This Military Service Page was created/owned by
Tommy Burgdorf (Birddog), FC2
to remember
Sparenberg, Benard John, SFC.
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Contact Info
Home Town Baltimore, MD
Last Address Baltimore, MD
MIA Date Feb 05, 1966
Cause Non Hostile- Body Not Recovered
Reason Air Loss, Crash - Sea
Location South China Sea
Conflict Vietnam War
Memorial Coordinates 05E 005
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
This Sailor has an (IMO) In Memory Of Headstone in Baltimore National Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland.
Lost at sea during one of those south seas Monsoons on Feb. 6, 1966. Two destroyers had run together and one was taking a lot of water, and a call went out for help. They needed someone who knew how to weld under water, The men had that experience and volunteered, eleven men made the trip of a mile or so in a helicopter.
The storm was so bad that the chopper had to hover and take the men in one at a time. They plugged up the hole and were returning when suddenly the chopper went out of control and plunged into the high waves then turned up-side down. All were rescued but three.
Other Comments:
While the SH-3 helicopter was designed and equipped for anti-submarine warfare, it was commonly used for intership transportation among the 7th Fleet ships operating in the Gulf of Tonkin and South China Sea areas.
The USS NAVASOTA (AO-106) was a fleet oiler which replenished the warships with fuel oil, aviation gasoline, and jet fuel. During operations offshore Vietnam, three NAVASOTA crewmen were lost at sea when the SH-3A (BuNo 149926) they were aboard enroute it went down. As with most at-sea losses, their remains could not be recovered.
They had been returning from a collision of 2 destroyers the USS Brinkley Bass and the USS Waddell.
