The following letter and information was sent to Jeff Nash by John Abbott, CMSgt, USAF Retired

I am a retired CMSgt (not a former PJ). After I retired at Randolph AFB TX, in 1977, I went to work for the Air Force as a civilian.

During my time as an Air Force civilian, I worked in a building at Randolph that had been a former barracks and that was named Maysey Hall in honor of Larry. There is a plaque on the building and I became interested as to who he was so I convinced the Director of my organization that we should do some research on Sgt Maysey.

A Major and I did extensive research into his life. We eventually contacted his mother, step-father, a number of his friends and former classmates, and two of his closer friends (they were known as the three musketeers).

LtCol Young (then Capt Young) came to Randolph during the time we were in the midst of our research to give a talk at the NCO Club. We met him and he came to Maysey Hall and we had a long conversation with him. We thought perhaps he knew Sgt Maysey and could give us some insight on what had happened, but it turned out that that was their first flight together and he knew very little about him. One interesting thing we found out is that he had no pictures of the crash site, etc., and we had copies made of the pictures we had and sent them to him. I was stationed at the Pentagon 1964-1968 and attended the ceremony where President Johnson presented him with the Medal of Honor and somewhere, I have the brochure they handed out during the ceremony. I believe the President presented several MOHs that day. I had no idea at that time that later I would be doing research on one of his crew. I believe he is now deceased.

There is another former barracks here at Randolph that is named Clay Hall in honor of SSgt Eugene Clay who was the crew chief on the helicopter. (There were four barracks at Randolph named for enlisted individuals. One was named in honor of A1C Joel C Loftis, a Security Policeman, one for A1C Pitsenbarger, one for Sgt Maysey, and one for SSgt Clay. Only Pitsenbarger Hall still has the name displayed over the entrance, the others were removed when they were converted to office buildings.)

I still have some of the paperwork we generated during our research and think I can put my hands on the rest of it, which should be out at Randolph.

We purchased a showcase and set up a display in Maysey's honor. I haven't been in the building in quite some time, but I guess it is still there. We received pictures of him from some of his friends and pictures of the crash site from one of the "Three Musketeers" who went there the next day aboard another helicopter in the hope that he and the crew might be still be alive. They didn't find anyone, but they did find a bullet hole in the helicopter when they got back to the base, indicating that there were still enemy forces in the area.

We prepared a brochure on Sgt Maysey for those interested in who he was and what he had done. I saved a copy of the computer files for his brochure and have attached it to this email. I also did a little research into Sgt Clay and prepared some information on him which I have also attached. I tried to get the Directorate in Clay Hall to set up something for him, but was not successful.

MAYSEY HALL
BUILDING 663
RANDOLPH AFB, TEXAS

NAMED IN HONOR OF

LARRY WAYNE MAYSEY

DATE OF BIRTH: 18 May 1946

PARENTS: Charles and Charlotte Maysey

BROTHERS AND SISTERS: None

PLACE OF BIRTH: Morristown, New Jersey

HIGH SCHOOL ATTENDED: West Morris High School, Graduated 1965

DATE OF ENLISTMENT: 25 March 1966

PLACE OF ENLISTMENT: Armed Forces Entrance and Examining Station, Newark, New Jersey

COMPLETED PARARESCUE TRAINING: September 1967

ARRIVED DANANG AIR BASE, VIETNAM: 19 October 1967

UNIT OF ASSIGNMENT: 37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron

DATE OF DEATH: 9 November 1967

TIME IN COUNTRY: 21 Days

On the Vietnam War Memorial Wall, Sergeant Maysey's name is located on panel 29E, Line 60. Sergeant Clay is on panel 29E, line 57, and Captain Brower is on panel 29E, line 56.

