Yazoo 02

The OV-10D was an observation and Forward Air Control (FAC) aircraft. It's basic armament was four M-60 machine guns in the stub wings. It could carry a variety of different ordinance loadouts, including a gun turret slaved to the  Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR), a Zuni rocket pod, 32, 2" rockets, Sidewinder missiles, a GAU-2B gun pod and bombs.

Colburn W. Hinton, Jr. was a First Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. He was the Pilot of Yazoo 02. He was 31.

He was born in Wilson, North Carolina on November 24th, 1952. He attended Fike High School in Wilson and graduated in 1971. In 1974 he received a B. S. Degree in Air Commerce from Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida. He entered the Marine Corps in 1979 under the Officer Candidate School Aviation Program.

In December 1979 First Lieutenant Hinton was commissioned a Second Lieutenant and began flight school September 1980 in Pensacola, Florida. Second Lieutenant Hinton then entered basic fixed wing training in December 1980 with VT-6 at Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Milton, Florida.

Second Lieutenant Hinton was promoted to First Lieutenant in November, 1981. He completed basic jet training with VT-26 in January, 1982, and was designated a Naval Aviator in July, 1982 at VT-24 at Naval Air Station, Beeville, Texas.

 First Lieutenant Hinton reported to Marine Observation Squadron One, Marine Corps Air Station (Helicopter), New River, North Carolina, in August, 1982. While in VMO-1, First Lieutenant Hinton's collateral duties in Logistics were Motor Transportation Officer, Building and Grounds Officer and Property Accounts Officer. He later moved to maintenance and received collateral duties of Line Division Officer and Foreign Object Damage Control Officer.

First Lieutenant Hinton was a devout Christian, a member of the First Assembly of God Church and active as a Lay Reader in the Command Religious Program of Marine Aircraft Group 29.

He was survived by his mother, Audrey and his sister, Hope.

David A. Fuzessery was a Captain in the United States Marine Corps. He was the Aerial Observer for Yazoo 02. He was 29.

He was born in Granite City, Illinois, March 14th, 1955. He attended Assumption High School, East S. Louis, Illinois, and graduated in 1973. In 1977 Captain Fuzessery received a Bachelor degree in Education with a major in European History from eastern Illinois University, In Charleston, Illinois. Upon graduation he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant and reported to The Basic School class 1-78.

In June 1978, Second Lieutenant Fuzessery reported to Ft. Sill, Oklahoma for training as an Artillery Officer.

He reported to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina  in February, 1978 where he was assigned as a Forward Observer with Echo Battery, Second Battalion, Tenth Marines. His subsequent assignments included; Motor Transport Officer, Fire Direction Officer Liason Officer, and finally the Executive Officer of Echo battery. He was promoted to First Lieutenant in November, 1979.

First Lieutenant Fuzessery attended the Naval Aerial Observer Course in March 1980 at Marine Corps Air Station (Helicopter) New River, North Carolina, after which he returned to Echo Battery, Second battalion, Tenth Marines.

In May of 1980 First Lieutenant Fuzessery deployed as the Artillery Liason Officer to Battalion Landing Team, Second Battalion, Sixth Marines to the Mediterranean Sea and to the Indian Ocean.

In May of 1981 First Lieutenant Fuzessery received orders to Marine Observation Squadron One at MCAS(H) New River. In January of 1982 he deployed to Okinawa, Japan with elements of VMO-1.

One year later he was assigned as the Airframes Division Officer. In January of 1983 he was promoted to Captain. During this time he was designated as an Instructor Aerial Observer.

In August of 1983 he attended the Marine Corps Weapons and Tactics Instructors Course at MCAS Yuma, Arizona, by Marine Air Weapons Training Squadron One. Upon his return Captain Fuzessery took over as Squadron Intelligence Officer for VMO-1.

Captain Fuzessery was survived by his wife Diane, and his son Ryan Adam.

May 17, 1984      UPI             TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. --  A U.S. Marine airplane crashed into a training site in the southern Mohave Desert during a military exercise, killing the two men aboard, officials said.  Authorities said Thursday 1st Lt. Colburn Hinton Jr., 31, of Wilson, N.C., and Capt. David Fuzessery, 29, of Grant City, Ill., died after their aircraft plunged into the Blacktop training center Tuesday, some 30 miles north of Twentynine Palms, a Marine training base 150 miles east of Los Angeles. Both were members of a Marine observation squadron based in New River, N.C.  Officials said Hinton and Fuzessery were flying an OV-10 multi-purpose Bronco twin-engine plane during a routine training mission and arms exercise when their aircraft crashed.  Rescue helicopters, sent out after the plane failed to return from its mission, discovered the wreckage early Wednesday.

VMO-1 was stationed at Marine Corps Air Station (Helicopter) New River, North Carolina.