning, two years older than Michael retired from the US Air Force in 1988 and now lives and works in Northern Virginia.  Michael’s younger brother. Pat Goffredo Died in July of 1995.  Pat left two sons, Cary, whom he adopted in 1977, and Michael, born in 1979 and named for his Uncle Michael. Both now live in Indiana not far from the town where the Goffredo family grew up. Michael’s sister Nancy recalls that growing up Michael was always surrounded by friends.  He was a class officer in Griffth High School where he graduated in 1966.  In School he acted in several school plays and planned on attending college to study law. However, he volunteered for the Army as soon as he graduated from high school.  The Army offered him flight training leading to the rank of Warrant Officer if he would become a helicopter pilot, but he chose to become a Crew Chief.  Nancy remembers that he enjoyed his training and that he volunteered for duty in Viet Nam.  Once there, he communicated to her that he was convinced that his chances of returning home alive were slim, although he never mentioned this in his letters to his parents.  On August 23, 1966 Peter and Eleanor Goffredo signed the consent forms that allowed their then 18 year old son Michael to join the US Army.   On October 25, 1966 he was assigned to Fort Campbell Kentucky for basic training with Company A, 8th Training Battalion, 2nd Brigade of the US Army Training Command. Michael completed basic and advanced training at Fort Campbell and was transferred to Fort  Eustis Virginia for training as a Turbine Helicopter Mechanic, MOS 67N20.  Following his training Michael was transferred to Vietnam and on May 17th of 1967 he joined the 483rd Transportation Detachment which was attached to the 281st Assault Helicopter Company, (AHC) where he served as a crew chief on the unit’s UH-1D helicopters.  In early August of 1967 PFC Michael Anthony Goffredo was a member of the 281st AHC Project Delta support team under the command of Captain Bob Moberg, operating out of An Hoa South Vietnam under Special Forces Operational Order 7-67, Operation Samuria. On August the 6th 1967 PFC Michael Goffredo was assigned as the Crew chief on Helicopter UH-1D 65-09919.  The aircraft was under the command of WO Gary Omdahl. WO Daryl Miller was assigned as the second pilot and PFC John Camden Soper was the door gunner.  The 281st flight, supported by the Wolfpack gun platoon was in the process of extracting a reconnaissance team in a pick up zone covered by tall trees with sparse foliage. The recon team was in site with no reported enemy activity.  However, the pick up site was located on a long grassy finger running down hill and as such the extreme slope of the site and the high grass made the approach difficult.  Captain Moberg released the aircraft commander to make the pick up an as the aircraft approached the pick up site it appeared to over shoot the site and it crashed down the hill some 300 to 400 meters, exploding on impact. The crew exited the burning helicopter suffering only slight burns.  Captain Moberg directed the crew back to the original pickup location and set the backup recovery plan in to effect.   He then returned to the base camp for fuel and while refueling was informed that a US Air Force CH53 rescue helicopter had been redirected to the site to recover the crew and the recon team. At this point a Wolfpack gun platoon flight, under the command of Captain Fred Mentzer had refueled and was on site to provide cover for the recovery operation. The USAF CH 53 arrived on site and begin recovering the members of the recon team and the 281st crew through the use of a cable and hoist.  Vietnamese members of the recon team were recovered first and then WO Omdahl, the A/C, placed his three crew members on the sling for pickup.  He remained on the ground for latter pickup.  As the pickup of the 281st crew got under way the pilot of the CH 53 reported that he was taking fire and that he had an engine fire light.  Distracted by these events he maneuvered the aircraft away from the pick up point an in so doing the cable holding the three 281st crew members became entangled in a tree and was severed, causing the three crew members to fall to their deaths. Captain Mentzer marked the area where the crew had landed and a 281st recovery aircraft hovered over the site allowing MSGT Joe Singh of Project Delta to jump into the area to assist the downed crew members.  The remaining members of the Special Forces recon team rushed to the location and reported that all three crew members were dead.  The 281st recovered the crew members and the remaining members of the recon team without incident.  The account of this incident is based on US Army records of the operation and the incident and the one site observations of the following individuals: Major Robert Moberg, Commander, 281st AHC flight in support of Project Delta. Major Barclay A. Boyd, Commander, 281st Gun Platoon (Wolfpack) Captain Fredrick Mentzer, Commander, 281st Gun Platoon section (Wolfpack) and the 281st AHC investigation officer responsible for the official investigation into the facts and circumstances surrounding this incident.