Gary's Finial Mission
On July 3, 1968, a U.S. Marine Corps helicopter CH-46A ( tail number 151911) from Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 164 (HMM-164) was shot down with the loss of four crewmen and nine passengers. The air craft was attempting an insertion in an area known as Elephant Valley. The valley is steep and runs east to west with a stream in the middle of it. The bottom of the valley is narrow and the only approch is east or west. Aircraft commander CAPT James L. Littler lll went in east to west and landed near the stream. Hueys (UH-1 helicopter gunships) covered both sides of the CH-46 during the insertion. CAPT Littler was in the zone only seconds when he yelled he was taking fire. the gunships sprayed the side of the ridgeline where he called the fire from. CAPT Littler pulled out of the landing zone and was heading west when he made an inaudible radio trasnmission to one of the gunship commanders. At the same time he made a hard 180 degree turn to go back into the zone. He was belly up to the ridgeline about 100-200 feet when he took fire, lost control and crashed almost where he landed. The aircraft exploded upon impact. One of the gunshiph pilots later stated that he did not see the entire recom team exit the aircraft upon initial landing. but thinks that only one or two had gotten off. When the crew chief informed CAPT Littler of this during the initial dewparture, it is believed he decided o go back in to get them. He crashed right on anyone who was in the zone. The lost crew members included CAPT Littler.pilot.1LT Raymond C Daley , and crewmen CPL REandell B Little and SST John C. Bilenski. The nine passengets were CAPT John D Dalhouse, SGT Joseph J. Jones. LCPL William C moon, LCPL Paul Scheckler, LCPL William Dd.Johnson Jr., CPL Gary D Tisdall,CPL Sherman D. Vance, and PFC Alton House (taken frompopasmoke.com

Tisdall, Gary Dean, Cpl