Charles Otto Spillman
Petty Officer First Class, U.S. Navy

On 28 February 1968, Petty Officer First Class Charles Otto Spillman was serving with Detachment B, CBMU-301, 3rd Naval Construction Brigade, U.S. Naval Forces Vietnam in Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam.

Major Edward George Meixner and Captain Robert Lee Sevell were pilots 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. Major Edward G. Meixner was to fly as pilot in the right seat with Capt Sevell as co-pilot in the left 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. The following 23 men died in the crash of Flight 20-1 of Mission 53-KS on 28 February 1968 in Quang Tri Province approximately 7 kilometers southwest of the Rockpile, victims of NVA anti-aircraft gunners:

Crew Members

● Maj Edwin G Meixner [Honoree Record ID 264651]
● Capt Robert L Sevell [Honoree Record ID 276536]
● 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]

Medals and Awards

Purple Heart
Combat Action Ribbon
Navy Good Conduct Medal with 3 Bronze Stars
National Defense Service Medal
Vietnam Service Medal
Vietnam Campaign Medal

Honors

The name Charles O Spillman is located on Panel 41E Line 74 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.

Burial

Petty Officer First Class Charles Otto Spillman is buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis, MN, in Section M, Site 1074.