221st Aviation Company "Shotguns" History of An O-1/L-19 Birddog Airplane Company in Viet Nam

"High Flight"
"By John Gillespie Magee, Jr."

Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth,
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds...and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of...wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up, the long, delirious burning blue
I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, nor even eagle flew.
And while with silent, lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space...
...put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

Rank:  Specialist Four
Name:  Joseph B. Alackness
Date of Final Flight:  4 April 2010
Date of 221st Service:  1965 - 1966

Rank:  Specialist Four
Name:  Cleveland J. Alleman
Date of Final Flight:  12 Dec 2007
Date of 221st Service:  1965 - 1966

Rank:  Captain
Name:  William J. Almand
Date of Final Flight:  12 December 2007
Date of 221st Service:  1967 - 1968

Rank:  Captain
Name:  Charles J. Banks
Date of Final Flight:
Date of 221st Service:  1966 - 1967

Rank:  Chief Warrant Oficer 2
Name:  Allen D. Baxley
Date of Final Flight:  27 April 2008
Date of 221st Service:  1968 - 1969

Rank:   First Sergeant
Name:  William L. Beetum
Date of Final Flight:  15 August 1966
Date of 221st Service:  1965 - 1966

Rank:  Captain
Name:  Gerald Borchardt
Date of Final Flight:  30 September 1973
Date of 221st Service:  1966 - 1967

Rank:  Staff Sergeant
Name:  Lenard J. Boyett
Date of Final Flight:  9 November 2005
Date of 221st Service:  1967 - 1968

Rank:  Private First Class
Name:  Billy J. Caldwell
Date of Final Flight:  13 December 1987
Date of 221st Service:  1968 - 1969

Rank:   First Sergeant
Name:  Clyde Cantrell
Date of Final Flight:  Unknown
Date of 221st Service:  1969 - 1970

Rank:   Captain
Name:  Keith E. Chapman
Date of Final Flight:  26 November 1983
Date of 221st Service:  1967 - 1968

Rank:  Specialist Five
Name:  James L. Coghill
Date of Final Flight:  2 February 2011
Date of 221st Service:  1965 - 1966

Rank:  1st Lieutenant
Name:  Hal B. Collins
Date of Final Flight:  12 July 2008
Date of 221st Service:  1965 - 1966

Rank:  First Sergeant
Name:  Wallace M. Conerly
Date of Final Flight:  22 July 2005
Date of 221st Service:  1967 - 1968

Rank:  Specialist Five
Name:  David H. Cook
Date of Final Flight:  2 September 2011
Date of 221st Service:  1965 - 1965

Rank:  Captain
Name:  Richard G. Dickson
Date of Final Flight:  8 October 2006
Date of 221st Service:  1969 - 1970

Rank:  Specialist Five
Name:  Johnny R. Dobecka
Date of Final Flight:  May 6, 2009
Date of 221st Service:  1969 - 1970

Rank:   Sergeant First Class
Name:  Kenneth W. Downes
Date of Final Flight:  30 December 1995
Date of 221st Service:  1965 - 1966

Rank:   1st Lieutenant
Name:  Robert F. Donahue
Date of Final Flight:  Unknown
Date of 221st Service:  1965 - 1966

Rank:  Captain
Name:  Troy L. Duplessis
Date of Final Flight:  10 November 1990
Date of 221st Service:  Unk

Rank:  Captain
Name:  Dan A. Ellett
Date of Final Flight:  20 May 2006
Date of 221st Service:  1967 - 1968

Rank:   Major
Name:   Joseph H. Fox
Date of Final Flight:  1 March 1986
Date of 221st Service:  1966 - 1967

Rank:   Sergeant First Class
Name:  Francis F. Frederick
Date of Final Flight:  3 May 3007
Date of 221st Service:  1965 - 1966

Rank:  Captain
Name:  Charles Freshour
Date of Final Flight:  December 1983
Date of 221st Service:  1966 - 1967

Rank:  Sergeant First Class
Name:  Carlos L. Gibbs
Date of Final Flight:  15 September 1994
Date of 221st Service:  1969 - 1970

Rank:  Sergeant
Name:   James Goodeve
Date of Final Flight:  17 February 1983
Date of 221st Service:   1966 - 1967

Rank:  Specialist Four
Name:   Patrick Grady
Date of Final Flight:  3 October 2011
Date of 221st Service:   1965 - 1966

Rank:  Sergeant First Class
Name:  Douglas E. Gray
Date of Final Flight:  17 Mar 1988
Date of 221st Service:  1969 - 1970

Rank:  Captain
Name:  Herb Gringas
Date of Final Flight:  23 September 2009
Date of 221st Service:  1970 - 1971

Rank:  Specialist Five
Name:  Bernard John Handland
Date of Final Flight:  7 January 2006
Date of 221st Service:  1967 - 1968

