This Military Service Page was created/owned by
Tommy Burgdorf (Birddog), FC2
to remember
Copp, Thomas Elliott, GMG3.
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Casualty Info
Home Town Northridge, CA
Last Address Northridge, CA
Casualty Date Feb 13, 1970
Cause KIA-Killed in Action
Reason Artillery, Rocket, Mortar
Location Kien Giang (Vietnam)
Conflict Vietnam War
Location of Interment Forest Lawn Memorial Park - Hollywood Hills, California
Abriged After Action Report
On the morning of 13 February, a PBR of RPG-54 was returning from 1-BGP when personnel sighted a Claymore mine at WS 045 794 on the north bank of the Vinh Te Canal. Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) assistance was requested. The EOD team, led by LTJG Valentine, destroyed the mine in place. The EOD team reported that the mine was facing the canal and had been rigged with a monofilament line which led to a spider hole on the north bank there the mine could have been command detonated.
MINEDIV 113 units, MSR-3, and MSR-6, Units were proceeding south with MSR-3 in the lead and MSR-6 trailing behind about 75 meters. Their speed was about three knots. Then the units rounded a blind corner at VS 548 602, at approximately 1548H, they were ambushed from both banks by automatic weapons, P-40's, and recoilless rifle fire.
Aboard MSR-3, one B-40 round hit the starboard side of the hull above the waterline, directly aft of the twin 50 caliber mount, piercing the hull and hurling shrapnel throughout the compartment.
Some of the shrapnel continued on through the port hull and into the water. The heat of the explosion caused a fire in a clothing locker. The fire later spread to the coxswain flat before it could be controlled. One recoilless rifle round hit about two feet aft of the B-40 round and went out the other side of the boat and doubtlessly contributed to the fire and shrapnel damage.
Another B-40 round exploded on the forward compartment hatch which was dogged down. The entire surface of the hatch was destroyed although the knife edge porting remained in place dogged down.
A second recoilless rifle round hit the deck house just aft of the coxswain's stand on the starboard side. The round penetrated the deckhouse bulkhead, both bulkheads of the coxswain's flat, and fragmented pieces of shrapnel imbedded in a fold down cot mounted on the port bulkhead.
A third B-40 round, fired at the stern of the boat, hit the port 50 caliber gunner in the chest, killing GM3 Copp. The impact of the round threw the Boat Captain, who was conning, forward. He hit his head on the gauge console receiving a 3 inch gash and passed out for what he estimated to be about 15-20 seconds. However, when he fell forward, his hands were on the throttles and the forward motion of his body pushed the throttles to maximum turns, propelling the boat out of the kill zone. He regained consciousness before the boat left mid-stream and he steered the boat clear of the kill zone
Daniel Armstrong
darmstng@ix.netcom.com
Personal friend, shipmate aboard the USS Mt McKinley 1967-1968.
1541 Flair Encinitas Drive
Encinitas,CA 92024 USA
An Unforgotten Friend and Shipmate
Tom entered my life while serving aboard the USS Mt McKinley stationed in San Diego, CA. We lived not five miles apart in the San Fernando Valley, CA. Tom and I went aboard the Mt McKinley right out of basic training - Tom as a Gunners Mate and me as a Boatswain's Mate. We made two WestPac cruises together, shared an apartment in Long Beach while our ship was in dry dock and became friends, both aboard and at home while on leave or on 72's. I left the Mt McKinley after voluntering for Swift Boats in Vietnam - Tom stayed aboard ship. After my tour was over I contacted Tom's mother trying to locate him only to find that he had been killed in Vietnam, while serving on Swifts as I had been. It seems that there isn't a day that passes that I do not think of this fine friend. He has reached out to me on several different ocassions over the past thirty years - I welcome his visits. I remember Tom when he recieved word of his fathers death while aboard the Mt McKinley - that was the only time he ever displayed any emotion other than a shipmate who could, and would, bring joy and laughter to his other shipmates - that was Toms' gift - bringing others laughter. I still can't imagine him being killed in in that place or in that time when he still had so much to share. Tom is not, nor will he ever be, one of our forgotten heros. I love you Tom.
Saturday, May 29, 1999
You are not forgotten You will never be forgotten......I still wonder what could have been...........Some day we will meet again...but until then..... with love,
