HILL, JOHN RICHARD

Name: John Richard Hill
Rank/Branch: O3/US Army
Unit: Medivac, 237th Medical Detachment, 67th Medical Group, 44th Medical
Brigade
Date of Birth: 05 August 1940
Home City of Record: Waynesburg PA
Date of Loss: 27 April 1970
Country of Loss: South Vietnam/Over Water
Loss Coordinates: 161830N 1080237E (AU972003)
Status (in 1973): Killed/Body Not Recovered
Category: 5
Acft/Vehicle/Ground: UH1H
Other Personnel In Incident: (None missing)

REMARKS:

SYNOPSIS: John R. Hill never considered another person as an enemy. That is why
he chose to pilot Medical Evacuation helicopters and the reason he did not
hesitate to pick up anyone who was injured, regardless of nationality, civilian
or military.

On April 27, 1970, Capt. Hill, pilot; WO Donald G. Study, co-pilot; SP4 Zettie
J.C. Dulin, crew chief; and PFC Randall W. Love were the crew of a UH1H
helicopter (serial #66-17626, call sign Dustoff 712) conducting a medivac
mission when the aircarft crashed into the sea.

The helicopter was returning to Quang Tri when it went down. All occupants
exited the aircraft safely, although PFC Love went under and was not seen to
surface. No one aboard the aircraft was wearing life jackets. The three
remaining crewmen began swimming toward flares on the beach. Capt. Hill fell
behind and became separated from the other two. Later, during the night, SP4
Dulin and WO Study were separated. WO Study was rescued by a Korean LST in the
mouth of Da Nang Bay.

On May 3, the bodies of SP4 Dulin and PFC Love were recovered. An extensive
search was conducted from April 28, through May 12 for Capt. Hill, but no trace
was ever found. He was listed as killed and it was considered that his remains
would never be found.

John Hill is one of only a small number of the men missing in Southeast Asia who
cannot be accounted for. Unlike MIA's from other wars, the men missing in
Southeast Asia were lost over a small geographical area, and primarily on or
near land. Further, unlike in other wars, The Vietnamese and her communist
allies expended great efforts recovering both remains and aircraft which had
been downed. They also kept very detailed records.

Since the war ended, refugees have flooded the world, bringing with them
stories of American prisoners still held in their country. Rather than decrease
in number over the years, these reports have increased. Many authorities
believe that hundreds of Americans are captive in Southeast Asia today, waiting
for their country to come for them.

John Hill is almost certainly dead, but he was not the kind of man to ignore
any man's misfortune if there was anything he could do to help. How much are we
doing to bring these men home?
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