Rank:  Major
Name:   Ralph Hamner
Date of Final Flight:  7 October 2005
Date of 221st Service:  1967 - 1968

Rank:  Captain
Name:   Jack F. Hensarling
Date of Final Flight:  September 1976
Date of 221st Service:  1965 - 1966

Rank:  Specialist Five
Name:  Kenneth L. Hitt
Date of Final Flight:  2 January 1996
Date of 221st Service:  1968 - 1969

Rank:  Sergeant First Class
Name:  Frank J. Hyde
Date of Final Flight:  30 May 2008
Date of 221st Service:  1969

Rank:  Warrant Officer One
Name:  Dennis L. Keelin
Date of Final Flight:  12 December 2008
Date of 221st Service:  1969 - 1970

Rank:   Captain
Name:  Paul Lerch
Date of Final Flight:  1989
Date of 221st Service:  1966 - 1967

Rank:   Captain
Name:  Arthur Littlewood
Date of Final Flight:  18 July 2003
Date of 221st Service:  1965 - 1966

Rank:  Captain
Name:  Mike Marlow
Date of Final Flight:  5 February 2001
Date of 221st Service:  1966 - 1967

Rank:   Captain
Name:  Clifford McDuffy
Date of Final Flight:  1 July 2000
Date of 221st Service:  1965 - 1966

Rank:  Captain
Name:  William P. McMonegal
Date of Final Flight:  30 July 2003
Date of 221st Service:  1965 - 1966

Rank:  First Sergeant
Name:  Robert W. Merk
Date of Final Flight:  December 2010
Date of 221st Service:  1965 - 1966

Rank:  Specialist
Name:  Robery H. Michaelis
Date of Final Flight:  25 January 2007
Date of 221st Service:  1966 - 1967

Rank:  Captain
Name:   William Montgomery
Date of Final Flight:  9 September 2009
Date of 221st Service:  1966 - 1967

Rank:  Captain
Name:   John O. Northridge
Date of Final Flight:  13 April 2006
Date of 221st Service:  1965 - 1966

Rank:  Sergeant First Class
Name:  James W. Piggott
Date of Final Flight:  30 November 1999
Date of 221st Service:  1968 - 1969

Rank:  Captain
Name:  Jerald F. Pittenger
Date of Final Flight:  27 February 1998
Date of 221st Service:  1967 - 1968

Rank:  Captain
Name:  Dexter A. Pond
Date of Final Flight:  24 September 2003
Date of 221st Service:  1968 - 1969

Rank:  Captain
Name:  William J. Poole
Date of Final Flight:  16 January 1978
Date of 221st Service:  1965 - 1966

Rank:  Specialist Four
Name:  Benton D. Roberts
Date of Final Flight:  6 May 2011
Date of 221st Service:  1970 - 1971

Rank:  Specialist Five
Name:  Jerry L. Rodman
Date of Final Flight:
Date of 221st Service:  1966 - 1967

Rank:  Specialist Four
Name:   Orsen Roth
Date of Final Flight:  12 December 2004
Date of 221st Service:

Rank:  First Lieutenant
Name:  Harry C. Sanders
Date of Final Flight:  27 July 2009
Date of 221st Service:  1967 - 1968

Rank:  Specialist Five
Name:  Robert R. Schaffitzel
Date of Final Flight:  27 September 2006
Date of 221st Service:  1966 - 1967

Rank:  1st Lieutenant
Name:  Joseph Seery
Date of Final Flight:  1989
Date of 221st Service:  1965 - 1966

Rank:  1st Lieutenant
Name:  Tommy R. Smith
Date of Final Flight:  20 January 1978
Date of 221st Service:  1966 - 1967

Rank:  1st Lieutenant
Name:  Marvin E. Stutts
Date of Final Flight:  1988
Date of 221st Service:  1967 - 1968

Rank:  Captain
Name:  Robert J. Ulvedal
Date of Final Flight:  October 1978
Date of 221st Service:  1968 - 1969

Rank:  Warrant Officer
Name:  Thomas F. Voght
Date of Final Flight:  June 1995
Date of 221st Service:  1969 - 1970

Rank:  Sergeant First Class
Name:  Jackson E. Waldroop
Date of Final Flight:  July 2005
Date of 221st Service:  1966 - 1967

Rank:  1st Lieutenant
Name:  Charles E. Werner
Date of Final Flight:  Unknown
Date of 221st Service:  1965 - 1966

Rank:  Specialist Five
Name:  John S. Willis
Date of Final Flight:  26 January 2009
Date of 221st Service:  1968 - 1969

Rank:  Specialist Four
Name:  Edward S. Zimnawoda
Date of Final Flight:  6 June 2011
Date of 221st Service:  1967 - 1968

"In Memoriam"