Dean Amick Wadsworth – MIA – Viet Nam
On June 3rd, 1999, Dean Amick Wadsworth was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, nearly 36 years after his death in Vietnam. For most of the time in-between, the Air Force Captain was considered Missing in Action (MIA), his remains, along with those who died with him on December 18, 1963 lay undiscovered until 1995. The war would continue for another 10 years after his death. Officially ending in January of 1973, the fighting continued until 1975. By the end of the war, 1,350 were listed as Prisoners of War or MIA with another 1,200 reportedly killed in action but their bodies yet to be recovered. Among the MIAs were Dean Amick Wadsworth, not just another statistic, but one of our own, a Wadsworth.
Dean Amick Wadsworth was born on November 30, 1930 and joined the Armed
Forces while in Clarendon, Texas. He served in the Air force. In 12 years of service, he attained the rank of Captain. He began a tour of duty in Vietnam on October 8, 1963.
On December 18, 1963, Wadsworth and his South Vietnamese crewman were flying their T-28B Trojan on a combat support mission approximately 50 miles southwest of Da Nang, South Vietnam. As he completed his bombing run over the target, his aircraft broke apart in mid air, crashed and exploded, as reported by another pilot on the mission. A massive search and rescue operation was initiated that day by two Marine helicopters but they disappeared during the mission. At dawn on the following day, Marine helicopters airlifted two companies of South Vietnamese infantrymen to the area of the downed aircraft. As the helicopters landed, enemy troops fired on them, wounding three Marine crewmen and killing a Vietnamese soldier.
Two T-28s, B-26s and a South Vietnamese A-1 aircraft responded by strafing enemy positions. An American L-19 light observation aircraft directing the strike was hit, the Vietnamese observer was wounded, and the aircraft made a forced landing. Meanwhile, the Vietnamese ground troops found both Marine helicopters that had disappeared on the first day. Ten bodies were recovered, but two remain missing in action to this day. In the days during the search and rescue operations, 207 missions were flown, three aircraft were lost and four others damaged. Fifteen South Vietnamese soldiers were killed and seven were wounded.
In late 1993, a Vietnamese local turned over remains he said were recovered near the crash site. In May of the following year, a joint U.S./Vietnamese team, led by the Joint Task Force-Full Accounting, visited the area of the crash, interviewed villagers and obtained some aircraft debris and pilot-related equipment. In September, another joint team examined the crash site and found more debris, but no remains. Then in May 1995, another team excavated the site where they found remains, as well as two identification tags of Wadsworth.
Dean Amick Wadsworth is my great grandfather, I have recently been learning more about my family. He is one great hero and I love to see the sparkle in my grandfathers eye while talking about him. He was 4 when Dean went missing and was found a little after my dad was born. His youngest grandson is Dean and his great grandson is Amick.
Hello I am Danial Lee Wadsworth . I am from pine grove West Virginia , my great uncle was killed in Vietnam his name was Charles Wadsworth , he also was from Indian creek Wv , my grandfather was in WWII , I my is 31 years old I also served in the United States Marine Corps for 10 years I was in the Itaq was and afghan war . I had to get out due to medical problems I was hurt during my active duty . I would love to find out more info about my family history please feel free to email me at . danial.wadsworth@ gmail.com thank you and Semper Fi SsgtWadsworth 2002 / 2013 USMC
Loring Lyman (Spike) Wadsworth was a decorated Army Ranger from Point Du Hoc in WW2.
I served in Viet Nam from 1967 – 1968
USMC
Semper Fi
Dean Amick’s grandfather Oscar Peter Amick was the brother of my grandfather John Sherman Amick. I would love to speak to anyone who remembers or has pictures or information about O P Amick. My email is mamick@longtailaviation.bm. Like Dean, I am a pilot. I live in Bermuda.
i was wounded in veit-nam in feb 1966,do you know of any other wadsworth in veit-nam?
Hello Cousin Ralph!
I have often wondered what has happened to you over the yrs. I remember the hard times that we both endured as young boys. You growing up in Center Point and me,in East Lake. Yes, I,too, was wounded in action in Vietnam,during the ’68 TET Offensive. I’m presently pastoring a Methodist church and am the State Cmdr. for the Military Order of the Purple Heart. Didn’t you receive a PH medal for wounds in ‘Nam and can I sign you up to a chapter near to where you live?
In Patriotism,
Rev. Lonnie Wadsworth,M.Ed.
Pastor,Evergreen UMC,Springville,AL.