Purple Foxes – February 7, 1969 and 2007

On February 7, 1969, a Marine helicopter crashed in Vietnam, killing six of the seven on board.

On February 7, 2007, a Marine helicopter was shot down in Iraq, killing all seven on board.

Both helicopters belonged to the Purple Foxes of HMM-364, a Marine Corps helicopter squadron.

In 1969, a Corpsman by the name of Gary Young was one of the six killed when the helicopter crashed in Vietnam.

In 2007, a female Marine pilot by the name of Jennifer Harris was flying the helicopter when it was shot down by insurgents.

The irony with these two incidents is, Captain Jennifer Harris while on her mission, was also flying a flag in honor of Gary Young, killed 38 years earlier in Vietnam on the same day. The flag was to be given to my good friend Stephanie Hanson, Gary Young’s daughter.

This story is one of so many in the Marine helicopter community.

Today, February 7, their lives and the lives of their crews are on my mind.

Gone, But Never Forgotten!

For more information:
February 7, 1969 Incident
February 7, 2007 Incident
A Corpsman’s Legacy
HMM-364 Official Site
The Purple Foxes, Vietnam
HMM-364 Purple Foxy Ladies