WO 1 Edwin Franklin Sholar from Murray, KY - KIA Vietnam June 04, 1969

Edwin Franklin Sholar was born March 04, 1947 in Murray, KY son of Elmer F. Sholar and Emma Higgins. He and his sister, Linda Faye, grew up in a loving Christian home, attended the local Baptist chur

Edwin Franklin Sholar was born March 04, 1947 in Murray, KY son of Elmer F. Sholar and Emma Higgins. He and his sister, Linda Faye, grew up in a loving Christian home, attended the local Baptist church and Sunday school every weekend while growing up. Ed was a good student and graduated in 1965 from University High School in Murray, KY and, attended Murray State University and Vanderbilt before entering the service. By all accounts he was very well liked by his friends and classmates.

Ed began his military service Jan. 8, 1968. He graduated from U.S. Army Primary Helicopter School at Fort Wolters, Texas the first week in August in 1968. Upon graduation from Fort Wolters, he returned home to Murray, Kentucky and married his sweetheart, Joyce Barnes, then on to Fort Rucker, Alabama for further flight training. On December 17, 1968, he became a Warrant Officer Rotary Wing Aviator Class of 68-519 and could wear the wings of an Army Aviator and pilot the powerful 1100 horsepower "Huey" UH-1. Joyce, his very proud and young new bride, pinned his new set of wings on him. This was a very happy and proud moment for both the newly weds just beginning their lives together.

  WO 1, Edwin F. Sholar, serial number W3163550, began his tour of duty in Viet Nam on February 03, 1969 as a member of A Company, 101st Airborne Aviation, commanded by Major Ken Wall. The company operated out of the "Hideout" on the northeast side of Camp Eagle located between the City of Hue and Phu Bai. As described by a member of the company, Joe Beach, "They were a collection of really talented "characters."

 Members of the unit included Dave Fouche (Executive Officer) later replaced by Bob Dalton, Al Dreves (Operations Officer), Randy Lasater (1st Platoon Leader), Mike Gouch, John Bednarz, Andre Thomas, John Shirley, Harold Smith, Jim Vick, Steve Demers, Larry Herring, Rich Thompson, Eddie White, Mike Alford, Bruce McMorris, Ron Carl, Jim Furman, Ken Roach, Greg Fuchs(infused from the 158th), John Rizzo, Jim Andresen, Earl Graffius, Tom Carlson, a WO1 Dellazoppa, Larry Mattingly, Mike Martin, James Vick and a Captain Haskins who was the maintenance officer.

I was very fortunate to be able to contact some of the men who flew with Ed while he was in Viet Nam. I was also very fortunate to find them agreeable to tell me what they knew about Ed. The story below comes from the men Ed served with in their own words.

 He was a really nice guy. He was the kind of person that was easy to get along with who never caused a problem.  Anyone would have been proud to have him as a friend.

 He was also a very good pilot. Our unit was assigned to help the Americal Division in the area north & west of Chu Lai. Our normal area of operations was north of Da Nang all the way into North Viet Nam & Laos. I'm pretty sure it was the day before his aircraft went down that he was my co-pilot on a re-supply mission west of Tam Ky, in the mountains. We were on a two-ship re-supply mission to an infantry unit. It was in a bad area.

  We had landed in the jungle in the mountains to drop off supplies to a ground unit that was in contact with the enemy. We got shot at on final approach but made it in and out okay.  Our #2 aircraft (Bruce McMorris - Comanchero 27) was setting up for his approach as we were pulling out of the LZ(landing zone). As we were climbing out in a right turn we saw Comanchero 27 take a hit from what must have been an RPG (rocket propelled grenade). It hit in the aft portion of the main fuselage and put his aircraft on fire.

  He was going down but did an excellent job of maintaining control. The fire was moving forward and the crew chief & gunner huddled behind the pilots' seats to try to get away from the flames. Their cargo was a full load of 82mm mortar rounds and the boxes were on fire. We pulled in behind him and followed him down. The bad guys must have thought the aircraft on fire was done for already, so they concentrated their fire on us.

  Just as Comanchero 27 was about to set the aircraft down in a small clearing it started to melt in the middle, just as a plastic spoon would do if you heated it in the center. None the less, Comanchero 27 got the aircraft on the ground and we saw the 4 crew members escape the doomed aircraft. We were getting riddled with small arms fire but we were able to land close enough for the other crew to scramble on board our aircraft. We took off and a few minutes later the burning aircraft became a casualty of the mortar rounds on board, taking with it some of the bad guys that tried to get to it, including Ed. Ed was my co-pilot, and he did an excellent and gallant job. Because of our crew that day we were able to prevent the loss of remainder of the Comanchero 27's crew.

"I consider it an honor and privilege to have known Ed and to have flown with him," - Andre D. Thomas "Comanchero 23", West Palm Beach, FL

  Ed was a friend of mine along with the fellow he went down with, Captain Greg Fuchs. Ed was lost during the Lamar Plain operation outside of Chu Lai, Viet Nam, June 04,1969. I myself was wounded just days before in the same operation. Both Fuchs and Sholar came to visit me the hospital.

"Ed was surrounded by the highest quality of men that I have ever been associated with....Ed of course certainly measured up to these men and was well liked." - Jim Andresen Comanchero 69er

During the Vietnam War, 44,000 servicemen served as helicopter crewmembers. Among those crewmembers, 4,812 were KIA/MIA and are listed on the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial Wall In Washington DC. Forty one of those men are A/101 AVN Crewmen. WO Sholar is on panel 23W, line 068 of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington D.C.

 Ed's tragic death in Vietnam makes me think of what a brave and dedicated young man he must have been. When many young men of his time were against the war and even their own country, his patriotic duty and love of for his country must have been foremost in his thoughts. While being the only son of Elmer Sholar, a WWII veteran, he could have simply chose serving in a non-combative role, instead chose to fight in a very hazardous role as a helicopter pilot. Ed made his choice because he was a good pilot, believed in what he was doing was right and he loved to fly. A helicopter pilot's life expectancy in Vietnam was only about 30 days. It was considered to be one of the most dangerous occupations during the war. He was truly an American hero.

OBITUARY - Calloway 'Copter Pilot War Casualty

 Murray, Ky., June 9, Warrant Officer Edwin F. Sholar, 22, was killed in action in South Vietnam on June 4, according to a message received from the Department of Defense on Sunday.

 Warrant Officer Sholar, a native of Calloway County, leaves his wife, Mrs. Joyce Barnes Sholar, Mayfield State Route; his parents, Mr. & Mrs. Elmer Sholar, Murray Rt. 1: and a sister, Miss Linda Sholar, Memphis.

   He was graduated from University High, Murray, in 1965, and attended Murray State University and Vanderbilt before entering the service on Jan. 8, 1968 Warrant Officer Sholar was commissioned a helicopter pilot after completing flight school at Ft. Rucker, Ala., where he finished in the top seven in his class of 108. He has been overseas since Jan 14 of this year.

 He was reported missing in action June 7, and the Department of Defense confirmed his death the following day. The body will be returned to the Max Churchill Funeral Home here for services and burial. Arrangements are incomplete.   

After Edwin was killed June 04, 1969 in Quang Tin, South Vietnam and his body returned home, a friend of the family who was also stationed n Vietnam at the time was allowed to escort Edwin's body home for interment in the Murray Memorial Gardens Cemetery. He was buried with full military honors. May Ed's eternal soul rest in peace with the Lord, our God.

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