Robert Lee Sevell
Captain, U.S. Marine Corps (Reserve)

Robert Lee Sevell enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve in 1965. He entered the 38th Officer Candidate Course at Quantico, VA, and was assigned to the 4th Platoon of Delta Company. He graduated on 17 December 1965 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the USMCR. As he was an Air Option, Bob was sent directly to Pensacola Naval Air Station, FL, for flight training. Bob earned his 'Wings of Gold' as a Naval Aviator, followed the Rotary Wing track, and became a qualified CH-46 pilot (MOS 7562).

Ordered to the Republic of Vietnam, upon his arrival on 1 January 1968, Capt Sevell was assigned to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 262 (HMM 262 'Flying Tigers'), Marine Aircraft Group 36, 1st Marine Air Wing, III Marine Amphibious Force and flew out of the Quang Tri Air Facility.

At 06:00 on 28 February 1968, Flight 20-1 of Mission 53-KS (Khe Sanh) briefed. Capt Sevell was to fly as the co-pilot that fateful day, with Major Meixner in the right seat. The mission was to fly to Khe Sanh and recover a squadron aircraft, which had been battle damaged in the revetments at Khe Sanh Combat Base. The aircraft lifted off at approximately 07:00 with a total of 23 military personnel on board. Eleven of those onboard were Marines assigned to HMM-262. The crew of 7 was supplemented by 4 additional aircraft technicians who would be tasked with repairing the damaged aircraft and readying it for flight. The remaining 12 Marines onboard were just passengers under orders to report to the Khe Sanh Combat Base. As the aircraft crossed over a ridgeline approximately 10 kilometers southwest of the Rockpile, it was struck by automatic weapons fire from 12.7mm anti-aircraft guns. The aircraft banked to the right and descended toward the valley below at a high rate of speed. The aft cabin was on fire and the fire spread forward to the entire cabin during the descent. The aircraft became uncontrollable and crashed at full speed (XD 916522). The fire extinguished on impact.

An infantry reaction force quickly reached the crash site but only one Marine had survived the initial crash. Unfortunately, he died of his wounds later that evening. Capt Sevell died in Quang Tri Province at the crash site approximately 7 kilometers southwest of the Rockpile, one of 23 victims of NVA anti-aircraft gunners.

At the time of his death, Bob was 24 years old and married with one son, Robert J. Sevell.

Medals, Awards and Badges

Purple Heart
Air Medal
Combat Action Ribbon
National Defense Service Medal
Vietnam Service Medal
Vietnam Campaign Medal
Naval Aviator Badge

Honors

The name Robert L Sevell is located on Panel 41E Line 72 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.

Burial

Captain Robert Lee Sevell is buried at Saint Marys Cemetery in Clark, NJ, in Plot J-194.

In addition to Capt Sevell, the following people died in the crash of Flight 20-1 of Mission 53-KS on 28 February 1968:

Crew Members

● Major Edwin G Meixner [Honoree Record ID 264651]
● Sgt Marc W McCabe [Honoree Record ID 263261]
● Sgt John P Toth [Honoree Record ID 282205]
● Cpl Alfredo Benigni [Honoree Record ID 234236]
● Cpl Danny D Gard [Honoree Record ID 248247]
● LCpl John A Thotland [Honoree Record ID 281800]

Passengers

● Capt John P Ellis [Honoree Record ID 245390]
● Capt Jay W Stull [Honoree Record ID 280228]
● BU1 Charles O Spillman [Honoree Record ID 278993]
● Sgt James H Mikels [Honoree Record ID 265069]
● Sgt Charles E Parsons [Honoree Record ID 269422]
● Cpl Kenneth R Bradley [Honoree Record ID 235945]
● Cpl Robert E Caldwell [Honoree Record ID 238068]
● Cpl Donald N Cooper [Honoree Record ID 240936]
● Cpl Ronald L Dempsey [Honoree Record ID 243369]
● Cpl William O Turner [Honoree Record ID 282705]
● LCpl Ronald S H Christman [Honoree Record ID 239653]
● LCpl Kyle J Coles [Honoree Record ID 240401]
● LCpl Matthew M Dwyer Jr [Honoree Record ID 244852]
● PFC David Z Balades [Honoree Record ID 232903]
● PFC Emmett C Stanton [Honoree Record ID 279265]

[Thanks to Captain Dave Mellon, USMCR, a classmate of Bob Sevell in the 38th Officer Candidate Course, for the valuable information he provided for this bio. Capt Mellon served as a platoon commander in Vietnam and was wounded.]