Donald Harrison

PILOT  UH-1D 65-10088
21 year old Single, Negro, Male
Born on June 9, 1945
From: New York, New York
His tour of duty began on Oct 07, 1966
Casualty was on December 2, 1966 in Laos
Hostile, died while missing
Helicopter - pilot air loss, crash on land
Body was recovered
Religion: Protestant
(Panel 13E - Line 5)

 

Warrant Officer Donald Harrison was born on June 9, 1945 in Jamaica, NY a suburb of Queens/New York City, New York.  Donald attended New York City public schools and graduated from Andrew Jackson High School, Cambria, NY in 1963.  He joined the Army in Aug of 63 and was trained as an airborne qualified Medical Corpsman.   He reached the rank of E-5 while being assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, NC.  He left Fort Bragg in Dec. of 65 to attend flight school at Camp Wolters, TX.  He graduated with Class 66-13 at Fort Rucker Alabama in September of 1966. Following flight school Donald traveled to South Vietnam where on October 07, 1966 he was assigned to the 281st AHC.  Donald flew general support missions with the flight until December 1966 when he was assigned to fly with the Bandit Platoon in support of Project Delta at Khe Sahn.  WO Harrison was assigned as Pilot on UH-1D 65-10088. He and his crew left Khe Sahn South Vietnam, along with six other UH-1s from the 281st AHC at approximately 10.00 a.m. on 2 December 1966. Their mission was to recover a long-range recon team located inside the borders of in Laos. The team, consisting of two Special Forces personnel (MSG Russell Bott and MSG Willie Stark) and a number of South Vietnamese Army personnel were in contact and under heavy fire from larger enemy force from the NVA 325B Division, Stark had been wounded in the chest and leg, and several ARVN troops had been killed or wounded.  The team reported that they were running low on ammunition and that their situation was precarious. SGT Irby Dyer, a medic with Det.. B-52, 5th Special Forces Group was on board the aircraft with WO Harrison.  As the UH-1D neared the team’s position and begin to make its approach it came under heavy intense automatic weapons fire.  The crew of a 281st AHC helicopter flying protective cover reported that the WO Harrison’s aircraft descended in a nose down attitude and crashed.  The aircraft immediately engulfed in flames and continued to burn for the approximately fifteen minutes.  Searches conducted between 10 and 13 December located the UH-1D wreckage and identified the remains of the five men aboard, but the search team was not able to recover the bodies. No trace of Bott and Stark was found. Another team was inserted to recover the remains of the helicopter crew, but found that US air strikes in the area had hit the UH-1 wreckage. While three bodies could be positively identified and recovered, WO Sulander and SGT Dyer's remains could not be identified. Although there was some evidence that Bott was captured, there is no certainty of what happened to either of the two Special Forces men.     Warrant Officer Harrison’s body was recovered and his interment was in the Long Island National Cemetery, Gravesite 6007, Section V. 2040 Wellwood Avenue, Farmingdale, New York 11735-1211.  He is survived by his father James Harrison who’s last known address was 13251, 159th Street, Jamaica, NY.  His brother, Raymond Harrison of 10616, 159th Street, Jamaica, NY and a sister, Stella Harrison of 13251, 159th Street, Jamaica, NY. Interment: Long Island National Cemetery Gravesite 6007, Section V. 2040 Wellwood Avenue, Farmingdale, New York 11735-1211