1970

TO LISTEN TO GEORGE JONE'S 50,000 NAMES ON THE WALL

64 65 66 67 68 69   71 72 73

1970

01

9

E-5 SGT

Richard A.

Thomas

11B4S

KIA

Cam; CCS, w/ RT??,  w/ SFC Bartlett (this was a 5-man team)

1970

01

9

E-7 SFC

Larry P.

Bartlett

11B4S

KIA

Cam; CCS, w/ RT??,  w/ SGT Thomas (this was a 5-man team)

9  9 Jan 70- Larry Paul Bartlett, SFC E-7 and Richard Alan. Thomas, SGT E-5 of CCS, KIA’ed-RR My friend and long time SFTG roommate Richard Thomas who was KIA along with SFC Larry Bartlett.. They were on recon in NE Cambodia for CCS. Richard was a very kind guy, well liked but shy; he will always remain in my memory as a true friend.  SFC Bartlett was 32 years old and was not married. Larry died from  multiple fragmentation wounds SGT Thomas was 22 years old and was married.   Richard Thomas died from small arms fire and was born on in Fresno, California.-John  Hanscom, SF'  Extracted from Page 454, Green Beret Commandos in Cambodia by Fred Lindsey, LTC, USA(RET) "It was speculated that staying in their RON for a long period of time may have let the enemy find their location. Then they proceeded directly from the RON to an LZ, rather than the the recommended  zig zag  approach may have contributed to their discovery."

 

 

Larry Paul Bartlett,

Richard Alan. Thomas,

Fayetteville,NC1969.jpg (115182 bytes)The pic in the bar is of from left to right; UI, Rich Thomas, Mike Buchanan, Rich(?) Joecken, Carl Franquet (me). We were all in the O&I course together and went to town for a few brews. Taken either in late ’68 or early ’69. Photo by Carl [email protected]

For additional photo's click-->Photo's (He's at the bottom of page 8 of the photo gallery)

 

POSTED ON 12.19.2017
 
POSTED BY: [email protected]

FINAL MISSION OF SFC LARRY P. BARTLETT

SFC Larry P. Bartlett and SGT Richard A. Thomas were U.S. Army Special Forces members assigned to Detachment B-50 (Project Delta), Command and Control South (CCS), MACV-SOG, 5th Special Force Group. On January 9, 1970, they comprised a CCS team led by SFC Bartlett with SGT Thomas as the One-One (assistant team leader). As they were moving toward a landing zone about 30 miles south of where another team (Recon Team Vermont) had been hit, a large NVA force attacked them, killing both Americans. Bartlett suffered a fatal chest wound and Thomas died as the result of fragmentation wounds. A Bright Light team (a reaction force that assisted reconnaissance teams in contact or trouble) was inserted, fought its way through an NVA force, losing a Montagnard fighter on their team, and recovered Bartlett’s and Thomas’ bodies. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and the book “The Secret Wars of America's Commandos in Vietnam SOG” by John L. Plaster]

 

1970

01

10

E-7 SFC

James Henry

Zumbrun

91B4S

KIA, fixed wing shotdown

Laos; CCC, Covey, in O2-A #68-6863 20 miles west of Dak To while supporting a team on the ground

10 Jan 70- Henry J Zumbrurn, SFC B-7, USASF CCC, Kontum, Ops 35, and 1LT John A. Lehecka  Covey Forward Air Controller assigned to the 20th Tactical Air Support Squadron at Da Nang.Killed-RR while engaged as a Covey Rider supporting a SOG recon team.  Remains Recovered

Henry J Zumbrurn,

 

POSTED ON 8.19.2015
 
POSTED BY: [email protected]

FINAL MISSION OF SFC JAMES H. ZUMBRUN

1LT John A. Lehecka was a Covey Forward Air Controller assigned to the 20th Tactical Air Support Squadron at Da Nang. He was flying O-2A (# 68-6863) with Army SFC James H. Zumbrun on a Prairie Fire mission when they were hit by small arms fire while controlling an air strike and crashed. They were 20 miles west of Dak To near the point where the borders of South Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos meet. They crashed in Laos and their bodies were recovered. The Prairie Fire name replaced the Shining Brass operation and they conducted dangerous patrols along the Ho Chi Minh Trail organized by the Studies and Operations Group known as SOG. 1LT Lehecka had two years of service and served 166 days in combat. He was from Macon, Mississippi and was 27 years-old. He was married when he died. His name is located at 14W 023 on the Vietnam Memorial. [Taken from fac-assoc.org]

 

Army SFC James H. Zumbrun of Manchester, Maryland, was killed on January 10, 1970, when his observation plane was shot down in Vietnam.

