“I heard one day that one of our local operations had gone awry, that a helicopter had been forced to make an emergency landing, hurting someone in the process. It turned out to be much worse than that. Dave had been horribly burned by a white phosphorous grenade. It was a windy day, and the helicopter pilot had apparently requested that a smoke grenade be thrown to show him wind direction as he landed in a small area. A white phosphorous grenade had been used by mistake.”
A friend of Dave Lee Konzelman David
October 24, 2024 — David Lee Konzelman died on October 24, 1971, at Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas from injuries sustained on September 13, 1971. The injuries occurred when a phosphorus grenade exploded in his hand while he was serving in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY
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In 1963, Dave Konzelman joined the Central Intelligence Agency as a document analyst in the Records Integration Division of the Directorate of Plans (now the Directorate of Operations).
Last Mission — In September 1971, Dave Konzelman was deployed to a Southeast Asian country. Just days after his arrival, he was involved in a tragic accident.
On September 13, 1971, while attempting to assist a helicopter landing in a windy area, Konzelman intended to throw a smoke grenade. However, a phosphorus grenade accidentally exploded in his hand, resulting in severe burns that covered more than 45% of his body.
He was evacuated to Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas, a facility renowned for its burn treatment expertise. Despite the medical efforts, he succumbed to his injuries on October 24, 1971—his 31st birthday.
Star on the Wall and Name in the Book of Honor — In 1974, Dave Konzelman (Star 28) was posthumously honored with one of the original 31 stars on the CIA Memorial Wall at the Agency’s headquarters. Konzelman was the last name inscribed in the original Book of Honor.
A quick comment about the NAPALM GIRL
I would like to add a little comment about incendiary weapons. The horror captured by the photograph of Kim Phúc, aka the NAPALM GIRL, played a significant role in shaping public perception of the Vietnam War and contributed to the growing anti-war sentiment in the United States, which ultimately influenced the decision to end the conflict.
Interestingly, Nixon believed that the pic was fake.
“Even though it has become one of the most memorable images of the twentieth century, President Nixon once doubted the authenticity of my photograph when he saw it in the papers on 12 June 1972… The picture for me and unquestionably for many others could not have been more real. The photo was as authentic as the Vietnam War itself. The horror of the Vietnam War recorded by me did not have to be fixed,” recalled the AP photographer.
Air America (AA) pilots worked as contractors for the CIA during the Vietnam War. They were often tasked with dropping what was euphemistically referred to as ‘hot soup’—a term for napalm—on enemy positions. Pilots received additional pay for accepting these missions.
According to Christopher Robbins, these AA pilots had the option to choose whether or not to participate; some refused, while many accepted the extra compensation.
Estimating the number of casualties caused by such operations is challenging, but historians agree that it could be as high as 100,000.
While the use of incendiary weapons raises ethical concerns, they remain legal under certain circumstances according to International Law.
“Forgiveness made me free from hatred. I still have many scars on my body and severe pain most days but my heart is cleansed. Napalm is very powerful, but faith, forgiveness, and love are much more powerful. We would not have war at all if everyone could learn how to live with true love, hope, and forgiveness. If that little girl in the picture can do it, ask yourself: Can you?”
Kim Phúc, aka napalm girl
References
The True Story Of Phan Thi Kim Phúc, The ‘Napalm Girl’ By Richard Stockton
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The CIA Memorial Wall : David Lee Konzelman (October 24, 1940 — October 24, 1971)
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