U.S. Marine Corps Captain Mitchell was killed when his helicopter exploded at 2500 ft. over S. China Sea between Key Ha (Chu Lai) and Marble Mountain due to aft plyon failure. Jay was a pilot with a U.S. Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron and was flying with HMM-262, MAG-36, 1ST MAW, III MAF. Jay was a 1963 graduate of The University of Illinois.
Air Medal
Vietnam Memorial Wall Panel 19E, Line 098
-----------
Thank you to Jay's nephew, Jim Mitchell, for his remembrances of his Uncle:
"As a kid, I was always close to my Uncle Jay. Uncle Jay grew up in Bartlesville, Oklahoma-graduated College-Hi School in 1958. He attended the University Of Illinois on a military scholarship-then entered the Marines. Always had "ham" radios as a kid. Uncle Jay never drank or smoked. He was always flying - was in the Civil Air Patrol in high school. He wanted to eventually become a commercial airline pilot. Uncle Jay used to take me flying with him from the old Dewey Airfield. We used to "barn-storm" Dad and Granddad Mitchell when they were running drilling rigs out on our oil leases-great fun for a kid! He ended up flying twin-rotor CH-46 "Sea Knight" helicopters in Vietnam. The last time he shipped out to Vietnam from Bartlesville, all our families had the traditional dinner gathering at my grandparent's Bartlesville home. I was sitting next to Uncle Jay as usual. For some reason,(at age six) a strange feeling came over me. I turned to him and said: "If you go over there, you're gonna get killed." He didn't believe me, and assured me he would be all right...Uncle Jay was also into video and audio. Made both videos and "reel-type" tape recordings to us every week. On Sunday nights, all the Mitchell families would meet at my grandparents home. Uncle Jay's tapes actually "conversed" with every family member-including all us kids. His idea was for us to listen to the tapes, erase them, then record our answers and send them back to Vietnam. Fortunately, Granddad Mitchell kept EVERY tape, and would record our answers/conversations on NEW tapes to send to Uncle Jay.(We have since converted these tapes to CD's) On May 12th, 1967 my Uncle Phil (Dr. Phillip Vickers Mitchell-a nuclear physicist) was sitting at his desk at IDA (Institute for Defense Analysis)in Washington. A "pool" secretary left paperwork on his desk-she also accidentally left a copy of the "Military Daily Death Notices" on his desk as well. Imagine Uncle Phil's surprise when he picked it up, and saw his little brother's name on that list...He didn't believe it, as Uncle Jay had only five days until he would be shipped "state-side". My Aunt Judy Mitchell and my two cousins (Jenny & John) were waiting for him at San Diego, California. When Uncle Phil comfirmed Uncle Jay's death, I have to give him a lot of credit. He didn't fall apart. Instead, he gathered up a research team and flew to Vietnam. They ended up finding a LOT of metallurgical defects in many CH-46's-especially hair-line cracks in the driveshafts and transmissions. Uncle Phil & his team grounded many of them! He saved a lot of lives doing this, but it was too late for Uncle Jay and his crew. One of Uncle Jay's friends (John Kester from Nowata, Oklahoma-Tom Kester's father) was actually flying his CH-46 next to Uncle Jay's.) Uncle Jay's rear transmission flew apart. The loose main driveshaft "shelled out" his aircraft in mid-air. John Kester saw Uncle Jay and his crew of 3 crash to their deaths into the South China Sea. Uncle Jay is buried in the National Cemetery at Fort Gibson, Oklahoma. For many years as a kid, I always blamed myself for his death. Every morning, when I now step out the front door onto "The Strand" here in Hermosa Beach, CA where I live, I look to the southwest across the Pacific and think about Uncle Jay. I still haven't been able to approach the Vietnam Wall, or even the tribute to him inside Washington Park Mall in Bartlesville. Ironically, just last summer I met Tom Kester. He bought the old "Gage Farm" house where I grew up in Nowata County, Oklahoma. I then spent the afternoon telling him this story...To this day, I feel very fortunate in life to have known my Uncle Jay...My cousin here in Hermosa Beach, California was born in 1968-was named after him...(Jay Anderson Mitchell, who owns the building where I live on "The Strand" in Hermosa....Another side note: A few years ago, I ran into an older guy here in Hermosa Beach. We started talking-I could tell he was ex-Marine.. He said he knew a guy from Oklahoma once, named Jay Mitchell...It was my Uncle Jay! This guy had been one of Uncle Jay's flight instructors, but never knew what had happened to him...He said he owned the 22nd-Street Landing Restaurant in San Pedro,CA. and invited me to drop by anytime...We all miss you, Uncle Jay! Your nephew, James D. Mitchell
