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Richard
Colburn
Colburn
SGT · · 76Y40 · Unit Supply Sergeant
KIA · 24 Apr 1971
In-Country Service
19 Dec 1970 – 24 Apr 1971
Home of Record
Hamlin, Monroe County, NY
Character of Service
Honorable
Archive Status
Active
Primary source: VHPA incident record 710424101ACD (UH-1H 69-15692). Wall inscription confirmed: Panel 3W, Line 7 — same panel and line as CPT Martin Fanning, reflecting their deaths in the same incident.
May 1969
First Tour
First tour begins — Echo Recon, 1/35th Infantry, 4th Infantry Division
Colburn arrived in Vietnam for his first tour and was assigned to the Reconnaissance Platoon of Echo Company, 1st Battalion, 35th Infantry. The battalion was part of a Brigade Task Force originally deployed from Hawaii to the Central Highlands, operating under the 4th Infantry Division ("IVY Division"). From May to November 1969 he served in heavy combat against NVA forces in the Central Highlands, earning the Combat Infantryman Badge. General Glenn D. Walker, then commander of the 4th Infantry Division, honored Colburn at a special ceremony before his reassignment.
⚠ Source Notice — Multiple Accounts Exist
Source: Kutter commemoration address, 2021.
Nov 1969
Reassignment
Reassigned — Co C, 124th Signal Battalion
Following his combat rotation with Echo Recon, Colburn was assigned to Company C, 124th Signal Battalion, 4th Infantry Division. Specific dates and duties not documented.
⚠ Source Notice — Multiple Accounts Exist
Source: Kutter commemoration address, 2021.
1970
Re-enlistment
Re-enlisted — short posting in Germany
After his first tour, Colburn re-enlisted and was posted briefly to Germany before volunteering for a second Vietnam tour. Exact unit and dates in Germany are not documented.
⚠ Source Notice — Multiple Accounts Exist
Source: Kutter commemoration address, 2021.
19 Dec 1970
Second Tour
Second tour begins — assigned to 2/12 Cav as Unit Supply Sergeant
Colburn returned to Vietnam in December 1970, this time as a Unit Supply Sergeant (MOS 76Y40), and was initially assigned to Headquarters, 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division.
⚠ Source Notice — Multiple Accounts Exist
Source: Kutter commemoration address, 2021; VHPA incident record 710424101ACD.
26 Mar 1971
Reassignment
Transferred to HQ Co, 2/8 Cav
When the 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry (Separate) was stood up on 26 March 1971 as the principal combat force protecting Bien Hoa and Long Binh, Colburn was reassigned from HQ, 2/12 Cav to Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry. There he served as Supply Sergeant and as the principal Battalion armorer, supporting the company armorers of the battalion's infantry companies.
⚠ Source Notice — Multiple Accounts Exist
Source: Kutter commemoration address, 2021.
24 Apr 1971
Incident
Killed in Huey crash — FSB Fontaine
SGT Richard Colburn was a passenger aboard UH-1H tail number 69-15692 (A Co., 229th Aviation) when the aircraft suffered an engine failure shortly after departing FSB Fontaine. The Huey cleared the perimeter trees and was climbing through 100–200 feet when a loud bang preceded a total loss of power. The pilot, CPT Martin Fanning, attempted to autorotate into a nearby clearing but the left skid caught a tree, pitching the aircraft nose-down. It impacted logs and rolled onto its right side. CPT Fanning, co-pilot WO1 Gabriel Jeffries, and SGT Colburn were killed. Eight others aboard were injured. Company Armor Jim Garvin had been bumped from the flight minutes before departure. FSB Fanning was later named in honor of CPT Fanning.
⚠ Source Notice — Multiple Accounts Exist
Primary source: VHPA incident record 710424101ACD (UH-1H 69-15692). Supplemented by accounts from unit members including the service timeline of Marvin D. Miller.
Did You Know Richard, or Serve Alongside Richard?
We are actively collecting photographs, letters, and memories for this profile. Submissions are reviewed before publication. If you served with Richard — or are a family member with materials — we'd be grateful to hear from you.