Private First
Class
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Michael Anthony Goffredo was born in Chicago, Illinois on October 7, 1948.
His parents wer Michael's sister Nancy recalls that growing up Michael was always surrounded by friends. He was a class officer in Griffith High School where he graduated in 1966. In School he acted in several school plays and planned on attending college to study law. However, he volunteered for the Army as soon as he graduated from high school. The Army offered him flight training leading to the rank of Warrant Officer with duties as a helicopter pilot, but he chose to become a Crew Chief. Nancy remembers that he enjoyed his training and that he volunteered for duty in Viet Nam. Once there, he communicated to her that he was convinced that his chances of returning home alive were slim, although he never mentioned this in his letters to his parents. On August 23, 1966 Peter and Eleanor Goffredo signed
the consent forms that allowed thei WO Gary Omdahl recalls that he brought the aircraft to a hover over the pickup point and was in the process of maneuvering the helicopter backwards toward the slope with the crew chief and gunner checking the tail rotor for clearance. As he moved the helicopter close to the pickup point it suddenly dropped straight down and he recalls that it felt as though it tumbled end over end before coming to a stop down the hill from the pickup point. The crew exited the aircraft and at about the same time it burst into flames. At that point the only injury was to a member of the recon team who was hit by a skid when the helicopter initially lost power. Gary recalls that the injured member of the recon team was the first to be evacuated from the site. Captain Moberg directed the crew to move back to the original pickup location and set the recovery plan in to effect. He then returned to the base camp for fuel and while refueling he was informed that a USAF CH-53 rescue helicopter was in route to the site to recover the crew and the recon team. At this point a Wolfpack gun platoon section, under the command of Captain Fred Mentzer had refueled and was on site to provide fire support for the recovery operation. The USAF CH 53 arrived on site and begin recovering the injured individual and at least one other member of the recon team. Following their recovery WO Omdahl placed his three crew members on the hoist for pickup while he remained on the ground. As the pickup of the 281st crew got under way the pilot of the CH 53 reported that he was taking fire and almost immediately thereafter reported that he had an engine fire light. Distracted by these events he maneuvered the aircraft away from the pick up point with the cable holding the 281st crew extended and in so doing the three crew members struck a tree, causing the hoist to swing and lag behind the rescue helicopter. The Ch-53 continued in flight and the cable holding the crew was severed dropping the 281st crew to the ground. Captain Mentzer marked the crew's location and a 281st recovery aircraft approached and hovered over the site allowing MSGT Joe Singh of Project Delta to jump into the area to assist the downed crew members. The remaining members of the Project Delta recon team rushed to the location and reported that all three crew members were dead. The 281st recovered their fellow crew members and the remaining members of the recon team without incident. On 0700 hours on August 8, 1967 the members of the 281st AHC gathered at the Chapel of The Green Berets to remember Michael and his fallen comrades.
The account of this incident is based on US Army records of the operation and incident provided by COL Bob Mitchell, Historian, 281st AHC Association and the on site observations of the following individuals:
With the help of the above individuals this document was prepared by: COL John W. Mayhew, USA Ret. A MAN IS NOT DEAD
UNTIL HE IS FORGOTTEN |
e Eleanor Trester Goffredo of California - Deceased May
1995, and Peter Goffredo of Chicago - Deceased November 1986. Michael's
parents met in California just prior to Pear Harbor and were married there
in July of 1942. His father was in the army at the time of their marriage
and was deployed to the Pacific Theater shortly thereafter, where he was
awarded the Purple Heart for action in combat. Michael had two older
sisters and a younger brother; Toni Goffredo, five years older than
Michael now works and lives in Indianapolis Indiana. Nancy Goffredo
Tuning, two years older than Michael retired from the US Air Force in 1988
and now lives and works in Northern Virginia. Michael's younger brother.
Pat Goffredo Died in July of 1995. Pat left two sons, Cary, whom he
adopted in 1977, and Michael, born in 1979 and named for his Uncle
Michael. Both now live in Indiana not far from the town where the Goffredo
family grew up. 
r then 18 year old son Michael to join
the US Army. On October 25, 1966 he was assigned to Fort Campbell Kentucky
for basic training with Company A, 8th Training Battalion, 2nd Brigade of
the US Army Training Command. Michael completed basic and advanced
training at Fort Campbell and was transferred to Fort Eustis Virginia for
training as a Turbine Helicopter Mechanic, MOS 67N20. Following his
training Michael was transferred to Vietnam and on May 17th of 1967 he
joined the 483rd Transportation Detachment which was attached to the 281st
Assault Helicopter Company, (AHC) where he served as a crew chief on the
unit's UH-1D helicopters.
ONCE AN
INTRUDER....ALWAYS AN INTRUDER
