David Donald Berdahl

In QUANG TRI, SOUTH VIETNAM
Hostile, died while missing, HELICOPTER - CREW
AIR LOSS, CRASH ON LAND

From DPAA:

On January 20, 1972, a UH-1H Iroquois (tail number 69-16717) carrying four crew and four passengers took off on a recovery mission for downed U.S. pilots. The aircraft was returning from the rescue mission when it was hit by enemy ground fire southeast of Khe Sanh combat base in Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam. The aircraft caught fire and crash landed on the bank of the Rao Quan River, in the vicinity of (GC) XD 883 408. A rescue crew member observed an individual from the loss aircraft pinned face down in the burning wreckage, but was unable to extricate him. Hostile forces in the area prevented further rescue attempts at the crash site, and two members of the crew remain unaccounted for.

Private First Class David Donald Berdahl, who joined the U.S. Army from North Dakota, was a member of Troop D, 3rd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. He was a door gunner aboard the UH-1H when it went down, and was lost with the aircraft. His remains were not recovered following the incident. Today, Private First Class Berdahl is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Based on all information available, DPAA assessed the individual's case to be in the analytical category of Active Pursuit.

If you are a family member of this service member, DPAA can provide you with additional information and analysis of your case. Please contact your casualty office representative.