"He was over there by choice," said his father Champ Zumbrun of his son, a former Carroll County soccer star. "He didn't have to be there. he said we have to do it. This is the place we have to be".

James was a Silver Star recipient and member of the elite Green Berets and was on his third voluntary tour of duty in Vietnam at the time of his death at the age of 26.

He had joined the Special Forces shortly after graduation from North Carroll High School in 1961. He was decorated more than a dozen times, receiving in addition to the Silver Star and Bronze Star with two oak leaf clusters with "V" device, the Purple Heart with two oak clusters, the Air Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Army Commendation medal with oak leaf cluster, the Navy Unit Commendation Medal, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with palm, the Master Parachutist medal, the Combat Infantry Badge, the Ranger School badge and the Good Conduct Medal. His Silver Star citation read that the sergeant had

"distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions March 13, 1968, as Special Forces adviser to a Vietnamese reconnaissance team. When moving through dense jungle, his patrol came in contact with an enemy platoon. He quickly placed fire on the enemy force. Outnumbered and drawing fire from three sides, he directed the withdrawal of the patrol, remaining behind to cover his comrades. Joining the other patrol members, he directed them to an extraction landing zone. With the enemy within 20 meters, he braved fire to protect the recovery helicopter and to direct gunships and airstrikes on enemy positions. As the last three patrol members were being hoisted into the recovery aircraft, the landing zone began receiving intense enemy fire.

Zumbrun, realizing the aircraft and remaining patrol members were in grave danger, dropped 30 feet to the ground, enabling the aircraft to withdraw undamaged. A second recovery helicopter arrived and he was successfully extracted."

 

1970

01

13

E-6 SSG

Glenn E.

Tubbs

11B4S

MIA-PFD, drowned

SVN; CCS, 1st Exploit. Co, Pleiku Prov., YA675330, Se San River crossing 17 km WNW of A-253 Duc Co

13 Jan 70- Glenn Ernest Tubbs; SGT E-5 of Amarillo, TX, USASF, CCS, Ban Me Thout, Ops Assigned to Recon Co  - MIA-Presumptive finding of death. SGT Tubbs, a member of a river crossing team, was lost in the swift current in a river crossing of a deep channel of the San River close to the Cambodian border 12 miles northwest of Duc Co. One team member took the rope across and the other team members used the rope to assist in the crossing; however, Tubbs, the last member to cross, begin to have trouble when he was near the center of the river, losing grip of a rope, he was swept away, observed going under a six times after being carried over some deep rapids about 50 feet downstream from the rope. The team member chased after him, two by swimming back across the stream, he had disappeared and was not seen again. 

REMAINS NOT RECOVERED

Glenn Ernest Tubbs

 

 

1970

02

7

E-5 SP5

Steven M.

Kuster

11B4S

KIA

SVN; CCC, Hatchet Force Sqd Ldr; jeep ran over a mined 122mm at A-244 Ben Het, Kontum Prov.

07 Feb 70- Steven M Kuster, SP/5, USASF, CCC-KIA. Kuster was one of my squad leaders.  (I was a platoon sergeant in Co A.) Kuster had taken his squad up to Ben Het (I think, might've been Dak Pek), I forget exactly why; maybe just for additional security or to secure the landing strip during a lull in the frequent sieges up there.  This was a special assignment; usually we never detached a squad to do anything, much less support someone else's camp.  But those were the orders. I couldn't remember when this happened, real late in my tour.  I came back in February '70, and his date of death is Feb 70 also .. so it must've been within a week or so of my return.  We used to joke about Kuster's name (although not in front of him; he was just a young NCO, buck sergeant I believe, and pretty new to SF and all this).  You know, "Kuster" and Custer, Little Big Horn, etc.  But you know SF humor, usually pretty dark.  We never dreamed ...Kuster had his entire squad piled onto an M-151 jeep, going to take them down to the river below the camp for a quick bath. The jeep ran over a buried (either 122mm rocket or 155mm howitzer round, I forget which now), I'm told command-detonated.  It blew the jeep to crap, and everyone on it.  SF team heard the explosion, sent people to investigate, found the platoon interpreter hobbling up the dirt road for help, hurt leg but otherwise basically unharmed.  They went down the road, found the jeep upside down, blown to hell, bodies scattered all around in the middle of a grass fire. They put out the fire, recovered the bodies. I don't want to receive any email, calls or letters from begrieved family members.  I have nothing to tell them that would make them feel better, or make his loss worth while. David Kirschbaum, SGM, USA SF (Ret), Plt Sgt, Co A Hatchet Force CCC  NOTE:  BEING THAT HE WAS A SQUAD LEADER IN A HATCHET FORCE, ALL HIS MEN WOULD HAVE BEEN INDIGENOUS.- RLN 

