lest we forget

WORTH, ROBERT EARL

Rank / Branch:

AVIATIONS MECHANIC MATE JET SECOND CLASS, U.S. NAVY

Date Of Birth:

1947-03-04

Country Of Loss:

SOUTH VIETNAM

Status:

HOSTILE, CRASH HELICOPTER

Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground:

GROUND

Other:

MARRIED

Unit:

USNAVFORV

Date Of Loss:

1970-12-19

Loss Coordinates:

AN XUGEN

Catagory:

BODY RETURNED

Awards & Decorations:

SEE BIO

VETERAN HAGI0GRAPHY

WORTH, ROBERT EARL, ADJ 2 CLASS, U.S. NAVY, BIG LAKE, REAGAN COUNTY, TEXAS

AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

NAVY AIR CREWMAN WINGS, PURPLE HEART, NAVY ACHIEVEMENT MEDAL WITH V, AIR MEDAL, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, NATIONAL DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL, VIETNAM SERVICE MEDAL, VIETNAM CROSS OF GALLANTRY WITH PALM, VIETNAM CAMPAIGN MEDAL

BIOGRAPHY

Bob Worth was born in Tulsa, OK, March 4, 1947. He was in Kermit during his freshman year and sophomore years, then attended Reagan County High School his junior and senior years. Worth was a talented artist, musician, wood-worker, and auto mechanic. He built a speedboat during a shop class, testing it successfully at Lake Nasworthy in San Angelo. He also helped form an auto racing club while in Reagan County. While he was a senior, he worked at the Big Lake Wildcat Newspaper.
Entering the service in 1966, he was trained as a jet engine mechanic. While serving on the USS Yorktown, he participated in the pick-up of the Apollo 8 mission crew. On the USS Princeton, he was part of the pick-up crew for the Apollo 10 astronauts. His duty took him to Singapore, Japan, Guam, then to both sea duty and shore duty in Vietnam. Worth was a member of the Blue Beret Force.
During the early days in Vietnam, Naval forces operating in Military Regions III and IV relied on Army helicopter units for support, a situation that was less satisfactory for both groups. The Army and Navy determined that is would be more effective to form Navy UH-1 gunship units using ex-Army UH-1B aircraft. Helicopter Composite Squadron 1 (HC-1) was the initial Navy unit involved, establishing four detachments in southern South Vietnam. Within a month of activation, the four HC-1 detachments were able to relieve the Army units from most routine requirements. On April 1, 1967, HA (L)-3 was formed from the four HC-1 detachments. The squadron flew more that 120,000 sorties before being decommissioned at Binh Thuy in March 1972. Forty-five aircrewmen were lost during HA(L)-3's five years of existence.
Robert volunteered and was assigned to HA(L)-3, TF 116 on September 15, 1970 as a crew chief of one of the gunships. On December 19, 1970, Seawolf 312 (UH-1B tail number 63-12929) went down. Robert was a crew chief and door gunner on this aircraft. Although the casualty records indicate it was a combat loss, the Vietnam Helicopter's Pilots' Association database contains the following comment: "Crashed at WR31242 S/E of Kien Long, Xugen Province, IV Corps, South Vietnam. The aircraft hit the ground inverted. It was surmised that it may have been due to Blade Failure overhaul errors at Bell Helicopter. The four on the aircraft were: LTJG Richard H. Buzzell, Arlington, Ma, pilot LTJG Antonio O. Ortiz, Pirtleville, AZ, copilot AEC Johnny Ratliff, Washington Court House, Ohio ADJ2 Robert E. Worth, Big Lake, Texas
ADJ2 was buried with full military honors at the Big Lake Cemetery, Big Lake, Texas