Arthur Fletcher Chaney

 
 
NAME:  Arthur Fletcher Chaney
RANK/BRANCH: W1/US Army
UNIT:  A Troop, 1st Squad, 9th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division
DATE OF BIRTH: 27 June 1947 (Mitchell Field, Long Island, NY)
HOME CITY OF RECORD: Vienna, VA
DATE OF LOSS: 03 May 1968
COUNTRY OF LOSS: South Vietnam
LOSS COORDINATES: 163736N  1063605E  (XD685382)
STATUS (IN1973): Killed/Body Not Recovered
CATEGORY:  2
AIRCRAFT/VEHICLE/GROUND: AH1G
REFNO:  1155
OTHER PERSONNEL IN INCIDENT:  Bobby L. McKain (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.

 
 
SYNOPSIS
On the afternoon of May 3, 1968, CWO Bobby McKain, pilot, and WO Arthur Chaney, co-pilot, were flying aboard an AG1H 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 McKain 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 McKain would not have left their comrades in the hands of the enemy.  How can we?

 
All Biographical and loss information on POW's provided by Operation Just Cause have been supplied by Chuck and Mary Schantag of POWNET.  Please check with POWNET regularly for updates.

 
 
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