Rank: Specialist 5
Unit: Air Cavalry Troop, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment
MOS: 63B – Light Wheel Vehicle Mechanic
Awards: Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, Air Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
Unit awards: Valorous Unit Award, Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm device
Note: OH-6A, Tail # 69-15963, Observer
Enlisted by: Regular
Date of birth: 11-Aug-1949
Hometown: Littlestown, Pennsylvania
Marital status: Never Married
Campaign: Vietnam Conflict
Entered service: 23-Sep-1968
Start of tour: 22-Oct-1969
Incident date: 19-Dec-1970
Date of casualty: 19-Dec-1970
Age at death: 21
Cause of death: Hostile, Died. Helicopter Crash — Passenger (MC). Aircraft loss, crash not at sea.
Joseph William Blickenstaff Jr was killed while an observer on a military aircraft on a military mission when the aircraft was fired upon by a hostile ground force, exploded in mid air, crashed and burned. / Observer on LOH on visual reconnaissance mission. Received hostile ground fire, exploded in mid-air, crashed and burned.
Two Blackhorse troopers died in this incident:
SP5 Joseph William Blickenstaff Jr
1LT Dan L. F. Coombs III
Location of fatality: Binh Duong, South Vietnam, YT 014 367
Place of interment: Saint Marys Cemetery, Silver Run, Maryland, USA
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