PFC William J. Oakley, 18, U.S. Army, born in Connecticut September 24, 1946,
passed away in a helicopter crash on May 28, 1965. During the Vietnam War,
Oakley was a Door Gunner with 145th Aviation Brigade, 118th Army Helicopter
Company. He was extremely skilled with an M-60 and astonishingly flew nearly
200 missions in the several months he was in country. Oakley's Huey was taking
off from a base in Bien Hoa when it collided with another helicopter. He and nine of
his brothers-in-arms did not survive the crash. Rest easy, Soldier! Til Valhalla,
Brother!