United States Air Force Pilot and Vietnam War Hero

Born in Manchester, New Hampshire on November 17, 1931, Gerald R. Helmich graduated from West High School in 1950 and the University of New Hampshire in 1954, where he participated in the ROTC program. Upon graduation, he was commissioned into the U.S. Air Force.

Helmich served as a pilot with the 6th Special Operations Squadron, 633rd Special Operations Wing, 7th Air Force, based at Pleiku Air Field in South Vietnam. On November 12, 1969, then-Major Helmich flew an A-1H Skyraider (serial 52-139821, call sign SPAD 02) on a search and rescue mission over Laos. The mission was to assist in recovering an F-4D aircraft crew downed in the vicinity of Ban Senphan, Laos. Major Helmich and another pilot were tasked with laying CBU-22 cluster bombs to create a dust cloud, screening the rescue helicopters.

During his attack run at a low altitude of 150 feet, Helmich’s aircraft was observed entering a nose-low right turn before an explosion and fire were seen at his last location. No parachute, emergency signals, or radio contact were made after the incident, and enemy defenses prevented any ground search. Major Helmich was declared Missing in Action on the day of the crash.

After nearly nine years of being MIA, he was officially declared killed in action on September 1, 1978, following a Presumptive Finding of Death. While missing, Helmich was promoted twice, reaching the rank of Colonel posthumously. His remains have never been recovered, and as of August 2019, they remain unrepatriated.

In November 1997, a memorial cenotaph was placed in his honor at the New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery in Boscawen, NH, serving as a symbolic gravesite in Section 3, Row C, Site 146.

Colonel Helmich’s valor earned him numerous decorations, including two Distinguished Flying Crosses, multiple Air Medals, the Silver Star awarded posthumously for his actions on November 12, 1969, and the Purple Heart, given that his death was caused by enemy action.

His legacy is commemorated in Manchester with a memorial plaque near the Queen City Bridge at the corner of Second and West Hancock Streets. Colonel Helmich’s sacrifice continues to symbolize courage and dedication.

Sources:

• Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA)

• City of Manchester, NH Military Memorials

• Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF)

• Find A Grave

• Cow Hampshire Blog

• Special Operations Group Historical Archives