Cousin to Ron England,

Killed in Action  21 March 1967

Capt Tonie Lee England Jr was from Palestine, Texas and born on 14 July 1934.  He was 32 and married when he died.

He was a Cider Forward Air Controller assigned to the 19th Tactical Air Support squadron at Bien Hoa flying in the O-1 Bird Dog.  Captain England was flying with Captain Walter Henry Forbes in 0-1G - S/N 51/5150 when an Army fire support base came under attack by an estimated 2,500 North Vietnamese Infantry of the 272nd Regiment.  They responded to the call for help and after controlling an air stirke were attempting to make a Battle Damage Assessment at low level when the aircraft was hit by automatic weapons fire causing the left wing to disintegrate.  The 0-1 crashed killing both pilots.  The battle in the Michelin Rubber Plantation at Suoi Tri, 20 miles northeast of Tay Ninh City in War Zone C, continued with other FAC's on station.  The enemy was driven off using 85 fighters thereby saving hundreds of Army soldiers. Afterwards 600 enemy bodies were counted on the battlefield.  Captain England had 12 years of service and a total of 51 days in combat at the time of his death. His body was recovered and his name is located at 17E002 on the Viet Nam Memorial.

THIS was the letter he wrote home 2 days prior to his passing.