On this date in 1971, Army Capt. Wilbur Dale Latimer, 26, was
killed when struck by small arms fire while piloting a helicopter in Vietnam. Capt.
Latimer was married and was from Searcy, Arkansas. One of the men who served
with him, Roger Hall, wrote the following tribute online in 2000:
“I flew with Wil on his first tour
in Vietnam with the Firebirds, gunships of the 71st Assault out of Chu Lai. It
was an honor to have known him; he was one of the bravest men I have ever
known, never afraid to lay it all on the line to help those on the ground that
needed our support. Many an infantry man owes his life to Wil’s skill as a
pilot. I for one miss him.” This and other tributes can be found at http://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/29796/WILBUR-D-LATIMER
Capt. Latimer’s name is inscribed on
a Vietnam memorial at the White County Courthouse in Searcy, along with names
of 15 others from White County who were killed, POWs, or missing in action. He
is buried at the Gum Springs Cemetery in Searcy.
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