SSGT. Henry Clarence Ivory 1636776/6422 USMC was from Franklin, La. He was born on April 27, 1938. He had extended his enlistment to accompany the squadron to Vietnam. He was shot on January 28, 1967 at the age of 28 by a single rifle shot by a sniper, while airborne, acting as crewchief of a CH-46 helicopter. His was the first death recorded by the squadron after its arrival in Vietnam. He died in surgery at an emergency medical unit. He was not married. His race is officially listed as Negro. His religion was Protestant. He had ten years service at the time of his death. He was posthumously promoted to his current rank.

The following is an edited account of the death of SSGT. Henry Clarence Ivory, our squadron’s first combat death. It is from a memoir written by Joseph "Jake" Jacobs Jr., a squadron mate.

"We had been in-country for just less than two months when we suffered our first casualty. Sergeant Clarence Ivory Henry, was known to us as 'C.I.' He was a little overweight, very amiable Black Marine who was nice to everyone.

C.I. was on a simple re-supply mission, delivering ammunition, food rations and mail bags to the troops in the field. He wasn't even carrying a gunner as the LZ was in a secure zone. As the helicopter lifted out of the LZ, banking over a small village, one shot rang out. A lone sniper took a chance shot at the big bird flying overhead. The bullet penetrated the floor, ricocheted off a rib of the aircraft wall, shattered C.I.'s visor and entered his head through an eye. The impact threw his head back, disconnecting him from the intercom system. He somehow had the stamina to pull himself along the walls of the aircraft to the cockpit. He reached in, grabbed the pilot by the shoulder and told him that he'd 'been hit', turned around and collapsed.

Before the Co-Pilot could get out of his harness and climb out of the cockpit, they were landing at the Med-Pad (the emergency hospital unit). C.I. died in the operating room. In the opinion of our Corpsman, "Doc" Williams, C.I. should have died almost instantly from the severity of the wound.

When the aircraft returned to base the entire squadron was standing in silence on the edge of the landing pad. Our Commanding Officer, walked slowly out to the aircraft, its blades slowing to a halt. We stood silently as the Skipper and the pilots walked past us with heads hung, shock showing on their faces and tears in their eyes.

We had traveled half way around the world to come to war. But, the war had just come to us."

Joseph Jacobs

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