On August 29, 1967, First Lieutenant Sharel Edward Bales, a U. S. Army helicopter pilot, died from the injuries he received when the helicopter that he was piloting crashed after encountering severe weather.
Prior to joining the U. S. Army, Sharel had grown up in Berthoud, Colorado, where he attended Berthoud High School, graduating with the Class of 1955. While he was a student at Berthoud High School, Sharel played on his school's football and baseball teams and was also active in Student Government, serving on the Student Council and as President of his Senior Class.
Sometime after he enlisted in the U. S. Army, Sharel applied for and was accepted into a program that provide the training that was necessary for him to come an Officer. Sharel received a Commission as Second Lieutenant in the U. S. Army, when he graduated with the Class of 7-65 from the Field Artillery Officer Candidate School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
Shortly after becoming an Officer, Sharel applied for and was accepted into the U. S. Army's Officer's Rotary Wing Aviator Course, becoming a U. S. Army Helicopter Pilot when he graduated from that course at Fort Rucker, Alabama with the Flight School Class of 66-20.
After Sharel became a U. S. Army Helicopter Pilot, he was assigned to the 191st Assault Helicopter Company which was then stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. In May of 1967, Sharel deployed to Vietnam with the 191st, and he continued to serve with the 191st until his untimely death in August of 1967.
The awards and decorations that Sharel received for this military service include the U. S. Army Senior Parachutist Medal, U. S. Army Pilot Wings, the Bronze Star Medal, the Air Medal, the Purple Heart Medal, the National Defense Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, and the Vietnam Campaign Medal.
Sharel's photograph and the above biographical information were collected and provided by the 191th AHC Association.
1LT Bales is remembered on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall at: Panel 25E, Line 061.
Fellow crewmembers who were killed in the same incident were: 1LT David Colin Hall (1942-1967), Manson, Massachusetts; SP4 Peter Steven Martinez (1942-1967), Chicago, Illinois; SP4 Joseph Leon Whitaker (1947-1967), Ontario, Oregon; and, SGT Louis Charles Muser, II (1947-1967), Hoboken, New Jersey.
Prior to joining the U. S. Army, Sharel had grown up in Berthoud, Colorado, where he attended Berthoud High School, graduating with the Class of 1955. While he was a student at Berthoud High School, Sharel played on his school's football and baseball teams and was also active in Student Government, serving on the Student Council and as President of his Senior Class.
Sometime after he enlisted in the U. S. Army, Sharel applied for and was accepted into a program that provide the training that was necessary for him to come an Officer. Sharel received a Commission as Second Lieutenant in the U. S. Army, when he graduated with the Class of 7-65 from the Field Artillery Officer Candidate School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
Shortly after becoming an Officer, Sharel applied for and was accepted into the U. S. Army's Officer's Rotary Wing Aviator Course, becoming a U. S. Army Helicopter Pilot when he graduated from that course at Fort Rucker, Alabama with the Flight School Class of 66-20.
After Sharel became a U. S. Army Helicopter Pilot, he was assigned to the 191st Assault Helicopter Company which was then stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. In May of 1967, Sharel deployed to Vietnam with the 191st, and he continued to serve with the 191st until his untimely death in August of 1967.
The awards and decorations that Sharel received for this military service include the U. S. Army Senior Parachutist Medal, U. S. Army Pilot Wings, the Bronze Star Medal, the Air Medal, the Purple Heart Medal, the National Defense Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, and the Vietnam Campaign Medal.
Sharel's photograph and the above biographical information were collected and provided by the 191th AHC Association.
1LT Bales is remembered on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall at: Panel 25E, Line 061.
Fellow crewmembers who were killed in the same incident were: 1LT David Colin Hall (1942-1967), Manson, Massachusetts; SP4 Peter Steven Martinez (1942-1967), Chicago, Illinois; SP4 Joseph Leon Whitaker (1947-1967), Ontario, Oregon; and, SGT Louis Charles Muser, II (1947-1967), Hoboken, New Jersey.
On August 29, 1967, First Lieutenant Sharel Edward Bales, a U. S. Army helicopter pilot, died from the injuries he received when the helicopter that he was piloting crashed after encountering severe weather.
