Name: Billy Kennedy Evans Jr.
Rank/Branch: E5/US Army
Unit: HHC; 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division
Date of Birth: 08 November 1947 (Elizabeth City NC)
Home City of Record: Roanoke VA
Date of Loss: 05 December 1968
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 113045N 1055322E (WT970727)
Status (in 1973): Killed/Body Not Recovered
Category: 2
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: OH6A
Other Personnel In Incident:
John A. Berry (missing)
Source:
Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 June 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:
The Hughes Aircraft OH6A Cayuse ("Loach") was envisioned as an
all-purpose helicopter to perform such duties as personnel or cargo transport,
light ground attack or casualty evacuation, observation, and photographic
reconnaissance. But the Loach proved most effective at visual reconnaissance,
searching out signs of the enemy even in heavily defended areas. The light
helicopter skimmed the treetops, its crew peering through gaps in the jungle
canopy in search of tracks, cooking fires, huts, or other signs of the enemy.
On December 5, 1968, SP4 Billy K. Evans Jr., observer, and WO1 John A. Berry, pilot, were aboard the lead OH6A helicopter (tail #67-16341), in a flight of two OH6As on a reconnaissance mission on a suspected enemy bunker complex in Tay Ninh Province, South Vietnam, very near the border of Cambodia. During a pass over the complex, Berry's aircraft received fire, and he notified his wingman of the situation. Berry's helicopter then turned left, nosed over, crashed and burned. The wingman and his observer had continuous observation of the incident and saw no one thrown from the aircraft or departing the wreckage.
An aerial search of the open area around the crash site indicated no survivors. No ground search was possible due to enemy anti-aircraft weapons and extensive enemy bunkers in the area. At the time of the crash, Berry's OH6A had half a tank of fuel and more than 3000 rounds of ammunition aboard. A small portion of the tail boom and a piece of the tail rudder were the only recognizable portions of the aircraft remaining. Both Berry and Evans were initially declared Missing in Action, on the chance that they may have escaped the burning aircraft.
On October 18, 1973, a message from DIA cited a captured enemy film of a crash site which showed 2 deceased American helicopter crewmembers. Based on the analysis of this film, the status of Evans and Berry was changed to Killed in Action, Bodies Not Recovered (KIA/BNR) by the U.S. Army.
A hearsay report was later received indicating that a set of remains had been found in a crashed helicopter in the jungles of Tay Ninh Province. Allegedly, the remains were those of a Second Lieutenant named Bill. This may correlate to SP4 Billy Evans. Jr.
Like hundreds of others, Berry and Evans fate is unknown. While it is thought they are dead, their families cannot be sure. Increasing number of reports of Americans still alive and held captive prevent the families from being able to lay the matter to rest. Until these men are brought home, someone will always wonder, "Where are John Berry and Billy Evans?"
