These two were the last Marines to die on the ground, from enemy action. However, the two pilots of a Marine CH-46 flying plane guard during the evacuation of Saigon on April 29, 1975, Capt William Nystul and 1st Lt Mike Shea were killed when their helo flew into the water. Thankfully, the two enlisted crewmen survived. The bodies of the pilots were never recovered.
They had been flying plane guard duty in case any of the South Vietnamese helos, mostly (all?) Hueys, ran out of fuel before reaching the aircraft carrier, the USS Hancock. They were at extreme range and most were overloaded. From what I’ve been able to learn, Nystul & Shea had been flying all day and into the night. Several times they had tried to land to refuel, only to be booted off the deck due to an approaching South Vietnamese Huey.
It is uncertain why they flew into the water; extreme fatigue leading to disorientation (over water, at night) or possible out of fuel and flamed out.
Mike Shea & I went through Basic School and Flight School together. He stood behind me in our platoon formation at Basic School. Our wives delivered our first children, at Pensacola, within a week of each other. (something in the water at Quantico) Mike Shea was a good friend, a good pilot and a good Marine.
Semper Fi!
Thank you for these memories.