Kenneth Ray Lancaster
Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army
50th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division
Entered the Service From: Silver Spring, Maryland
Date of Birth: June 24, 1946
Date of Death: January 03, 1968
Wars or Conflicts: Vietnam War
Memorialized: Courts of the Missing: Court B
Honolulu Memorial
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
Staff Sergeant Lancaster was a member of the Long Range Reconnaissance Platoon, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 9th Infantry Division. On January 3, 1968, the team was being extracted by a Bell Iroquois Utility Helicopter (UH-1H) from a pickup point in Khan Hoa Province, South Vietnam. About one minute after take off, Staff Sergeant Lancaster was seen hanging on to the right skid. Before he could be rescued he lost his grip and fell 1,000 feet to the ground. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.
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About one minute after takeoff, a member of the team saw SP4 Lancaster hanging onto the right skid of the aircraft as the aircraft continued to gain altitude. The pilot was informed and requested to land. When it became evident that the pilot was not able to land due to rough terrain, efforts were made to lower a rope. However, before the rescue attempt could be made, Lancaster fell from the skid of the aircraft while the helicopter was at an altitude of 1000 to 1500 feet above the ground.
The area in which Lancaster fell had heavy vegetation and a triple canopy jungle, creating a slim possibility that the trees and heavy vegetation may have broken Lancaster's fall to some degree. The area was searched that day and again on January 7 and January 8 by American and indigenous platoons
without success.
Efforts to conduct a thorough search were limited because no one was able to pinpoint the precise location where Lancaster fell, and the area was under heavy enemy patrol. It was felt that there was a very high probability the enemy knew the fate of SP4 Lancaster, alive or dead.
Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army
50th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division
Entered the Service From: Silver Spring, Maryland
Date of Birth: June 24, 1946
Date of Death: January 03, 1968
Wars or Conflicts: Vietnam War
Memorialized: Courts of the Missing: Court B
Honolulu Memorial
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
Staff Sergeant Lancaster was a member of the Long Range Reconnaissance Platoon, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 9th Infantry Division. On January 3, 1968, the team was being extracted by a Bell Iroquois Utility Helicopter (UH-1H) from a pickup point in Khan Hoa Province, South Vietnam. About one minute after take off, Staff Sergeant Lancaster was seen hanging on to the right skid. Before he could be rescued he lost his grip and fell 1,000 feet to the ground. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.
=============
About one minute after takeoff, a member of the team saw SP4 Lancaster hanging onto the right skid of the aircraft as the aircraft continued to gain altitude. The pilot was informed and requested to land. When it became evident that the pilot was not able to land due to rough terrain, efforts were made to lower a rope. However, before the rescue attempt could be made, Lancaster fell from the skid of the aircraft while the helicopter was at an altitude of 1000 to 1500 feet above the ground.
The area in which Lancaster fell had heavy vegetation and a triple canopy jungle, creating a slim possibility that the trees and heavy vegetation may have broken Lancaster's fall to some degree. The area was searched that day and again on January 7 and January 8 by American and indigenous platoons
without success.
Efforts to conduct a thorough search were limited because no one was able to pinpoint the precise location where Lancaster fell, and the area was under heavy enemy patrol. It was felt that there was a very high probability the enemy knew the fate of SP4 Lancaster, alive or dead.
Kenneth Ray Lancaster
Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army
50th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division
Entered the Service From: Silver Spring, Maryland
Date of Birth: June 24, 1946
Date of Death: January 03, 1968
Wars or Conflicts: Vietnam War
Memorialized: Courts of the Missing: Court B
Honolulu Memorial
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
Staff Sergeant Lancaster was a member of the Long Range Reconnaissance Platoon, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 9th Infantry Division. On January 3, 1968, the team was being extracted by a Bell Iroquois Utility Helicopter (UH-1H) from a pickup point in Khan Hoa Province, South Vietnam. About one minute after take off, Staff Sergeant Lancaster was seen hanging on to the right skid. Before he could be rescued he lost his grip and fell 1,000 feet to the ground. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.
=============
About one minute after takeoff, a member of the team saw SP4 Lancaster hanging onto the right skid of the aircraft as the aircraft continued to gain altitude. The pilot was informed and requested to land. When it became evident that the pilot was not able to land due to rough terrain, efforts were made to lower a rope. However, before the rescue attempt could be made, Lancaster fell from the skid of the aircraft while the helicopter was at an altitude of 1000 to 1500 feet above the ground.
The area in which Lancaster fell had heavy vegetation and a triple canopy jungle, creating a slim possibility that the trees and heavy vegetation may have broken Lancaster's fall to some degree. The area was searched that day and again on January 7 and January 8 by American and indigenous platoons
without success.
Efforts to conduct a thorough search were limited because no one was able to pinpoint the precise location where Lancaster fell, and the area was under heavy enemy patrol. It was felt that there was a very high probability the enemy knew the fate of SP4 Lancaster, alive or dead.
Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army
50th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division
Entered the Service From: Silver Spring, Maryland
Date of Birth: June 24, 1946
Date of Death: January 03, 1968
Wars or Conflicts: Vietnam War
Memorialized: Courts of the Missing: Court B
Honolulu Memorial
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
Staff Sergeant Lancaster was a member of the Long Range Reconnaissance Platoon, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 9th Infantry Division. On January 3, 1968, the team was being extracted by a Bell Iroquois Utility Helicopter (UH-1H) from a pickup point in Khan Hoa Province, South Vietnam. About one minute after take off, Staff Sergeant Lancaster was seen hanging on to the right skid. Before he could be rescued he lost his grip and fell 1,000 feet to the ground. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.
=============
About one minute after takeoff, a member of the team saw SP4 Lancaster hanging onto the right skid of the aircraft as the aircraft continued to gain altitude. The pilot was informed and requested to land. When it became evident that the pilot was not able to land due to rough terrain, efforts were made to lower a rope. However, before the rescue attempt could be made, Lancaster fell from the skid of the aircraft while the helicopter was at an altitude of 1000 to 1500 feet above the ground.
The area in which Lancaster fell had heavy vegetation and a triple canopy jungle, creating a slim possibility that the trees and heavy vegetation may have broken Lancaster's fall to some degree. The area was searched that day and again on January 7 and January 8 by American and indigenous platoons
without success.
Efforts to conduct a thorough search were limited because no one was able to pinpoint the precise location where Lancaster fell, and the area was under heavy enemy patrol. It was felt that there was a very high probability the enemy knew the fate of SP4 Lancaster, alive or dead.
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