James Hiram Perry was born on July 3, 1935, in Benson, Rutland County, Vermont. He was the son of Hiram C. Perry and Amelia Green Perry. He graduated with Flight Class 65-15W and completed his Vietnam service before being reassigned to Germany. Serving as a Chief Warrant Officer 3 and Co-Pilot with the 4th Aviation Company, 15th Aviation Group, he flew with the CH-47A Chinook (#66-19023) during the Vietnam War era.

On August 18, 1971, a U.S. Army CH-47A Chinook (tail number 66-19023) transporting troops from Ludwigsburg to the Grafenwöhr training area crashed near Pegnitz, Germany, when a decommissioned rotor blade was mistakenly reinstalled and failed mid-flight. The aircraft broke apart in the air, killing all 37 aboard, including 33 soldiers and 4 crew members, marking the deadliest peacetime U.S. military accident in
West Germany since World War II.

CWO3 Perry is now buried in the Fairview Cemetery, Benson, Rutland County, Vermont, USA.

Source of information: www.chinook-helicopter.com, www.findagrave.com