Charles M. Dutton

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A native of Wellsville, New York, Charles M. Dutton (died 8 April 1968) was an American helicopter gunner killed in action in the same Vietnam War combat incident as Glenn Andreotta, who had intervened in the My Lai massacre a few weeks before. Both were crewmen on an OH-13 (62-03813) "Warlord" scout and were killed when their aircraft was shot down, crashed and burned. Dutton lived in Wellsville, New York before enlisting.

Viet Cong activity was reported 10 kilometres southwest of Quang Ngai City, and they were ordered as a scout helicopter, to accompany two gunships to the location to flush out and destroy the enemy forces. Andreotta was killed outright by small-arms fire from the ground, a single shot to his head. A Vietnamese 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine gun began firing on the scout vessel destroying both the swashplate and control panel. Dutton was covered in burning Avgas when the craft finally crashed. On the ground, a Vietnamese soldier shot Dutton and left the wounded pilot Lt. Barry Lloyd lying in shock where he had been thrown from the impact.

The helicopter was officially declared "Destroyed by Fire" by the US Military on April 11th, though both Andreotta's and Dutton's bodies were recovered. Dutton's name appears on the Vietnam Wall on slab 48E, line 52.