A native of New Boston serving in Viet Nam as an employee of the American International Development Service was killed Monday when a chartered plane crashed about 25 miles west of Saigon.

Jack J. Wells, 39, who lived most of his life in the Minford community, was one of the three men killed when the plane crashed as it attempted to land at Bau Trai, in Hau Ngai Province.

U.S. spokesmen said the plane apparently was shot down by small arms fire as it attempted to land.  The development service charters planes from Air America, a private airline.

Wells' wife, Mrs. Betty McGraw Wells, who lives in College Park Ga., received word of her husband's death late Monday.  Mrs. Wells notified relatives who live in Minford and Sciotoville.

Wells was a retired Army major who had served as a military adviser in South Viet Nam in 1963, just prior to his promotion.  He retired from the service in March, 1964, and volunteered for service in the development program in May of this year.

A graduate of Minford High School, Wells entered the Army in September 1944 and served as a platoon sergeant during two World War II campaigns in the South Pacific.  He was commissioned as an officer in 1952.

Wells received the Bronze Star for gallantry in action during World War II and was presented a commendation medal for performance of duty as confinement officer at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii in 1958-59.

His wife is a native of Minford.  They have three children, Ora, 14, John, 9, and Kathy, 16.  Mrs. Wells and the children have lived in Georgia since Wells returned to Viet Nam.

Other survivors are his father, Ora Wells of Minford:  two brothers, Ike of Columbus, and Clarence of Sciotoville Rt. 2 and three sisters, Mrs. Velda Pfleger of Minford, Mrs. Violet Owens of Caseyville, Ill., and Mrs. Etta Riddlebarger of Minford Rt. 2.

Funeral arrangements are pending the return of Wells' body to the U.S.