In Memory of ..... 1LT Peter Charles Forame.
*** First Lieutenant Forame was a member of the Air Cavalry Troop, 2nd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. On December 19, 1971, he was the co-pilot of a Hughes Cayuse Observation Helicopter on a bomb assessment mission southeast of Bambe, Kampong Cham Province, Cambodia when the aircraft came under intense fire, burst into flames and crashed. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.


You may be gone, no longer living on this earth; but you will live on - in the memories of your family and friends. There will always be a part of you living in those who knew you. You will live on because we remember you! ***


PETER CHARLES FORAME - Army - 1LT - O2 11th Armored Cavalry
Age: 24
Race: Caucasian
Date of Birth May 21, 1947 - Military DD1300 shows Born in Austria.
From: MC LEAN, VA
Religion: ROMAN CATHOLIC
Marital Status: Single - Parents: Father, Retired LTC Peter Raymond Forame (Born July 12, 1911 and Died March 5, 1984) and Mother, Angela D. Forame, Born Aug. 4, 1912 and Died Oct. 24, 2011, both from McLean, Virginia. He has NO children.



His tour began on Dec 19, 1971
Casualty was on Dec 19, 1971
In , CAMBODIA
Hostile, died while missing, HELICOPTER - CREW
AIR LOSS, CRASH ON LAND

Body was not recovered
Panel 02W - Line 89


Other Personnel In Incident: Thomas W. Skiles (missing)


The crew of that OH-6 was 1LT Peter Forame and W01 Thomas Skiles, Air Cavalry Troop, 11 ACR.


On 19 December 1971, W1 Thomas W. Skiles, pilot; and 1st Lt. Peter C. Forame co-pilot, comprised the crew of an OH6A light observation helicopter (tail #67-16347), in a flight conducting a bomb damage assessment mission southeast of Bambe, Cambodia.

During the mission their helicopter began receiving heavy enemy automatic weapons fire. In an attempt to climb away from the ground fire, the helicopter turned right then was seen to burst into flames.

The aircraft passed over an open area and crashed into a tree line,exploded on impact, and was completely destroyed by fire in a very short time.

The crash site was located in fairly flat jungle 13 miles north of the Cambodian/South Vietnamese border.

Two other helicopters in the flight immediately flew near the crash site to search for any sign of survivors, but they were driven away by enemy rocket propelled grenades and automatic weapons fire.

A short time later, gunships were called in to suppress the enemy ground fire. A scout helicopter crew reported that 1st Lt. Forame and W1 Skiles helicopter was destroyed by fire, and they saw two burned bodies near the aircraft.

Due to the heavy enemy presence surrounding the crash site, air strikes were conducted during the rest of the day. The next day another search and recovery attempt was made to recover the remains of Thomas Skiles and Peter Forame.

One of the helicopter's participating in this operation was shot down by enemy ground fire and one of the SAR crewmen was critically wounded. Shortly afterward all members of that crew were successfully rescued.

At the time this SAR mission was terminated, Peter Forame and Thomas Skiles were listed Killed in Action/Body Not Recovered.

On 22 and 23 December extensive air strikes were conducted in the general area to include B52 strikes. One of the bombs dropped by a B52 apparently landed near the crash site thereby frustrating further attempts to recover both men's remains.

Under the circumstances, no additional recovery operation was conducted.





