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PFC David Lee Hemke Line Of Duty Casualty ~ 31 January 1970 ~ Vietnam |
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There is no contact information on file for the next of kin. |
| On Saturday, 31 January 1970, PFC David Lee Hemke, age 20, of Apollo, PA, SP/4 David Allan Johnson, age 24, of West Lafayette, IN, and PFC Robert Lamar McArthur, age 20 of Chattanooga, TN, were members of one of two B Company Ambush Teams being transported at night in three Boston Whaler “Skimmer’s” on the Dong Nai River. The three boats picked up the two ambush teams at the "Steel Bridge" on the Rach Ben River. Each team had a separate ambush site to proceed to so their plan was to leave together and select two separate drop off points along the way. The boats departed east on the Rach Ben towards the main river, the Dong Nai. It was getting dark as the three boats entered into the Dong Nai and began their turn southward, when SGT Ralph TakenAlive, a Squad Leader in the third boat said he saw the middle boat dip into the water. He couldn’t recall specifically if it was because the boats hit a wake caused earlier by a passing ARVN PBR on the Dong Nai, or because they suddenly slowed to turn towards the near river bank. The boat immediately sank dumping all of the ambush team and boat crew into the river. The men were wearing full combat gear and loaded with weapons, ammunition, and a PRC25 radio. He recalls that the radio net became jammed and believed it was caused when the PRC10 radio in the boat went under. The two remaining boats picked up the men they found in the river and searched for others with the help of a U.S. PBR that came to their aid, without success. They immediately proceeded to Long Hung village on the near bank conducted an immediate head count and confirmed that SP/4 Johnson and PFC’s Hemke and PFC McArthur were missing. Due to the darkness and fast running tidal waters further searching was canceled. B Company elements recovered two bodies the next day around noon, the third was not recovered until three days after the incident. |
--- General / Personal --- --- Military --- --- Action --- Photographs: G2542 Remembrances:
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