Native Sons Lost: Milledgeville's Vietnam War Dead

Earl Edwin Shannon was born on September 15, 1951 in Milledgeville, Georgia to Urban and Elizabeth Shannon. Earl spent his childhood with his two younger brothers, Wayne and Lyle, and sisters, Barbara and Rosie. The Shannon household was Roman Catholic, the family attending Our Sacred Heart Church in downtown Milledgeville. Earl’s father served in the National Guard during World War II. He was in his 40s at the time.

Earl attended Baldwin County High School. Just before graduation, tragedy struck the Shannon household when Earl’s mother, Elizabeth, was killed in a car accident. Elizabeth was returning home from work at Central State Hospital when the driver of the car she was riding in lost control on the slippery roads. The car careened off the Allen Memorial Bridge, crashing onto the railroad tracks 25 feet below. Elizabeth died instantly. 

Not long after his mother’s death, Earl enlisted in the U.S. Army. After basic training, he was placed in the Army’s Armor Branch, which controlled all tank units attached to infantry and cavalry forces. By this point in the Vietnam War, armor or cavalry units had been augmented with an air cavalry troop or squadron. Earl would ride into war on a OH-6 “Loach” helicopter as an Armor Reconnaissance Specialist. Earl arrived in Vietnam on April 12, 1970 to begin his tour of duty with D Company, 227th Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division (D/227) in Lai Khe, South Vietnam.

D Company, known as the “Guns,” was an aerial weapons company that served valorously in support of 1st Cavalry Division operations in Vietnam until it was deactivated in August 1971.

Shortly after Earl’s arrival in South Vietnam, his company joined the 1st Cavalry Division invasion of Cambodia on May 1, 1970. The purpose was to reduce the flow of North Vietnamese soldiers and supplies into South Vietnam. U.S. and Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) forces were tasked with destroying supply bases inside Cambodia. The 227th supported the 3rd ARVN Airborne Brigade and stood ready to conduct other assaults into Cambodia. 

During the summer of 1970, Earl was lightly wounded and allowed to return home on compassionate leave. His father was battling colon cancer and undergoing surgery. This would be the last time his family had the opportunity to spend time with Earl. 

Returning to Vietnam, he joined a unit formed on September 1, 1970. While portions of the 1st Cavalry Division were rotating back home, E Troop, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry (1/9) was formed out of D/227. E Troop consisted of 27 aircraft, 11 gunships, 6 lift ships, and 10 scouts. Earl was folded into the 1/9 Scout Platoon as an Observer on an OH-6 “Loach” helicopter. The Scout Platoon was responsible for air reconnaissance, patrolling the Vietnam countryside in search of the enemy on “hunter-killer” missions. 

The role played by the Scout Platoon was extremely dangerous and daily tested the resolve of the pilots and observers who operated as scouts. Combat tactics devised by the 1/9 called for two Scout helicopters to fly together; one close to the ground, as little as 10 feet above the treetops, to locate the enemy. The other helicopter orbited about 50 to 100 feet and directed gunships and Infantry transport helicopters to enemy positions. The low flying Scout helicopter would visually locate the enemy and intentionally draw fire. The gunships would attack an enemy position and provide covering fire for infantry troops, who would land and assault the enemy. One Scout observer, Bob Moses, recalls the experience.

"We were combat trackers. I followed footsteps. I could see a cigarette butt still burning. I could tell how old a footprint was by how it looked. Most of our engagements [we] were 25 to 50 feet [away] when we opened up on [the Viet Cong]. I’ve seen them, whites of the eyes, and they’ve seen me, whites of the eyes…. I have come home with blood on my windshield. A little gory but that’s how close we were."

Within one week of the formation of E Troop, 9/1 Cav, the unit was performing combat operations, engaging the enemy on an almost daily basis. The troop gained notoriety for their exploits and successes and were used in emergencies and special operations. On December 13, 1970, Earl, along with his two other OH-6 crew members, were conducting a recon mission, looking for U.S. servicemen who were missing in action (MIA) in the Lâm Đồng Province northeast of Saigon. They made contact with the enemy while skimming the trees just 55 feet off the ground. Their helicopter was struck by what the incident report classified as “small arms/automatic weapons, gun launched non-explosive ballistic projectiles less than 20mm in size.” The OH-6 was harder to shoot down than other helicopters because it did not have a hydraulic system. However, it was light-weight and designed for speed, not protection from bullets. The OH-6 had a light aluminum skin that would absorb the energy of a crash, with a strong structure protecting the critical pieces, including the crew. For these reasons, OH-6 crews walked away from crashes that would prove fatal to other helicopters. Earl’s helicopter unfortunately burst into flames and exploded after the crash. The helicopter was completely destroyed, and all three crew members were injured. Earl and the helicopter’s gunner, John Kile from Millen, Georgia, were severely wounded. Once a recovery team reached the site, Earl, John, and the pilot, were airlifted to the 15th Medical Battalion in Song Be for treatment. Earl succumbed to his burn wounds enroute to the medical facility. John Kile died shortly after arriving in Song Be. The pilot survived.

"Damn good Oscar." - Incident Report, U.S. Army helicopter OH-6A tail number 67-16158

A single line in the incident report about the action stands as a testament to Earl, stating simply: Damn good Oscar (Observer). Earl was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, our nation’s highest award for acts of heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight.

"Their memories are vivid and they will always be remembered as giving their all in the finest tradition of Cavalry, riding to the sound of the gun ” - Captain John M. Retterer, Commanding Officer, E Troop, 9/1 Cavalry, 1971.

Earl Edwin Shannon is interned in West View Cemetery, West McIntosh St., Milledgeville, Baldwin County, Georgia. His location on the Vietnam Memorial is Panel 6W, Line 119. 

Student research on Earl Edwin Shannon, conducted by Jackson Casey, Gabriella DuChateau, and Clayton Patterson, is available in the Georgia College  Knowledge Box