Steven M Kuster

 

1970

02

12

E-7 SFC

Walter K.

Dennis

96D40

DNH, heart attack

SVN; SOG20, Gia Dinh Prov.

12 Feb 70- Walter K. Dennis, SFC E-7, USASF, SOG20, NCOIC-Non-hostile, died of illness

Walter K. Dennis,

POSTED ON 8.21.2015
 
POSTED BY: [email protected]

GROUND CASUALTY

SFC Walter K. Dennis was a World War II and Korean War Veteran. On February 12, 1970, he was in Gia Dinh, South Vietnam, serving with Special Operations Group, Headquarters Military Assistance Command Vietnam, 5th Special Forces Group when he suffered a fatal heart attack. He was 52 years old. He had served our country for 26 years and was awarded the following awards: The Bronze Star Medal, The Joint Services Command Medal(JSCM), The American Campaign Medal, The World War II Victory Medal, The National Defense Service Medal(s), The Vietnam Service Medal(s), The Army Presidential Unit Citation, The Vietnam Campaign Medal and The Vietnamese Gallantry Cross Unit Citation. [Taken from findagrave.com]

 

1970

02

25

E-7 SFC

Bobbie R.

Baxter

12B4S

DNH, vehicle crash

SVN; B-53, Bien Hoa Prov., S-4 NCOIC

25 Feb 70- Bobbie R. Baxter, SFC E-7, USASF, B-53 Camp Long Thanh-Non-hostile, died of Vehicle loss or crash Bien Hoa Province, South Vietnam

Bobbie R. Baxter

 

1970

02

28

E-7 SFC

William

Boyle

91Z4S

KIA, BNR, helicopter shotdown

Laos; CCC, FOB2, YB586188, Chase Medic, CH-34 shootdown, 16k south of Leghorn

28 Feb 70- William (Bob) Boyles, SFC assigned to the Medical section of CCC  of Waltrous, PA, and approximately Special Commando Soldiers (Exact Number unknown) USASF CCC; Konturn, Ops 35; a Vietnamese Choctaw helicopter pilot, and a Co-Pilot, and Door Gunner form the 219th Vietnamese Air Force, Da Nang, Ops 32-All listed as MIA, Presumptive finding of death. This Vietnamese crew had volunteered to perform a resupply and pick up wounded men of Hatchet Force Company B, Kontum, in the mist of a fire fight in Operation Halfback in Laos, on top of the same hill Hatchet Force Company A had occupied back on 4 March 69. Having just loaded the wounded Commandos the helicopter was hit by a B-40 rocket. SFC Boyles was last seen standing  inside the aircraft. The area was searched thoroughly, but remains were found after the fire. 

William (Bob) Boyles,

wpe4.gif (76491 bytes)

William (Bob) Boyles is pictured on the right, Fred Zabitozky, CMH Recipient is far left, and Warren (Bud) William center. Photo by Bud William 

William Boyler

      05 March or 5 May 1970 (official records say 5 March)- Charles Garvin Dougan, CW2 &  Robert Ira Rabb,1LT,  James Laurence Howell, SGT, Crew Chief , James Delvin Smith,  SP4,  Gunner of the 195th AHC-KIA-RR due to helicopter crash in support of CCS Operation UH-1H tail number 68-15525 was shot down in the vicinity of the Quan Loi Air field-Some members of the  believe that all 4 men mentioned above were KIA in the same aircraft crash, Phuoc Long, SVN out of Quan Loi into Cambodia.  It was a gun ship that was hit with a rocket and went down killing all crew (Note: on the same date and that the records are mistaken - which date is correct is a matter of contention. [Filed by Tyler Furbish-195th historian]