************************************************
1LT Forame, Peter Charles
AC ACT/11 ACR
OH-6A 67-16347
Date MIA 19 Dec 1971
Still Serving in Southeast Asia
by Brigadier General Terry L Tucker 56th Colonel of Blackhorse
I recently returned from the 11 ACVVC and Blackhorse Reunion in San Diego California-- What a great weekend many other 11 ACR veterans and I had. Thanks for inviting me to participate.
For the past 2 years, I have been privileged to command Joint Task Force "Full Accounting". In that assignment I led 160 outstanding men and women from all services on a mission to achieve the fullest possible accounting of Americans still unaccounted-for as a result of the war in Southeast Asia. We conducted over 1,000 investigations and 125 recovery operations and brought home 67 Americans to their families in that 2 years. Let me tell you about one case that I shared with my brother Blackhorse troopers at the July reunion.
In January 1998, we investigated the site of a 19 December 1971 OH-6 helicopter crash in central Cambodia. In March 1999, we excavated that crashed site. The recovery team did not find remains of the crew. However, they did find several items of personal effects. Found were a military identification card and part of another card with an unidentified sticker on it. The recovery team could clearly identify the photograph and name on the Identification Card, but could not identify the sticker on the second card. Upon my arrival, several possible explanations were offered as to what the sticker might be. After listening to their speculation, I opened my wallet, removed my Blackhorse Association Membership Card, and showed them the exact symbol they were trying to figure out. It was a Blackhorse patch.
Many of you knew troopers Forame and Skiles. Some of you fought with them in Vietnam and Cambodia, and a few of you were there on 19 December 1971, in Dambe, Cambodia. I had the honor of none of these. However, 1LT Forame and WO1 Skiles stay with me; I think of them frequently. Although we may never recover their remains, we can never forget their sacrifice. Annual Reunions should continue to remind us that 768 Blackhorse troopers did not come home. And, we should remember that until 1LT Peter Forame and WO1 Thomas Skiles (Air Troop, 11 ACR) come home, the Blackhorse continues to serve in Southeast Asia.
********************
I met Pete when my ex-husband went through OCS at Ft. Sill with Pete. Then they went through helicopter pilot training together. First in Texas, then in Alabama.
Peter was not married, though at one time he was engaged. His father was a retired Army Lt. Col. They had homes in McLean, Virginia and Palm Beach, FL. He trained to fly the Huey and the Cobra but in Vietnam he was put into an observation helicopter.
He was my daughter's godfather. We both make sure we remember him on Memorial Day. He was a wonderful man. I found on another site that the site where he and WO1 Skiles went down was found.
Sadly no remains were found, only several items of personal effects.
Peter graduated from George Mason University. They have not forgotten him. The Peter C. Forame Student Leader Scholarship was established by the friends and classmates of First Lieutenant Peter C. Forame after he died in action during the Vietnam War. Mr. Forame was a pastpresident of student government at George Mason University who possessed outstanding academic and leadership skills. His involvement exemplified that of a well-rounded student who balanced the demands of academic life with those of extracurricular activities. The George Mason University Alumni Association endowed the scholarship so it could be awarded to deserving student leaders who demonstrate the ability to excel academically and still participate actively in university life The GMU Alumni Association Peter C. Forame Student Leader Scholarship was endowed in 1995 and is awarded annually to a full-time undergraduate student leader who demonstrates exemplary leadership skills in one or more registered student organizations without sacrificing academic commitment. It is given in recognition of the desirability and difficulty of balancing extracurricular and academic pursuits.


**************************************

.

In Memory of ..... 1LT Peter Charles Forame.
*** First Lieutenant Forame was a member of the Air Cavalry Troop, 2nd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. On December 19, 1971, he was the co-pilot of a Hughes Cayuse Observation Helicopter on a bomb assessment mission southeast of Bambe, Kampong Cham Province, Cambodia when the aircraft came under intense fire, burst into flames and crashed. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.


You may be gone, no longer living on this earth; but you will live on - in the memories of your family and friends. There will always be a part of you living in those who knew you. You will live on because we remember you! ***


PETER CHARLES FORAME - Army - 1LT - O2 11th Armored Cavalry
Age: 24
Race: Caucasian
Date of Birth May 21, 1947 - Military DD1300 shows Born in Austria.
From: MC LEAN, VA
Religion: ROMAN CATHOLIC
Marital Status: Single - Parents: Father, Retired LTC Peter Raymond Forame (Born July 12, 1911 and Died March 5, 1984) and Mother, Angela D. Forame, Born Aug. 4, 1912 and Died Oct. 24, 2011, both from McLean, Virginia. He has NO children.



His tour began on Dec 19, 1971
Casualty was on Dec 19, 1971
In , CAMBODIA
Hostile, died while missing, HELICOPTER - CREW
AIR LOSS, CRASH ON LAND

Body was not recovered
Panel 02W - Line 89


Other Personnel In Incident: Thomas W. Skiles (missing)


The crew of that OH-6 was 1LT Peter Forame and W01 Thomas Skiles, Air Cavalry Troop, 11 ACR.


On 19 December 1971, W1 Thomas W. Skiles, pilot; and 1st Lt. Peter C. Forame co-pilot, comprised the crew of an OH6A light observation helicopter (tail #67-16347), in a flight conducting a bomb damage assessment mission southeast of Bambe, Cambodia.

During the mission their helicopter began receiving heavy enemy automatic weapons fire. In an attempt to climb away from the ground fire, the helicopter turned right then was seen to burst into flames.

The aircraft passed over an open area and crashed into a tree line,exploded on impact, and was completely destroyed by fire in a very short time.

The crash site was located in fairly flat jungle 13 miles north of the Cambodian/South Vietnamese border.

