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Sgt Dallas H. Moore was the Loadmaster on a C-123K Provider Tail Number 54-0590 assigned to the 311th Air Commando Squadron, of the 315th Air Commando Wing, Phang Rang AB, South Vietnam, was detached to DaNang AB. On 6 March 1968, Col. Frederick Hampton as pilot, 1st Lt. Ellis Helgeson as Co-Pilot, Sgt. Jeffery Conlin and Sgt. Dallas Moore as loadmaster/crew chief were assigned to mission #702, which was to fly to Phu Bai with a load of cargo and then on to Khe Sanh to offload supplies. There is some confusion here in that the manifest lists a crew of 3 while other records indicate a crew of four and two passengers; two mechanics that were scheduled on an earlier flight to Kha Sanh to repair a broken C-123. The aircraft departed DaNang with its cargo for Phu Bai. After off-loading the cargo the aircraft was subsequently loaded with 44 US Marines. Phu Bai’s passenger representative assisted the aircraft’s loadmaster in organizing various pallets loaded with the passenger’s gear, another set of pallets stacked with M-60 machine guns and other weapons, and more loaded with beer and soft drinks. The C-123 departed Phu Bai with a crew of three Air Force personnel, 44 Marines, 1 Navy Corpsman, and 1 civilian photographer for 49 total on the manifest. The aircraft flew from Phu Bai without incident and approached Khe Sanh and was cleared to land. However, a South Vietnamese aircraft was blocking the runway and Col. Hampton initiated a go-around. As the aircraft circled the field preparing for another landing attempt, it was struck by ground fire disabling the right jet engine. The C-123K has two prop engines and two small jet engines to aid in takeoff. The additional power of the J-85’s allowed for heavier payloads and shorter takeoff runs. With one jet engine out and such a heavy load, another go-around may have been impossible. Col. Hampton decided to divert back to DaNang. As the C-123 started to depart the area it spiraled into the ground, exploded, and burned in an unsurvivable crash. The crash site was outside the defensive perimeter in territory firmly controlled by the North Vietnamese Army and rescue attempts were not possible. Sgt. Moores remains were one of 35 bodies recovered and buried in a mass grave at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in Missouri. Only 19 bodies were identified and returned to their families.
