William Jay Robbins
Name: William Jay Robbins
Rank/Grade: WO - W1 - Army - Reserve
Age: 24
Marital Status: Married
Race: Caucasian
Gender: Male
Date of Birth: Jan 8, 1943
From: Absarokee, Montana
Length of Service: 4 years
Tour Began: Oct 06, 1966
Casualty Date: February 6, 1967
Location: SOUTH VIETNAM
Hostile/Non-Hostile: NON-HOSTILE
Classification: HELICOPTER - CREW AIR LOSS, CRASH ON LAND
Body Recovered: Yes
Religion: Lutheran & Misso
Vietnam Memorial: Panel 14E - - Line 131
I was in the flight in which Mr. Robbin’s aircraft lost it’s tailboom upon flaring to land. There were 10 aircraft in the formation and Robbins’ aircraft was number 9. Mine was number 2 or 3. As we came to a hover over this old airstrip I was looking to the rear of my ship when I saw what I thought was a midair collision because of all the aircraft parts flying every which way. I keyed my mike and said, “My God, we got a mid air behind us!” At that moment, the trail ship, flown by David O’Quinn, put out a Mayday announcing the crash. Mr. Robbins was a 2nd platoon pilot so I did not know him well because I was a 1st platoon crew chief. RIP!