Rank: Private First Class
Unit: Headquarters & Headquarters Troop, 3rd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment
MOS: 67N – Utility Helicopter Repairer
Awards: Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, Air Medal with Valor Device and Two Oak Leaf Clusters, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
Unit awards: Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm device
Note: OH-6A, Tail # 67-16201, Crew Chief
Enlisted by: Selected Service
Date of birth: 17-Nov-1948
Hometown: Kopperston, West Virginia
Marital status: Never Married
Campaign: Vietnam Conflict
Entered service: 17-Sep-1968
Start of tour: 31-Mar-1969
Incident date: 2-May-1969
Date of casualty: 2-May-1969
Age at death: 20
Cause of death: Hostile, died. Helicopter Crash — Crew (MC). Aircraft loss, crash not at sea. Wavel Wayne Powell was killed while crew chief on a military aircraft on a combat operation when the aircraft was hit by ground fire from a hostile force, crashed and burned. / Crew chief of OH-6A aircraft on visual reconnaissance mission when aircraft received hostile ground fire. Aircraft crashed and burned
Two Blackhorse troopers died in this incident:
PFC Wavel Wayne Powell
1LT Edward Claus Powers
Location of fatality: Binh Duong, South Vietnam, XT 860 323
Place of interment: Kopperston Community Cemetery, Kopperston, West Virginia, USA
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AIR MEDAL
WITH VALOR DEVICE AND SECOND OAK LEAF CLUSTER
POSTHUMOUS
PRIVATE FIRST CLASS WAVEL WAYNE POWELL
27 APRIL 1969
HEADQUARTERS AND HEADQUARTERS TROOP, 3rd SQUADRON
11TH ARMORED CAVALRY REGIMENT
Private First Class Powell distinguished himself by heroism while participating in aerial flight on 27 April 1969 while serving as a helicopter crew chief and gunner with the 3d Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, in the. Republic of Vietnam. On this date while Private Powell’s helicopter was conducting a routine reconnaissance mission over an enemy Infested area, the pilot observed what appeared to be an enemy base camp. As the pilot made low level passes over the hostile positions, Private Powell observed an enemy-soldier attempting to evade detection and quickly took him under fire. In spite of enemy ground fire which disabled the squadron commander’s aircraft and forced it to leave the area, Private Powell continued to cover the area with suppressive fire until friendly reinforcements arrived. Private First Class Powell’s courage and dedication 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. 1488 (14 June 1969)