Name: Arthur Fletcher Chaney
Rank/Branch: W1/US Army
Unit: A Troop, 1st Squad, 9th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division
Date of Birth: 27 June 1947 (Mitchell Field, Long Island, NY)
Home City of Record: Vienna VA
Date of Loss: 03 May 1968
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 163736N 1063605E (XD685382)
Status (in 1973): Killed/Body Not Recovered
Category: 2
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: AH1G
Other Personnel In Incident:
Bobby L. McKain (missing)
Source:
Compiled by Homecoming II Project 01 September 1990 from one or more of
the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with
POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews.
REMARKS:
SYNOPSIS:
On the afternoon of May 3, 1968, CWO Bobby McKain, pilot, and WO
Arthur Chaney, co-pilot, were flying aboard an AH1G helicopter on an armed
escort mission for a reconnaissance team operating west of Khe Sanh. At about
1405 hours, while making a pass on an enemy gun position, they were hit by 37mm
anti-aircraft fire from the gun emplacement and the helicopter exploded in
mid-air. They were about 1500 feet above the ground when the explosion occurred,
separating the tail boom and one main rotor blade from the aircraft.
The aircraft spun to the ground on fire and impacted, and seconds later, the ammunition onboard detonated. Other pilots in the area immediately flew to the site and observed the aircraft engulfed in flames with no visible signs of life. Shortly thereafter, they were driven from the area by other heavy automatic weapons fire. Air searches were made, but revealed no signs of the crew. No radio contact was made.
Because of the close proximity to enemy positions, Chaney and McKain's fates were almost certainly known by the enemy. The Army holds out no hope they survived, but believes that their cases may someday be resolved.
Chaney and McCain are among nearly 2500 unresolved deaths or disappearances of Americans in Southeast Asia. Tragically, thousands of reports indicate that many of these cases involve Americans still alive and held captive by the communist countries of Laos and Vietnam. Chaney and McCain would not have left their comrades in the hands of the enemy. How can we?
