Jesse C. Bowman, TSgt., USAF (KIA)
July 17, 1938 – March 26, 1969

On 26 March 1969 a UH-1 (tail number 63-13158) of the 20th SOS went down. While hostile fire was the suspected cause, the only certainties are that the aircraft was flying at about 4,000 feet when a severe vibration began. The pilot began an auto-rotation to earth, but control was lost during the descent. The main rotor came apart, severing the tail boom. The aircraft crashed and burned near Duc My, SVN, 12 minutes north of Nha Trang, SVN. Eight men died in the crash:

• Aircrew, 20th SOS, 14th SOW
  • Lt. Col. Frank A. Di Figlia, pilot, Commanding Officer, Burbank, CA
  • TSgt. Jesse C. Bowman, Lexington, KY
  • Sgt. Antonio L. Alho, Naugatuck, CT
• Passengers
  • Col Donald G. Lepard, 14th SOW staff, Flint, MI
  • Col J B L. Levesque, 14th SOW staff, Van Buren, ME
  • Capt Walter C. Booth, 20TH SOS Maintenance Officer, Waukesha, WI
  • Capt. Robert W. Fields, Flight Surgeon, 14th USAF Hospital, De Land, FL
  • Mr. Green, US civilian, assignment unknown

According to Jim Henthorn, who has compiled a history of USAF helicopter losses, there was one survivor – a Sergeant Joslyn.