C

harles Garvin Dougan

Robert Ira Rabb,

 

James Laurence Howell

James Delvin Smith

POSTED ON 2.22.2015
 
POSTED BY: [email protected]

FINAL MISSION OF CW2 CHARLES G. DOUGAN

On March 5, 1970, a U.S. Army helicopter UH-1C (tail number 64-14120) from the 195th Assault Helicopter Company, 1st Aviation Brigade was operating in Cambodia west of Quan Loi when it was hit by a RPG on gun run and exploded 3 times before impacting. There were no survivors. The crew included aircraft commander CW2 Charles G. Dougan, pilot 1LT Robert I. Robb, crew chief SGT James L. Howell, and gunner SP4 James D. Smith. There are three narratives for this incident: First narrative - I was the crew chief who, for whatever reason, did not fly that day. I was in the 195th gun platoon (Thunderchickens) from February 1969 - October 1970. I flew with CW2 Dougan from the time he arrived. Sorry, but do not remember 1LT Rabb. For the record, we terminated the mission after the crash. They tried several times that day to get them out, but it was too hot, everyone was taking fire. If I remember correctly, the bodies were recovered 2 days after the crash. This did happen in Cambodia, not South Vietnam. The 195th at Quan Loi only worked in Cambodia, until the invasion in mid-1970. There were several eyewitnesses that saw the helicopter impact. It was hit by an RPG and exploded. Every effort was made to extract them, including putting a Special Forces recovery team on the ground two days after the incident. The recovery team did see all personnel still in the aircraft. (From James W. Brawner) Second narrative - I was there that day and I was to fly the primary flight as crew chief as the regular crew chief was at a dental appointment. There was a change that morning that put my ship as secondary. SGT Howell and I were the maintenance guys that stayed at Quan Loi. I offered to let Howell stay down as he didn’t like to fly guns, but he said he wanted to that day. They were shot down on March 5, 1970. We tried to insert a Bright Light rescue mission team but the site was covered with a .51cal. gun and lots of small arms. We didn’t retrieve the bodies until May 3rd. I know that as I flew crew chief of the ship that went in that day. (From Bill Crosby) Third narrative - In the fall of 1969, 1LT Robert I. Rabb was assigned to HHC, 222nd Combat Aviation Battalion, 12th Combat Aviation Group, 1st Aviation Brigade as the HHC Executive Officer. He requested reassignment to the 195th AHC Gun Platoon when he neared his promotion date to Captain. On or about 5 Feb 1970, 1LT Rabb was assigned to the gun platoon of the 195th. Within two weeks of his reassignment, he was shot down in Cambodia. I was Rabb's roommate while he was at Camp Bearcat and I spoke to eye witnesses to the downing of Rabb's UH-1C. I also spoke to the battalion CO & S-3 and received the same description. Rabb was initially listed as MIA since the area was extremely hostile and the aircraft had exploded in mid-air. There was no chance anyone survived the crash. Since all 195th missions in Cambodia were classified and the U.S. was officially observing Cambodian border rights, the decision was made not to attempt to recover the crew's remains. For security reasons, their MIA location was listed as South Vietnam. When upgraded to KIA, the location apparently remained as South Vietnam. The KIA date of 5 May 1970 is absolutely accurate for Rabb because I had been on R&R when we invaded Cambodia and returned on 2 May 1970. Within several days I was advised by the battalion S-3 that ground troops (11th ACR, I believe) had found the remains in Cambodia and they identified Bob by his MACV card. (From Dennis M. Hogan, January 1993) [Taken from vhpa.org]

 

1970

03

6

E-7 SFC

James W.