Air Medal
Vietnam Memorial Wall Panel 19E, Line 098
-----------
Thank you to Jay's nephew, Jim Mitchell, for his remembrances of his Uncle:
"As a kid, I was always close to my Uncle Jay. Uncle Jay grew up in Bartlesville, Oklahoma-graduated College-Hi School in 1958. He attended the University Of Illinois on a military scholarship-then entered the Marines. Always had "ham" radios as a kid. Uncle Jay never drank or smoked. He was always flying - was in the Civil Air Patrol in high school. He wanted to eventually become a commercial airline pilot. Uncle Jay used to take me flying with him from the old Dewey Airfield. We used to "barn-storm" Dad and Granddad Mitchell when they were running drilling rigs out on our oil leases-great fun for a kid! He ended up flying twin-rotor CH-46 "Sea Knight" helicopters in Vietnam. The last time he shipped out to Vietnam from Bartlesville, all our families had the traditional dinner gathering at my grandparent's Bartlesville home. I was sitting next to Uncle Jay as usual. For some reason,(at age six) a strange feeling came over me. I turned to him and said: "If you go over there, you're gonna get killed." He didn't believe me, and assured me he would be all right...Uncle Jay was also into video and audio. Made both videos and "reel-type" tape recordings to us every week. On Sunday nights, all the Mitchell families would meet at my grandparents home. Uncle Jay's tapes actually "conversed" with every family member-including all us kids. His idea was for us to listen to the tapes, erase them, then record our answers and send them back to Vietnam. Fortunately, Granddad Mitchell kept EVERY tape, and would record our answers/conversations on NEW tapes to send to Uncle Jay.(We have since converted these tapes to CD's) On May 12th, 1967 my Uncle Phil (Dr. Phillip Vickers Mitchell-a nuclear physicist) was sitting at his desk at IDA (Institute for Defense Analysis)in Washington. A "pool" secretary left paperwork on his desk-she also accidentally left a copy of the "Military Daily Death Notices" on his desk as well. Imagine Uncle Phil's surprise when he picked it up, and saw his little brother's name on that list...He didn't believe it, as Uncle Jay had only five days until he would be shipped "state-side". My Aunt Judy Mitchell and my two cousins (Jenny & John) were waiting for him at San Diego, California. When Uncle Phil comfirmed Uncle Jay's death, I have to give him a lot of credit. He didn't fall apart. Instead, he gathered up a research team and flew to Vietnam. They ended up finding a LOT of metallurgical defects in many CH-46's-especially hair-line cracks in the driveshafts and transmissions. Uncle Phil & his team grounded many of them! He saved a lot of lives doing this, but it was too late for Uncle Jay and his crew. One of Uncle Jay's friends (John Kester from Nowata, Oklahoma-Tom Kester's father) was actually flying his CH-46 next to Uncle Jay's.) Uncle Jay's rear transmission flew apart. The loose main driveshaft "shelled out" his aircraft in mid-air. John Kester saw Uncle Jay and his crew of 3 crash to their deaths into the South China Sea. Uncle Jay is buried in the National Cemetery at Fort Gibson, Oklahoma. For many years as a kid, I always blamed myself for his death. Every morning, when I now step out the front door onto "The Strand" here in Hermosa Beach, CA where I live, I look to the southwest across the Pacific and think about Uncle Jay. I still haven't been able to approach the Vietnam Wall, or even the tribute to him inside Washington Park Mall in Bartlesville. Ironically, just last summer I met Tom Kester. He bought the old "Gage Farm" house where I grew up in Nowata County, Oklahoma. I then spent the afternoon telling him this story...To this day, I feel very fortunate in life to have known my Uncle Jay...My cousin here in Hermosa Beach, California was born in 1968-was named after him...(Jay Anderson Mitchell, who owns the building where I live on "The Strand" in Hermosa....Another side note: A few years ago, I ran into an older guy here in Hermosa Beach. We started talking-I could tell he was ex-Marine.. He said he knew a guy from Oklahoma once, named Jay Mitchell...It was my Uncle Jay! This guy had been one of Uncle Jay's flight instructors, but never knew what had happened to him...He said he owned the 22nd-Street Landing Restaurant in San Pedro,CA. and invited me to drop by anytime...We all miss you, Uncle Jay! Your nephew, James D. Mitchell
U.S. Marine Corps Captain Mitchell was killed when his helicopter exploded at 2500 ft. over S. China Sea between Key Ha (Chu Lai) and Marble Mountain due to aft plyon failure. Jay was a pilot with a U.S. Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron and was flying with HMM-262, MAG-36, 1ST MAW, III MAF. Jay was a 1963 graduate of The University of Illinois.
