Age 16, High School Yearbook On February 12, 1970, an OH-6A helicopter, tail 67-16144 crashed approximately 10 miles north of PHU LOI. Three men were in the craft. Warrant Officer Raymond Ralph Taylor, Jr distinguished himself as the pilot of the aircraft when his ship experienced an engine failure. It crashed and began to burn immediately upon impact, resulting in serious burns to WO Taylor and the crew. Taylor was able to free and clear himself from the aircraft but realized the other two crew members were more badly injured than himself and had not gotten out of the wreckage. He returned to the burning aircraft to rescue them. After freeing SP4 Ross Erle Hardt from the wreckage, Taylor dragged him away from the immediate area and smotherd the flames, burning his own body. Again ignorinf his severe injuries, WO Taylor returned to the flaming wreckage once again in an attempt to rescue the remaining crewman, SGT Larry Herman Goschka but sustained additional burns and injuries which prohibited further rescue efforts. SGT Goschka died in the fire but WO Taylor and SP4 Hardt were admitted to a military medical facility but succumbed to their wounds. Hardt died the next day and Taylor died on the 21st of February. WO Taylor was awarded the Soldiers Medal for his distinguished effort. The Soldiers Medal is the just below a Distinguished Flying Cross but for heroism not involving conflict with an enemy. SP4 Ross Erle Hardt was survived by his mother Antoinette (Striblen) Hardt (1919-2010), father Erle Edwin Hardt (1916-1982), and brothers Paul Otto and Bruce Frederick Hardt. SP4 Hardt and his parents are buried in Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota. - - The Virtual Wall, June 7, 2019

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