Ronald W Prewitt left the following message on ‘about this site and why I set it up’. Anyone that can help him locate the guy that was with him and Captain Laird’s daughter, please contact him. Here is Ron’s email address: ronwp53@yahoo.com
I am trying to find the CO of the 79th during Oct. 1970. There was a Captain James Laird who drowned on Oct. 31, 1970 and I was with him on that day. I was a truck driver in the 749th. On that day I was driving and another one of our guys, Stan Kirby, was riding shotgun with me. We were caught in a flash flood and had to stop. We were picked up, off the top of the load, and flown back to the base. We both talked to the CO and he decided to send us and two other guys and to retrieve the truck. It was us four and Captain Laird was put in charge of the recovery. When we returned we were dropped off about 100 yards from the truck and had to walk across the levy to get to the truck. About half way across, the captain lost his footing and was swept away by the current. Kirby dove in after him and then one of the other guys was swept away. That left me and one other guy. I really want to talk to the guy that was left with me. Also the Captain’s daughter wants to talk to anyone who was there with her father that day. She has a post on the wall with her e-mail but it doesn’t work, so I’d like to find her and let her know how her dad died. He died carrying out an impossible mission and with a great deal of honor and bravery. Any help that anyone can give me to find and contact these people will be forever appreciated.
Ronald W. Prewitt
SP4
79th Trans Co
