Two County Servicemen Are Casulties In The Vietnam War On May 16,17, 1965/1966

On this date May 16, 1965, 46 years ago Tech. Sgt Donald J. Seaman became Schuylkill Counties first casualty of the Vietnam War. When a 500 pound bomb exploded aboard a B-57 bomber and Bien Hoa Air Base RVN.

Story From Vietnam Air Losses:

Capt.C.N.Fox and his Navigator apt. V.L Haynes, were sitting in their B-57B at Bien Hoa about to start engines to lead a flight of four aircraft on a strike, Fox’s aircraft was loaded with four 750 Ilb bombs under the wing and in the bomb bay had nine 500Ilb bombs. Without warning Fox’s aircraft exploded and debris hit other aircraft on the flight line causing further explosions in what seemed like a chain reaction. When the smoke cleared the scene was one of utter devastation with dead, dying and wounded airman and wrecked aircraft everywhere. A complete J65 engine was hurled a half mile and smaller fragments were found at twice that distance from the flight line.
27 airmen were killed in this the worse accident suffered by the USAF on the ground during the entire war.
The cause of the accident was thought to have been the malfunction of a time delay fuse on one of the bombs carried by the aircraft.


Capt.C.N.Fox and his Navigator Capt. V.L Haynes, were sitting in their B-57B at Bien Hoa about to start engines to lead a flight of four aircraft on a strike, Fox’s aircraft was loaded with four 750 Ilb bombs under the wing and in the bomb bay had nine 500Ilb bombs. Without warning Fox’s aircraft exploded and debris hit other aircraft on the flight line causing further explosions in what seemed like a chain reaction. When the smoke cleared the scene was one of utter devastation with dead, dying and wounded airman and wrecked aircraft everywhere. A complete J65 engine was hurled a half mile and smaller fragments were found at twice that distance from the flight line.
27 airmen were killed in this the worse accident suffered by the USAF on the ground during the entire war.
The cause of the accident was thought to have been the malfunction of a time delay fuse on one of the bombs carried by the aircraft.




One year later on, May 17, 1966 Pfc. Dale E. Umbenhauer US Army was killed in a Mid Air Helicopter collision. His UH1-C, (Huey) gunship flying out of the Mekong Delta collided in mid air with another Chopper. He flew with the 121st Aviation Company., 12th Aviation Group. Dale became Schuylkill county’s sixth casualty of the Vietnam War.