JAMES ROBERT KLIMO
Sergeant First Class, Combat Aviation Door Gunner
281st Assault Helicopter Company
From: Muskegon, Michigan
Date of Birth: December 28, 1949
Joined the 281st on an unknown date in 1969
Lost on November 4th, 1969, in Khanh Hoa Province, South Vietnam,
while serving as a door gunner on missing helicopter 67-19512;
the cause of loss remains unknown, but not due to hostile action.
Status changed from MIA to Presumed Dead on September 27, 1978.
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On November 4, 1969, James
Robert Klimo, from Muskegon, Michigan was serving as the Door Gunner on
UH-1H 67-19512 along with WO Terry L. Alford, aircraft commander; WO1 Jim R. Cavender,
pilot; and SP4 John A. Ware, crew chief. The crew were
flying a series of combat support missions in in South
Vietnam. WO Alford was returning to his base at Nha Trang
from Duc Lap at about 1920 hours when he made his last known
radio contact with the 48th Aviation Company Operations at
Ninh Hoa. Either the pilot or aircraft commander gave his
approximate location as Duc My Pass, and stated he was in
the clouds and instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). Shortly afterwards, the controller at Ninh
Hoa heard a radio transmission that WO1 Alford was in
trouble. The pilot reported, inexplicably, that the
helicopter was flying upside down.
The helicopter is not believed to received ground fire. Search
efforts were conducted for six consecutive days, but nothing
was found.
For the complete case record and latest MIA
search information see
John Ware's page.
From Don Budlong:
I first heard of Jim Klimo
sometime in late 1967 while I was at Ft. Eustis while
attending aircraft engine school with two other former 281st
people, Mike Price and Jodie Joiner. After seeing a
photograph of my girlfriend, Mike commented to me that he
had a friend back in Michigan whose wife looked just like
her. He said they looked so much alike that they could
pass for sisters. That friend
was
Jim Klimo and if I recall correctly his wife's name was
Monica.
About two years later Jim
Klimo showed up in the 281st company area as a
new door gunner. Mike Price introduced us and I
immediately had to ask to see a photo of his wife. A
strange request under most circumstances but Jim soon
understood why. Sure enough his wife looked like she
and my ex-girlfriend came from the same mold. We joked
about it then and later had many good times at the club.
When Jim's ship went down in
November 1969, I was in Quang Tri and knew nothing about it
until my return to Nha Trang. What a shock! We
missed him then and still miss him now. My wife and I
had POW bracelets of Jim and fellow crewmember John Ware
that we wore for many years. I gave the John Ware
bracelet to John's mother Aileen Ware in Houston. I
still wear Jim's bracelet on special occasions and have
never forgotten him.
-- Don Budlong
A MAN IS NOT DEAD UNTIL HE IS FORGOTTEN
ONCE AN INTRUDER....ALWAYS AN INTRUDER