Air Medal
Vietnam Memorial Wall Panel 19E, Line 098
-----------
Thank you to Jay's nephew, Jim Mitchell, for his remembrances of his Uncle:
"As a kid, I was always close to my Uncle Jay. Uncle Jay grew up in Bartlesville, Oklahoma-graduated College-Hi School in 1958. He attended the University Of Illinois on a military scholarship-then entered the Marines. Always had "ham" radios as a kid. Uncle Jay never drank or smoked. He was always flying - was in the Civil Air Patrol in high school. He wanted to eventually become a commercial airline pilot. Uncle Jay used to take me flying with him from the old Dewey Airfield. We used to "barn-storm" Dad and Granddad Mitchell when they were running drilling rigs out on our oil leases-great fun for a kid! He ended up flying twin-rotor CH-46 "Sea Knight" helicopters in Vietnam. The last time he shipped out to Vietnam from Bartlesville, all our families had the traditional dinner gathering at my grandparent's Bartlesville home. I was sitting next to Uncle Jay as usual. For some reason,(at age six) a strange feeling came over me. I turned to him and said: "If you go over there, you're gonna get killed." He didn't believe me, and assured me he would be all right...Uncle Jay was also into video and audio. Made both videos and "reel-type" tape recordings to us every week. On Sunday nights, all the Mitchell families would meet at my grandparents home. Uncle Jay's tapes actually "conversed" with every family member-including all us kids. His idea was for us to listen to the tapes, erase them, then record our answers and send them back to Vietnam. Fortunately, Granddad Mitchell kept EVERY tape, and would record our answers/conversations on NEW tapes to send to Uncle Jay.(We have since converted these tapes to CD's) On May 12th, 1967 my Uncle Phil (Dr. Phillip Vickers Mitchell-a nuclear physicist) was sitting at his desk at IDA (Institute for Defense Analysis)in Washington. A "pool" secretary left paperwork on his desk-she also accidentally left a copy of the "Military Daily Death Notices" on his desk as well. Imagine Uncle Phil's surprise when he picked it up, and saw his little brother's name on that list...He didn't believe it, as Uncle Jay had only five days until he would be shipped "state-side". My Aunt Judy Mitchell and my two cousins (Jenny & John) were waiting for him at San Diego, California. When Uncle Phil comfirmed Uncle Jay's death, I have to give him a lot of credit. He didn't fall apart. Instead, he gathered up a research team and flew to Vietnam. They ended up finding a LOT of metallurgical defects in many CH-46's-especially hair-line cracks in the driveshafts and transmissions. Uncle Phil & his team grounded many of them! He saved a lot of lives doing this, but it was too late for Uncle Jay and his crew. One of Uncle Jay's friends (John Kester from Nowata, Oklahoma-Tom Kester's father) was actually flying his CH-46 next to Uncle Jay's.) Uncle Jay's rear transmission flew apart. The loose main driveshaft "shelled out" his aircraft in mid-air. John Kester saw Uncle Jay and his crew of 3 crash to their deaths into the South China Sea. Uncle Jay is buried in the National Cemetery at Fort Gibson, Oklahoma. For many years as a kid, I always blamed myself for his death. Every morning, when I now step out the front door onto "The Strand" here in Hermosa Beach, CA where I live, I look to the southwest across the Pacific and think about Uncle Jay. I still haven't been able to approach the Vietnam Wall, or even the tribute to him inside Washington Park Mall in Bartlesville. Ironically, just last summer I met Tom Kester. He bought the old "Gage Farm" house where I grew up in Nowata County, Oklahoma. I then spent the afternoon telling him this story...To this day, I feel very fortunate in life to have known my Uncle Jay...My cousin here in Hermosa Beach, California was born in 1968-was named after him...(Jay Anderson Mitchell, who owns the building where I live on "The Strand" in Hermosa....Another side note: A few years ago, I ran into an older guy here in Hermosa Beach. We started talking-I could tell he was ex-Marine.. He said he knew a guy from Oklahoma once, named Jay Mitchell...It was my Uncle Jay! This guy had been one of Uncle Jay's flight instructors, but never knew what had happened to him...He said he owned the 22nd-Street Landing Restaurant in San Pedro,CA. and invited me to drop by anytime...We all miss you, Uncle Jay! Your nephew, James D. Mitchell
Air Medal
