“It is my duty, as a member of the Air Rescue Service, to save life and to aid the injured. I will be prepared at all times to perform my assigned duties quickly and efficiently, placing these duties before personal desires and comforts. These things I do that others may live.”

Pararescueman Killed in Action

Sergeant Dean's HH-53 callsign Jolly Green 54 was shot down on a SAR for a survivor of an OV-10 shot down. On 30 June 1970, an OV-10A call sign Nail 44 was shot down. The aircraft had gone down in heavily forested, rugged mountains about 3 miles west of the Lao/South Vietnamese border and 12 miles south of the demilitarized zone (DMZ). The OV-10 was hit by a 37mm AAA shell in its left side adjacent to the pilot's position. With his pilot unresponsive and the OV-10 no longer airworthy, the second crewmember ejected. A second FAC in the vicinity heard the emergency beeper and made radio contact with the downed crewman. He then initiated Search and Rescue operations. An HH-53C Jolly Green helicopter from the 40th Air Rescue & Recovery Squadron (ARRS) at Udorn RTAFB, Thailand, was immediately dispatched to the area of loss. The HH-53 crew consisted of Captain Leroy C. Schaneberg, pilot Major John W. Goeglein, co-pilot MSgt Paul L. Jenkins, Pararescueman SSgt Marvin E. Bell, flight engineer SSgt Michael F. Dean, Pararescueman (TDY from 38th ARRS) As the aircraft hovered over survivors position, it was hit by a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) in the rotor head. The rotor assembly separated from the fuselage, which rolled over and crashed in a fireball on the ground. No emergency beepers were heard emanating from the helicopter's crash site and the FAC could see no signs of survivors. Although nightfall was approaching, a second effort was staged using a helicopter from DaNang and A-1E Sandys for fire suppression. The OV-10 survivor was picked up. Search efforts for Captain Sanders and the HH-53 crew continued through the next day, but no beepers were heard, no contact with the downed aircrew was made, and there were no visual sightings of survivors. SAR efforts were terminated and the six men were listed as Killed in Action/Body Not Recovered. In December 1992, a US/Lao team surveyed and excavated the HH-53 crash site. Human remains were recovered and on 7 March 1995 the US government identified the remains as those of the five HH-53 aircrewmen.
Michael & wife Denise at their wedding reception	Michael with unknown PJ

Michael at Recondo School

Details concerning Michael's Death
Arlington National Cemetery grave sight