LARRY WAYNE MAYSEY

Larry Wayne Maysey was born in Morristown Memorial Hospital on 18 May 1946, the only child of Charles and Charlotte Maysey. Most of his childhood was spent in Chester, New Jersey. At an early age, he displayed a talent for athletic competition -- baseball was his favorite sport. After graduating from Chester Grammar School in 1961, he entered West Morris High School where he continued his athletic pursuits in baseball, track and football. According to his high school guidance counselor, "Larry was a hard-working and cooperative youth with a spirit to win." During his high school years, he became involved in drama activities and also displayed craftsman-like skills in woodworking. His mother proudly displays and cherishes a hutch that Larry built which won top honors in his class. After graduation from high school, Larry worked in the construction business until he enlisted. Following basic military and pararescue training, he returned home in September 1967 prior to departing for Vietnam.

SERGEANT LARRY WAYNE MAYSEY
(18 May 1946 - 9 November 1967)

Sergeant Maysey was assigned to the 37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron at DaNang Air Base, Republic of Vietnam. Twenty-one days after arriving in-country, he was killed in action. Much has been said about his last mission. Historically, it was recognized as one of the largest and most hazardous rescue attempts on record. The following account, extracted from 37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron historical records, tells the story --

"1-3-182, 8 & 9 November 1967, at 1505Z Jolly Green 29 and 26 were scrambled from DaNang AB, RVN to attempt an extraction of the surviving five members of a Special Forces Team located at 262 degrees/40/69. At 1550Z the Jolly Greens were in the area and advised by a USAF 0-2 to hold while three U. S. Army UH-1B gunships, softened the area with rockets and machine gun fire. A USAF C-130 was providing flare support for the mission. At 1630Z Jolly Green 29 attempted the pickup and managed to pick up three of the five survivors before being driven off by hostile fire. Because of battle damage, Jolly Green 29 departed the area and made an emergency landing at Khe Sanh, RVN. At approximately 1650Z Jolly Green 26 attempted to pick up the remaining two survivors. After getting them on board the aircraft, Jolly Green 26 was hit by automatic weapons fire and burst into flames. The aircraft crashed on the scene with the loss of three of the crew and the two survivors. The Rescue Crew Commander of Jolly Green 26 was picked up seventeen hours later by a U. S. Army UH-1D. The survivors of the Special Forces Team picked up by Jolly Green 29 were all indigenous personnel, names unknown. The deceased crew members of Jolly Green 26 were Captain Ralph W. Brower, Staff Sergeant Eugene L. Clay and Sergeant Larry W. Maysey. The survivor of Jolly Green 26 was Captain Gerald O. Young."

Captain Young was awarded the Medal of Honor and Captain Brower and Sergeants Clay and Maysey each were awarded the Air Force Cross posthumously.

THAT OTHERS MAY LIVE

SEQUENCE OF EVENTS

8 & 9 NOVEMBER 1967

1505Z (2305L) - Helicopters, Call Signs Jolly Green 29 and Jolly Green 26 (Sgt Maysey's aircraft) scramble from DaNang AB to 27 miles SSE of Khe Sanh (262/40/69).

1550Z (2350L) - Helicopters arrive in area.

1630Z (0030Z) - Jolly Green 29 rescues three personnel, is badly damaged, departs the area for emergency landing in Khe Sanh.

1650Z (0050L) - Jolly Green 26 attempts pickup, receives intense enemy fire, crashes and burns.

THAT OTHERS MAY LIVE

--- General / Personal ---
Last name: MAYSEY
First name: LARRY WAYNE
Home of Record (official): CHESTER
State (official): NJ
Date of Birth: Saturday, May 18, 1946
Sex: Male
Race: Caucasian
Marital Status: Single

--- Military ---
Branch: Air Force
Rank: SGT
Serial Number: 12751422
Component: Regular
Pay grade: E4
MOS (Military Occupational Specialty code): Unknown/Not reported

--- Action ---
Start of Tour: Thursday, October 19, 1967
Date of Casualty: Thursday, November 9, 1967
Age at time of loss: 21
Casualty type: (A3) Hostile, died while missing
Reason: Air loss - Crashed on land (Crew member - Helicopter)
Country: Laos
Province: Unknown/Not Reported
The Wall: Panel 29E - Row 060

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