Prior to joining the U. S. Army, Sharel had grown up in Berthoud, Colorado, where he attended Berthoud High School, graduating with the Class of 1955. While he was a student at Berthoud High School, Sharel played on his school's football and baseball teams and was also active in Student Government, serving on the Student Council and as President of his Senior Class.
Sometime after he enlisted in the U. S. Army, Sharel applied for and was accepted into a program that provide the training that was necessary for him to come an Officer. Sharel received a Commission as Second Lieutenant in the U. S. Army, when he graduated with the Class of 7-65 from the Field Artillery Officer Candidate School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
Shortly after becoming an Officer, Sharel applied for and was accepted into the U. S. Army's Officer's Rotary Wing Aviator Course, becoming a U. S. Army Helicopter Pilot when he graduated from that course at Fort Rucker, Alabama with the Flight School Class of 66-20.
After Sharel became a U. S. Army Helicopter Pilot, he was assigned to the 191st Assault Helicopter Company which was then stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. In May of 1967, Sharel deployed to Vietnam with the 191st, and he continued to serve with the 191st until his untimely death in August of 1967.
The awards and decorations that Sharel received for this military service include the U. S. Army Senior Parachutist Medal, U. S. Army Pilot Wings, the Bronze Star Medal, the Air Medal, the Purple Heart Medal, the National Defense Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, and the Vietnam Campaign Medal.
Sharel's photograph and the above biographical information were collected and provided by the 191th AHC Association.
1LT Bales is remembered on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall at: Panel 25E, Line 061.
Fellow crewmembers who were killed in the same incident were: 1LT David Colin Hall (1942-1967), Manson, Massachusetts; SP4 Peter Steven Martinez (1942-1967), Chicago, Illinois; SP4 Joseph Leon Whitaker (1947-1967), Ontario, Oregon; and, SGT Louis Charles Muser, II (1947-1967), Hoboken, New Jersey.
Prior to joining the U. S. Army, Sharel had grown up in Berthoud, Colorado, where he attended Berthoud High School, graduating with the Class of 1955. While he was a student at Berthoud High School, Sharel played on his school's football and baseball teams and was also active in Student Government, serving on the Student Council and as President of his Senior Class.
Sometime after he enlisted in the U. S. Army, Sharel applied for and was accepted into a program that provide the training that was necessary for him to come an Officer. Sharel received a Commission as Second Lieutenant in the U. S. Army, when he graduated with the Class of 7-65 from the Field Artillery Officer Candidate School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
Shortly after becoming an Officer, Sharel applied for and was accepted into the U. S. Army's Officer's Rotary Wing Aviator Course, becoming a U. S. Army Helicopter Pilot when he graduated from that course at Fort Rucker, Alabama with the Flight School Class of 66-20.
After Sharel became a U. S. Army Helicopter Pilot, he was assigned to the 191st Assault Helicopter Company which was then stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. In May of 1967, Sharel deployed to Vietnam with the 191st, and he continued to serve with the 191st until his untimely death in August of 1967.
The awards and decorations that Sharel received for this military service include the U. S. Army Senior Parachutist Medal, U. S. Army Pilot Wings, the Bronze Star Medal, the Air Medal, the Purple Heart Medal, the National Defense Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, and the Vietnam Campaign Medal.
Sharel's photograph and the above biographical information were collected and provided by the 191th AHC Association.
1LT Bales is remembered on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall at: Panel 25E, Line 061.
Fellow crewmembers who were killed in the same incident were: 1LT David Colin Hall (1942-1967), Manson, Massachusetts; SP4 Peter Steven Martinez (1942-1967), Chicago, Illinois; SP4 Joseph Leon Whitaker (1947-1967), Ontario, Oregon; and, SGT Louis Charles Muser, II (1947-1967), Hoboken, New Jersey.
Inscription
SHAREL EDWARD BALES
1ST LT US ARMY
VIETNAM
APR 24 1937 AUG 29 1967
BSM PH KIA
191ST ASSAULT HELICOPTER CO
SPIKE
Gravesite Details
Cenotaph-1LT Bales ashes where scattered at Bethroud Pass in the Central Colorado Rocky Mountains
Family Members
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