McKAIN, BOBBY LYN

Name: Bobby Lyn McKain
Rank/Branch: W2/US Army
Unit: A Troop, 1st Squad, 9th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division
Date of Birth: 11 February 1946 (Wichita KS)
Home City of Record: Garden City KS
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
Refno: 1155

Other Personnel In Incident: Arthur F. Chaney (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.
Updated by the P.O.W. NETWORK 1998.

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?

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