Vietnam Memorial Wall Panel 19E, Line 098
-----------
Thank you to Jay's nephew, Jim Mitchell, for his remembrances of his Uncle:
"As a kid, I was always close to my Uncle Jay. Uncle Jay grew up in Bartlesville, Oklahoma-graduated College-Hi School in 1958. He attended the University Of Illinois on a military scholarship-then entered the Marines. Always had "ham" radios as a kid. Uncle Jay never drank or smoked. He was always flying - was in the Civil Air Patrol in high school. He wanted to eventually become a commercial airline pilot. Uncle Jay used to take me flying with him from the old Dewey Airfield. We used to "barn-storm" Dad and Granddad Mitchell when they were running drilling rigs out on our oil leases-great fun for a kid! He ended up flying twin-rotor CH-46 "Sea Knight" helicopters in Vietnam. The last time he shipped out to Vietnam from Bartlesville, all our families had the traditional dinner gathering at my grandparent's Bartlesville home. I was sitting next to Uncle Jay as usual. For some reason,(at age six) a strange feeling came over me. I turned to him and said: "If you go over there, you're gonna get killed." He didn't believe me, and assured me he would be all right...Uncle Jay was also into video and audio. Made both videos and "reel-type" tape recordings to us every week. On Sunday nights, all the Mitchell families would meet at my grandparents home. Uncle Jay's tapes actually "conversed" with every family member-including all us kids. His idea was for us to listen to the tapes, erase them, then record our answers and send them back to Vietnam. Fortunately, Granddad Mitchell kept EVERY tape, and would record our answers/conversations on NEW tapes to send to Uncle Jay.(We have since converted these tapes to CD's) On May 12th, 1967 my Uncle Phil (Dr. Phillip Vickers Mitchell-a nuclear physicist) was sitting at his desk at IDA (Institute for Defense Analysis)in Washington. A "pool" secretary left paperwork on his desk-she also accidentally left a copy of the "Military Daily Death Notices" on his desk as well. Imagine Uncle Phil's surprise when he picked it up, and saw his little brother's name on that list...He didn't believe it, as Uncle Jay had only five days until he would be shipped "state-side". My Aunt Judy Mitchell and my two cousins (Jenny & John) were waiting for him at San Diego, California. When Uncle Phil comfirmed Uncle Jay's death, I have to give him a lot of credit. He didn't fall apart. Instead, he gathered up a research team and flew to Vietnam. They ended up finding a LOT of metallurgical defects in many CH-46's-especially hair-line cracks in the driveshafts and transmissions. Uncle Phil & his team grounded many of them! He saved a lot of lives doing this, but it was too late for Uncle Jay and his crew. One of Uncle Jay's friends (John Kester from Nowata, Oklahoma-Tom Kester's father) was actually flying his CH-46 next to Uncle Jay's.) Uncle Jay's rear transmission flew apart. The loose main driveshaft "shelled out" his aircraft in mid-air. John Kester saw Uncle Jay and his crew of 3 crash to their deaths into the South China Sea. Uncle Jay is buried in the National Cemetery at Fort Gibson, Oklahoma. For many years as a kid, I always blamed myself for his death. Every morning, when I now step out the front door onto "The Strand" here in Hermosa Beach, CA where I live, I look to the southwest across the Pacific and think about Uncle Jay. I still haven't been able to approach the Vietnam Wall, or even the tribute to him inside Washington Park Mall in Bartlesville. Ironically, just last summer I met Tom Kester. He bought the old "Gage Farm" house where I grew up in Nowata County, Oklahoma. I then spent the afternoon telling him this story...To this day, I feel very fortunate in life to have known my Uncle Jay...My cousin here in Hermosa Beach, California was born in 1968-was named after him...(Jay Anderson Mitchell, who owns the building where I live on "The Strand" in Hermosa....Another side note: A few years ago, I ran into an older guy here in Hermosa Beach. We started talking-I could tell he was ex-Marine.. He said he knew a guy from Oklahoma once, named Jay Mitchell...It was my Uncle Jay! This guy had been one of Uncle Jay's flight instructors, but never knew what had happened to him...He said he owned the 22nd-Street Landing Restaurant in San Pedro,CA. and invited me to drop by anytime...We all miss you, Uncle Jay! Your nephew, James D. Mitchell
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