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Casualty Info
Home Town Midland City, AL
Last Address Midland City, AL
Casualty Date May 24, 1972
Cause MIA-Finding of Death
Reason Air Loss, Crash - Land
Location Thua Thien (Vietnam)
Conflict Vietnam War
Location of Interment Echo Cemetery - Dale County, Alabama
Wall/Plot Coordinates 01W 029
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
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]
Comments/Citation:
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:
Crew Members: AC WO1 BAREFIELD JAMES ARTHER KIA
P CPT THAIN HARRY LINDSAY KIA
CE SP6 NEWMAN FRANK ALLEN KIA
G PFC BROOKS DAVID LEE JR KIA
G SP5 GACHES CHARLES WILLIAM KIA
War Story:
On lift-off the chopper was struck in the cockpit by a 60mm mortar round. The aircraft impacted ground and crew of five were fatalities. I am writing because after many, many years of searching I found information on your site about a Chinook helicopter loss in Vietnam in 1972. It's listed under Helicopter CH-47 68-15854. I was stunned to read the file. It brought back many memories.
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 Vietnam'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 Divisions 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 ARVNs 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 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
Description This campaign was from 30 March 1972 to 28 January 1973. On 30 March 1972 the North Vietnamese Army launched its greatest offensive of the entire war. The enemy deployed the greatest array of troops and modern weapons to date in a major effort to end the war with conventional forces and seized considerable territory in an effort to exercise control of key provinces throughout Vietnam.
During this critical period the Vietnamization program continued in the face of the North Vietnamese invasion and the successful counterattack by the armed forces of the Republic of Vietnam. Army aviation units played an impressive role throughout the period, flying reconnaissance, close support missions, and transporting troops. As U.S. combat troops were withdrawn from Vietnam, the role of helicopter units increased in importance and they responded to the challenge of continuing to support while preparing the RVNAF to assume their function. Similarly, advisors of all services contributed immeasurably to the defeat of the enemy invasion and the continued Vietnamization process. Army and Marine advisors fought side-by-side with their RVNAF counterparts to stop and defeat the enemy invasion, as the Vietnamese counteroffensive gained momentum and the reduction of field advisers continued. The advisory effort shifted to emphasize training and to assure that the VNAF attained self-sufficiency prior to the complete withdrawal of the U.S forces.
Recapture of Quang Tri City on 16 September 1972 marked the complete failure of the enemy to hold any of the targeted provincial capitols. Massive aid replaced materiel lost during the spring counteroffensive. Retraining and reconstruction of selected RVNAF units increased their capabilities. The completion of the massive logistical buildup of RVNAF was accomplished, which enabled the RVNAF to become more self-sufficient as direct U.S. participation diminished. The US ground role in Vietnam was totally replaced by the RVNAF. During December 1972 and January 1973 the RVIVAF flew more than 45% of air sorties within Vietnam. In November 1972, the RVNAF began a C-130 training program and by January 1973 realized a significant increase in their capability. RVNAF forward air controllers began directing USAF and RVNAF strike aircraft in January 1973. The US policy of Vietnamization continued.
US combat and combat support operations were conducted in support of RVNAF ground operations during the North Vietnamese invasion and the counteroffensive including intensive interdiction of enemy supply routes into Vietnam. Since US ground forces had been reduced to seven battalions, the US ground combat role was limited to defense of key installations. Further reduction in troop ceilings led to the redeployment of all US ground combat battalions, leaving an Army contingent of combat support and service support units.