Two other helicopters in the flight immediately flew near the crash site to search for any sign of survivors, but they were driven away by enemy rocket propelled grenades and automatic weapons fire.

A short time later, gunships were called in to suppress the enemy ground fire. A scout helicopter crew reported that 1st Lt. Forame and W1 Skiles helicopter was destroyed by fire, and they saw two burned bodies near the aircraft.

Due to the heavy enemy presence surrounding the crash site, air strikes were conducted during the rest of the day. The next day another search and recovery attempt was made to recover the remains of Thomas Skiles and Peter Forame.

One of the helicopter's participating in this operation was shot down by enemy ground fire and one of the SAR crewmen was critically wounded. Shortly afterward all members of that crew were successfully rescued.

At the time this SAR mission was terminated, Peter Forame and Thomas Skiles were listed Killed in Action/Body Not Recovered.

On 22 and 23 December extensive air strikes were conducted in the general area to include B52 strikes. One of the bombs dropped by a B52 apparently landed near the crash site thereby frustrating further attempts to recover both men's remains.

Under the circumstances, no additional recovery operation was conducted.





************************************************
1LT Forame, Peter Charles
AC ACT/11 ACR
OH-6A 67-16347
Date MIA 19 Dec 1971
Still Serving in Southeast Asia
by Brigadier General Terry L Tucker 56th Colonel of Blackhorse
I recently returned from the 11 ACVVC and Blackhorse Reunion in San Diego California-- What a great weekend many other 11 ACR veterans and I had. Thanks for inviting me to participate.
For the past 2 years, I have been privileged to command Joint Task Force "Full Accounting". In that assignment I led 160 outstanding men and women from all services on a mission to achieve the fullest possible accounting of Americans still unaccounted-for as a result of the war in Southeast Asia. We conducted over 1,000 investigations and 125 recovery operations and brought home 67 Americans to their families in that 2 years. Let me tell you about one case that I shared with my brother Blackhorse troopers at the July reunion.
In January 1998, we investigated the site of a 19 December 1971 OH-6 helicopter crash in central Cambodia. In March 1999, we excavated that crashed site. The recovery team did not find remains of the crew. However, they did find several items of personal effects. Found were a military identification card and part of another card with an unidentified sticker on it. The recovery team could clearly identify the photograph and name on the Identification Card, but could not identify the sticker on the second card. Upon my arrival, several possible explanations were offered as to what the sticker might be. After listening to their speculation, I opened my wallet, removed my Blackhorse Association Membership Card, and showed them the exact symbol they were trying to figure out. It was a Blackhorse patch.
Many of you knew troopers Forame and Skiles. Some of you fought with them in Vietnam and Cambodia, and a few of you were there on 19 December 1971, in Dambe, Cambodia. I had the honor of none of these. However, 1LT Forame and WO1 Skiles stay with me; I think of them frequently. Although we may never recover their remains, we can never forget their sacrifice. Annual Reunions should continue to remind us that 768 Blackhorse troopers did not come home. And, we should remember that until 1LT Peter Forame and WO1 Thomas Skiles (Air Troop, 11 ACR) come home, the Blackhorse continues to serve in Southeast Asia.
********************
I met Pete when my ex-husband went through OCS at Ft. Sill with Pete. Then they went through helicopter pilot training together. First in Texas, then in Alabama.
Peter was not married, though at one time he was engaged. His father was a retired Army Lt. Col. They had homes in McLean, Virginia and Palm Beach, FL. He trained to fly the Huey and the Cobra but in Vietnam he was put into an observation helicopter.
He was my daughter's godfather. We both make sure we remember him on Memorial Day. He was a wonderful man. I found on another site that the site where he and WO1 Skiles went down was found.
Sadly no remains were found, only several items of personal effects.
Peter graduated from George Mason University. They have not forgotten him. The Peter C. Forame Student Leader Scholarship was established by the friends and classmates of First Lieutenant Peter C. Forame after he died in action during the Vietnam War. Mr. Forame was a pastpresident of student government at George Mason University who possessed outstanding academic and leadership skills. His involvement exemplified that of a well-rounded student who balanced the demands of academic life with those of extracurricular activities. The George Mason University Alumni Association endowed the scholarship so it could be awarded to deserving student leaders who demonstrate the ability to excel academically and still participate actively in university life The GMU Alumni Association Peter C. Forame Student Leader Scholarship was endowed in 1995 and is awarded annually to a full-time undergraduate student leader who demonstrates exemplary leadership skills in one or more registered student organizations without sacrificing academic commitment. It is given in recognition of the desirability and difficulty of balancing extracurricular and academic pursuits.


**************************************

.