Barefield, James Arthur, WO1

Casualty Occurrence:  This Soldier was killed when his chopper was HIT BY 60MM MORTAR IN LANDING ZONE 13 KM SOUTH OF PHONG DIEN 19720524 in Thia Thein Province. 

WO Barefield spent nine years in the USMC with two tours in Vietnam, then entered the Army and completed Army flight school. He then returned to Vietnam for a third tour flying Chinooks. His Chinook helicopter was shot down and burned while flying as a co-pilot. This Bio information comes from the Southern Star newspaper in Alabama.

POSTED ON 9.13.2020. POSTED BY: MIKE WILLIAMS. JIM BAREFIELD, MY HERO. Jim and I went through Army flight school together. We were stick buddies, which means we shared the same instructor pilot. He was a former Marine. He had two previous tours in Vietnam as a Marine hydraulicsman. As such, he was a door gunner, first tour on CH-34s, second on CH-46s. After Vietnam he went to Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego as a Drill Instructor. He got caught "thumping" troops and was given the option of a Special Court-martial or an Honorable Discharge. He took the discharge and immediately enlisted in the Army Warrant Officer Rotary Wing Aviator program.

We met at Ft. Wolters. He was an OUTSTANDING Candidate, a natural pilot and the most squared away Candidate in 6th Warrant Officer Candidate Company. We ended up being room mates during the last portion of training as we were on the Candidate Battalion Staff. We got to know each other quite well. We parted ways when I went directly to Ft. Rucker and he took a two-week leave. He opted for CH-47 Chinook transition after graduating from flight school, The last time I saw him was 24 May 1972. He was in the back of a truck on the way to the flight line at Marble Mountain Army Airfield. He was KIA that day. I will never forget him. His memory will be with me as long as I live. I became a Marine after my Army time was over partially because of him.

POSTED ON 10.15.2012. FINAL MISSION OF U.S. ARMY HELICOPTER CH-47C TAIL NUMBER 68-15854. Crew included WO1 James A. Barefield (KIA), CAPT Harry L. Thain (KIA), SP6 Frank A. Newman (KIA), PFC David L. Brooks Jr. (KIA), and SP5 Charles W. Gaches (KIA). In May 1972, I was an artillery advisor to South Viet Nam units in I Corps. Originally, I was the senior advisor to an ARVN 175mm gun battalion. The unit was not yet combat ready when the Easter Offensive started with North Viet Nam’s attack across the DMZ. The unit was ordered north to support the ARVN Third Division. A day later I was ordered to replace the Third Division’s artillery advisor. I went to Quang Tri City. Just before it fell, I was rescued by a young WO1 flying an OH-6. He took me to Hue where I worked trying to get the ARVN’s I Corps Artillery’ Fire Support Center up and running. Sometime later, as an economy of force measure, a decision was made to emplace a personnel radar to cover the approaches to Hue. The plan was to lift a squad of ARVN engineers with construction materiel to a mountain top where they would build a bunker for the US manned radar. After the bunker was completed but before the roof was completed, the radar would be lifted in place. The support of a Chinook was obtained. I now know it was from the 62nd ASHC. I marshaled the ARVN engineers and materiel on a grassy field along the Perfume River in Hue. I had a US Army sergeant advisor named Brooks and a Vietnamese sergeant from the engineer unit with me. SFC Brooks had radio contact with the Chinook while the Vietnamese sergeant had contact with the engineer squad. All was going according to plan as the Chinook made trip after trip delivering the engineers and the materiel. I decided to get the next trip out to the site but saw an old monument at the far end of the field. As a history buff, I wanted to look at it. So, I told SFC Brooks that I would take the following lift. I walked down to the monument and using my high school French was able to decipher that the monument had been erected in the 1880’s by a Foreign Legion penal battalion.

As I was reading the monument’s words, I saw SFC Brooks waving me back. I ran down the field and he told me that the Vietnamese sergeant had received a radio call from the mountain site telling that they were receiving sporadic mortar fire. Most disturbing was that the engineers reported the fire was over, short, left and right of their position. Being artillerymen, SFC Brooks and I instantly realized the enemy’s plan. They were getting the range and would fire when the helicopter was on site. I called the helicopter and told them not to go in. I explained I was an artillery officer and knew what would happen. The pilot told me that they would go in. I again told him not to go. He said something about going in and then going back to his base to refuel. It was the last I heard from him. Moments later, the ARVN engineers reported that the helicopter had been hit, crashed, and the crew was dead. (Submitted by Brian M. O’Neill, LTC (R) FA) [Taken from vhpa.org]

Status: Killed In Action while performing the duty of Aircraft Commander.
Prior Unit: 178 ASHC 72
Flight class: 71-13f
Short Summary: Hit by 60 mm mortar while on short final to ARVN radar site near Quang Tri w/Harry Thain pilot.
Aircraft: CH-47C tail number 68-15854
Call sign: Royal Coachman
Primary cause: Mortar Attack
Compliment cause: artillery or mortar
Started Tour: 08/31/1971
Additional information about this casualty:
 

Sometime later, as an economy of force measure, a decision was made to emplace a personnel radar to cover the approaches to Hue. The plan was to lift a squad of ARVN engineers with construction materiel to a mountain top where they would build a bunker for the US manned radar. After the bunker was completed but before the roof was completed, the radar would be lifted in place.
 

The support of a Chinook was obtained. I now know it was from the 62nd ASHC. I marshaled the ARVN engineers and materiel on a grassy field along the Perfume River in Hue. I had a US Army sergeant advisor named Brooks and a Viet Namese sergeant from the engineer unit with me. SFC Brooks had radio contact with the Chinook while the Viet Namese sergeant had contact with the engineer squad.

All was going according to plan as the Chinook made trip after trip delivering the engineers and the materiel. I decided to get the next trip out to the site but saw an old monument at the far end of the field. As a history buff, I wanted to look at it. So, I told SFC Brooks that I would take the following lift. I walked down to the monument and using my high school French was able to decipher that the monument had been erected in the 1880s by a Foreign Legion penal battalion.
 

As I was reading the monuments words, I saw SFC Brooks waving me back. I ran down the field and he told me that the Viet Namese sergeant had received a radio call from the mountain site telling that they were receiving sporadic mortar fire. Most disturbing was that the engineers reported the fire was over, short, left and right of their position. Being artillerymen, SFC Brooks and I instantly realized the enemys plan. They were getting the range and would fire when the helicopter was on site.
 

I called the helicopter and told them not to go in. I explained I was an artillery officer and knew what would happen. The pilot told me that they would go in. I again told him not to go. He said something about going in and then going back to his base to refuel. It was the last I heard from him. Moments later, the ARVN engineers reported that the helicopter had been hit, crashed and the crew was dead.
 

I am sad and frustrated that I have no more memories of that day. I cannot remember how the bodies were recovered or if we later continued the mission at a later time. This incident has haunted me for the rest of my Army career and ever since. If anyone on your site could fill in more details, I will rest easy. I never even knew the names of the crew. Knowing their names now helps. Thank you for helping to ease an old soldier's mind. From: Brian M. O'Neill, LTC (R) FA

Terry Bobell. Neighbor and friend. p.o., box, 114, Goodfield, il., 61742, Always remembered. Jim and Olivia were my neighbors and friends a long, long time ago. I even borrowed their car to go to the hospital for the birth of my first child. We were Marines together. I will always remember his good nature, Alabama drawl and kinship. Rest well, my brother. Terry. Monday, August 23, 1999