Finzel

11B4S

DNH, drowned

SVN; CCN, RT Moccasin, drowned while at the beach at CCN

06 Mar 70- James W. Finzel, MSG E-8, 35yo, USASF, CCN, Da Nang, Ops 35 Non-Hostile (Drowned at CCN)-RR The following is submitted by Col. Larry Greene: "I remember Sgt McKee was swimming with SSG Finzel the day Finzel drowned. (Finzel) was a big, muscular guy who owned a monkey that had a taste for rum and coke (the monkey). There was another NCO swimming with them but I don't remember his name. He could have been Finzel's 1-1. I had just gotten to know Finzel before he died. Both of our teams had been at Phu Bai in isolation trying to get into the AO, but either the weather or activity on the LZs had prevented it. Finzel's team finally got in and stayed for about 5 days or so. My team got in and got shot out after a few hours. We had come back to Da Nang about the same time.

James W. Finzel

1970n 03 26 O'Neill, Thomas P SSG E-6 Maritime Studies Group OP 37

POSTED ON 8.21.2015
 
POSTED BY: [email protected]

FINAL MISSION OF SSGT THOMAS P. O'NEILL

On March 14, 1970, SSGT Thomas P. O'Neill volunteered as a member of an ambush team to capture or kill Viet Cong tax collectors. Intelligence reports indicated that two tax collectors were coming across a bridge at a certain time. The operation was organized by a Naval Ship Officer who had no prior knowledge of ground combat operations. SSGT O'Neill and a Force Recon Gunnery Sergeant were placed in a patch of bushes in the center of a "Y" trail. The main ambush force was placed along a ridge line overlooking the "Y" intersection. The Naval Commander had anticipated the VC would enter the trail nearest the main ambush force. However, the VC tax collectors entered the trail on the far side of the "Y," away from the ambush location. The ambush commander, fearing the VC would escape, gave the signal to open fire, causing friendly fire to pass through the position where O'Neill and the Marine were located, causing fatal wounds to O'Neill and wounding the marine. The tax collectors were able to escape. RM1 Bill Gow carried O'neill’s body back to the helicopter during the extraction. [Taken from macvsog.cc]

 

 

1970

03

24

O-2 1LT

Jerry L.

Pool

31542

MIA-PFD (remains ID'ed 06/2001)

Cam; CCC, RT Pennslyvania, YB484003 38k SSW of Leghorn, Ratanakiri Prov., on UH-1H #68-15262

1970

03

24

E-7 SFC

John A.

Boronski

12B4S

KIA, BNR (remains ID'ed 06/2001)

Cam; CCC, RT Pennsylvania, YB484003 38k SSW of Leghorn, Ratanakiri Prov., on UH-1H #68-15262

1970

03

24

E-6 SSG

Gary A.

Harned

05B4S

MIA-PFD (remains ID'ed 06/2001)

Cam; CCC, RT Pennsylvania, YB484003 38k SSW of Leghorn, Ratanakiri Prov., on UH-1H #68-15262

24 Mar 70- Jerry Lynn Pool, 1LT 0-2, RT one-two of Freeport, IL,  John Arthur Boronski , SSG E-6, Tm One-Zero, of Ware, Mass, Gary Alan Harned, SGT, Tm One-one, of Springboro, Pa USASF and Special Command commando Scouts (Number and names unknown) CCC, Kontum, RT Pennsylvania, Ops 35 and Michael Davis O'Donnel, Cpt, Pilot of Springfield, Ill, John Charles Hosken, Co-Pilot, WOI, 0-2 of Chagrin Falls, OH; Rudy Morales Becerra, SP/4 of Richmond, TX and Berman Ganoe, Jr. SP/4 of Belleview, FL US Army UH-IH Helicopter Crew from the 170th AHC, Tail # 262, Ops 32/75-MIA, Presumptive finding of death. A recon team which had been engaged with an enemy force in Cambodia for three days, requested extraction. The UH-1H, 170th AHC responded in support of the team. The landing zone in the tri-border area 14 miles inside Cambodia, had enemy forces closing in, the pilot, ignoring his own safety attempted the extraction. The helicopter set-down on the LZ , the entire team boarded the aircraft and having just loaded the recon team, and in an effort to depart, the helicopter started its assent reaching an altitude of about 100 feet when an explosion was observed in the aircraft. The aircraft continued to fly for about three hundred meters when another explosion occurred. No bodies were seen being thrown clear of the exploding aircraft. The aircraft crashed and burned uncontrollably. No rescue was attempted due to heavy enemy fire. See "No Name Creek" Tales from SOG, Also see the "Into the Killing Zone, Mar 24, 70," Tales from SOG  Subj:    RT Pennsylvania/Bikini Red Three Funeral and Interment Services From: (Clyde Sincere). :

