Rank: Captain
Unit: Air Cavalry Troop, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment
MOS: 1204 – Armored Reconnaissance Unit Commander
Awards: Distinguished Service Cross, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, Air Medal with 19 Oak Leaf Clusters, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
Badges: Army Aviator Badge
Unit awards: Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm device
Note: OH-6A, Tail # 66-17768, Pilot
Flight class: 68-508/68-12, Fort Wolters, Texas
Enlisted by: Reserve
Date of birth: 10-Nov-1943
Hometown: New York, New York
Marital status: Never Married
Campaign: Vietnam Conflict
Entered service: 5-Jun-1965
Start of tour: 11-Aug-1968
Incident date: 27-Apr-1969
Date of casualty: 27-Apr-1969
Age at death: 25
Cause of death: Hostile, Died. Helicopter Crash — Crew (MC). Aircraft loss, crash not at sea.
Bertrand Jahn Dacey was killed while pilot of a military aircraft on a military mission when aircraft received hostile ground fire, crashed and burned. / Pilot of light observation helicopter (LOH) on visual reconnaissance mission when received hostile ground fire.
Two Blackhorse troopers died in this incident:
CPT Bertrand Jahn Dacey
SP4 Jeffery Arnold Harvey
Location of fatality: Tay Ninh, South Vietnam, XT 425 790
Place of interment: Moravian Cemetery, New Dorp, New York, USA
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DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS
POSTHUMOUS
CAPTAIN BERTRAND JAHN DACEY, ARMOR
27 APRIL 1969
AIR CAVALRY TROOP
11TH ARMORED CAVALRY REGIMENT
Captain Dacey distinguished himself for extraordinary heroism in action in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with Air Cavalry Troop, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. Captain Dacey distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 27 April 1969 while flying a reconnaissance mission in a light observation helicopter seven miles southwest of Quan Loi in Tay Ninh Province. An Infantry company was pinned down by a North Vietnamese force, and another helicopter had proceeded to the conflict area but was shot down. Captain Dacey immediately flew to the battle site and began making low passes over the hostile force, marking them for air strikes. On his seventh pass, his aircraft was struck by a burst of machine gun fire and crashed in flames, killing him instantly. Captain Dacey’s extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty, at the cost of his life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
Headquarters, United States Army Vietnam General Orders No. 2674 (July 17, 1969)
DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS
POSTHUMOUS
FIRST LIEUTENANT BERTRAND JAHN DACEY, ARMOR
18 MARCH 1969
AIR CAVALRY TROOP
11TH ARMORED CAVALRY REGIMENT
First Lieutenant Dacey distinguished himself for heroism while participating in aerial flight evidenced by voluntary action above and beyond the call of duty on 18 March 1969, while serving as Helicopter Pilot with the Air Cavalry Troop, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, in the Republic of Vietnam. On this date while conducting an aerial reconnaissance mission, he received word that an aircraft had received heavy automatic weapons fire nearby. Moving quickly to the area of contact, Lieutenant Dacey successfully located and marked the machine gun position with smoke. Although extensive damage to his aircraft forced him to fly to a maintenance area for repairs, he quickly returned to the area of contact, re-marked the enemy machine gun emplacement and brought in airstrikes which resulted in destruction of the hostile position. First Lieutenant Dacey’s outstanding courage and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.
Headquarters, II Field Force Vietnam General Orders No. 1204 (May 18, 1969)