THEY SERVED IN SILENCE

The Story of a Cryptologic Service and Sacrifice

MGySgt Edward R. Storm, USMC

CTC Robert S. Gates, USN

I know that I shall meet my fate, Somewhere among the clouds above;

 W. B. Yeats

On December 28, 1969, the men of the Phu Bai combat base and airfield in Vietnam were being subjected to 

the full effects of the winter monsoon. Heavy wind and rain had pelted the base throughout the day, and did not 

abate as nightfall ensued. Despite the weather, on the flight line, standard operating procedure was the order of 

the day.

Since 1963, the base had served as a major cryptologic center of operations for both the Army Security Agency 

and the United States Marine Corps. Due to the base’s importance, it was common practice to ferry personnel to 

and from the area on a regular basis. On the evening of the 28th, 1LT Charles K. Butler and the crew of helicopter 

flight 153379 were planning to transport a group of Marines and sailors the 57 short miles to Da Nang. The harsh 

weather conditions and onset of nightfall meant they would be flying by instruments. Even so, the entire flight 

was not expected to be more than 30-45 minutes. Among those slated to board the aircraft were two dedicated 

and experienced cryptologists, MGySgt Edward R. Storm and CTC Robert S. Gates. 

Gates was born in Hamilton, Massachusetts on August 28, 1933. He graduated from Hamilton-Wenham Regional 

High School in 1952, and enlisted in the U.S. Navy just in time to serve in the Korean War. Navy life agreed with 

him, and after making Chief he served with the Naval Security Group Activity (NSGA) at Kamiseya, Japan before 

being deployed to Vietnam in 1969. He spent a short time at the Naval Inshore Operations Training Center 

before finally moving to Headquarters, NSA Da Nang. In addition to his naval and cryptologic accomplishments, 

he was a devoted husband and father to three children. In December of 1969, he was coming to the end of his 

sixteenth year of naval service. 

Storm hailed from the American Northwest. Born on January 8, 1930 in Portland, Oregon, 

he enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1948, and like Gates, was a veteran of the Korean War. In 

addition, before deploying to Vietnam in 1969, he spent three years as division chief for the 

Curricula Research and Development Division at Corry Station in Pensacola, Florida. Storm 

was well respected in all quarters of his life; his neighbors in Pensacola regarded him as “a 
MP 33610

splendid father, great neighbor and scout master.” By December 1969 he had over two decades of service to 

the Corps. 

Soon after lifting off, the chopper was beset with a host of challenges. For one, the weather, which had been 

dismal all day, took a turn for the worse and reduced visibility to the point where the craft was totally dependent 

on its instruments. Even worse, the copter began to experience radio communication problems, putting the crew 

and their passengers in grave peril. 

Due to the need to operate by instruments alone, the crew’s flight plan required them stay at a minimum of 

5000 ft. above sea level to avoid a series of dangerous terrain features between Phu Bai and Da Nang. 

Somehow, the crew mistakenly locked on to a level of 3000 ft. The control tower at Da Nang immediately 

realized the copter was headed straight for a looming mountain range and valiantly worked to contact them to 

warn them of the impending danger. Their efforts proved in vain. Tragically, the CH46 crashed in the vicinity of 

Quang Nam Province. Gates and Storm, along with eight others, perished in the heartbreaking incident. Both 

would be buried in their respective home states of Massachusetts and Oregon. 

Day-to-day life in the military is demanding, but also exceedingly dangerous. Those who die in battle are to 

be honored for paying the ultimate sacrifice, but in some sense, honor must also be accorded to those who 

fall victim to the perilous nature of military duty. It is in this spirit that we remember the service and sacrifice of 

MGySgt Edward R. Storm, USMC, CTC Robert S. Gates, USN, their compatriots, and all those in the cryptologic 

service and U.S. military who have given their lives in the cause of freedom.