 

RTPennsylvaniaHueyCrash3-24-70.jpg (5685632 bytes)

Crash site

Jerry Lynn Pool

J

John Arthur Boronski  

Gary Alan Harned,

Michael Davis O'Donnel,

John Charles Hosken

  Rudy Morales Becerra

Berman Ganoe, Jr

On 24 March 1970, RT Pennsylvania, MACVSOG OP-35 from CCC consisting of three U.S. and five Indigenous long-range reconnaissance patrol members were being extracted while under heavy enemy contact by a UH-1H helicopter flown by members of the 170th Aviation Company, 17th Aviation Group, lst Aviation Brigade.  Immediately following the extraction, Major Michael D. O'Donnell transmitted that he had the entire eight man team on board and was departing the area.  As the aircraft began its ascent, there was an explosion in the aircraft.  The helicopter continued for about 300 meters when another explosion caused the aircraft to crash.  Aerial search and rescue efforts were initiated, however, there was no sign of life at the crash site.  In January of 1994, a joint search team interviewed Le Thanh Minh of Kontum.  Minh reported that in April 1993 while searching for aluminum, he located a crash site in Cambodia.  He stated he found human remains, three dog tags, a first aid kit and a rucksack.  He also heard that people from Laos had discovered a watch, a gold ring and an AR15.  He further indicated that the crash site was spread over a 100 meter area.  He stated that the tail section of the aircraft was visible and engraved with the number "262". He gave the dog tags to the team, two were Berman Ganoe, Jr. and one belonged to John C. Hosken, (both crew members of the Huey).  In January of 1998, a joint search team entered the area of the crash site and this time they were successful in locating the aircraft.  The remains of all of the crew and team members were recovered, along with dog tags, weapons and other personal effects.  After many years, the brave men of Bikini Red Three and RT Pennsylvania were on their way home.     At 1300 hours, 16 August 2001, A group funeral service was conducted at the Old Post Chapel, Fort Myer, Virginia the for:   Michael D. O'Donnell - Major, Aircraft Commander, 170th AviationCompany. John C. Hosken, CWO-3, Pilot, 170th Aviation Company. Jerry L. Pool, Captain, RT Pennsylvania - "One-Zero"; John A. Boronski, SFC, RT Pennsylvania - "One-One"; Gary A. Harned, SFC, RT Pennsylvania - "One-Two";     Berman Ganoe, Jr., SSG, Door Gunner, 170th Aviation Company; Rudy M. Becerra, SSG, Crew Chief, 170th Aviation Company. 

    Interment at Arlington National Cemetery followed the funeral service. There was one casket containing the remains of some of the above honored men.  There were some family members who elected to have their loved ones remains interred near their homes of record.  For instance, SSG Rudy Beccera's family is having him interred at Greenlawn Cemetery in Rosenberg, Texas with full military honors on Sunday, 19 August 2001 at 1400 hours. Family members of both the aircraft crew and RT Pennsylvania participated in the services with full military honors.  Seven National colors were presented to family members in a very somber interment service. 

    A number of SOA and SFA members were also present to honor these fallen comrades: Michael Ash, SOA # 1432-GL; Robert Bechtoldt, SOA # 146-GL and his son John; Neil Coady, SOA # 565-GL and his wife Kathy; William Deacy, SOA # 1303-GL; R.J. Graham, SOA # 184-GL and his wife Joan.  Also two friends of R.J. came:  John and Ryan Long; Wally Johnson, President, Chapter XI, SFA; Robert Jack, SOA # 414-GL; Al Keller, SOA # 1488-GL; William Lueders, SOA # 664-GL; Gene McCarthy, SOA # 256-GL; Lloyd O'Daniel, SOA # 1469-GA; Clyde Sincere, SOA # 010-GL; Michael Wilson, SOA # 1338-GA;         James L. Young, Pending SOA Membership, his wife Candy and daughter Elizabeth. Additionally approximately 60-75 family members and guests were in attendance. Regards, Clyde

POSTED ON 8.28.2015
 
POSTED BY: [email protected]

FINAL MISSION OF 1LT JERRY L. POOL

Kontum, South Vietnam was home base to what was known as FOB 2 (Forward Observation Base 2), a classified, long-term operations of the Special Operations Group (SOG) that involved daily operations into Laos and Cambodia. SOG teams operated out of Kontum, but staged out of Dak To. The mission of the 170th Assault Helicopter Company ("Bikinis") was to perform the insertion, support, and extraction of these SOG teams deep in the forest on "the other side of the fence" (a term meaning Laos or Cambodia, where U.S. forces were not allowed to be based). Normally, the teams consisted of two "slicks" (UH-1 general purpose helicopters), two Cobras (AH-1G assault helicopters) and other fighter aircraft which served as standby support. On March 24, 1970, helicopters from the 170th were sent to extract a MACV-SOG long-range reconnaissance patrol (LRRP) team which was in contact with the enemy about fourteen miles inside Cambodia in Ratanokiri Province. The flight leader, RED LEAD, serving as one of two extraction helicopters was crewed by aircraft commander CAPT Michael D. O'Donnell, pilot CW3 John C. Hosken, crew chief SSGT Rudy M. Becerra, and gunner SSGT Berman Ganoe Jr. The MACV-SOG Recon Team Pennsylvania included team leader 1LT Jerry L. Pool and team members SFC John A. Boronsky and SFC Gary A. Harned as well as five indigenous team members. The team had been in contact with the enemy all night and had been running and ambushing, but the hunter team pursuing them was relentless and they were exhausted and couldn't continue to run much longer. When Lake and O'Donnell arrived at the team's location, there was no landing zone (LZ) nearby and they were unable to extract them immediately. The two helicopters waited in a high orbit over the area until the team could move to a more suitable extraction point. While the helicopters were waiting, they were in radio contact with the team. After about 45 minutes in orbit, Lake received word from LT Pool that the NVA hunter team was right behind them. RED LEAD and RED THREE made a quick trip to Dak To for refueling. RED THREE was left on station in case of an emergency. When Lake returned to the site, Pool came over the radio and said that if the team wasn't extracted then, it would be too late. CAPT O'Donnell evaluated the situation and decided to pick them up. He landed on the LZ and was on the ground for about 4 minutes, and then transmitted that he had the entire team of eight on board. The aircraft was beginning its ascent when it was hit by enemy fire, and an explosion in the aircraft was seen. The helicopter continued in flight for about 300 meters, then another explosion occurred, causing the aircraft to crash in the jungle. According to Lake, bodies were blown out the doors and fell into the jungle. [NOTE: According to the U.S. Army account of the incident, no one was observed to have been thrown from the aircraft during either explosion.] The other helicopter crewmen were stunned. One of the Cobras, Panther 13, radioed "I don't think a piece bigger than my head hit the ground." The second explosion was followed by a yellow flash and a cloud of black smoke billowing from the jungle. Panther 13 made a second high-speed pass over the site and came under fire, but made it away unscathed. Lake decided to go down and see if there was a way to get to the crash site. As he neared the ground, he was met with intense ground fire from the entire area. He could not see the crash site since it was under heavy tree cover. There was no place to land, and the ground fire was withering. He elected to return the extract team to Dak To before more aircraft was lost. Lake has carried the burden of guilt with him for all these years, and has never forgiven himself for leaving his good friend O'Donnell and his crew behind. The Army account concludes stating that O'Donnell's aircraft began to burn immediately upon impact. Aerial search and rescue efforts began right away. However, no signs of life could be seen around the crash site. Because of the enemy situation, attempts to insert search teams into the area were futile. SAR efforts were discontinued on April 18. Search and rescue teams who surveyed the site reported that they did not hold much hope for survival for the men aboard, but lacking proof that they were dead, the Army declared all 7 missing in action. Michael O'Donnell was recommended for the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions on March 24, 1970. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal, the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart as well as promoted to the rank of Major following his loss incident. O'Donnell was highly regarded by his friends in the "Bikinis." They knew him as a talented singer, guitar player and poet. One of his poems has been widely distributed, but few understand that the author remains missing: “If you are able, save them a place inside of you and save one backward glance when you are leaving for the places they can no longer go. Be not ashamed to say you loved them, though you may or may not have always. Take what they have left and what they have taught you with their dying and keep it with your own. And in that time when men decide and feel safe to call the war insane, take one moment to embrace those gentle heroes you left behind.” MAJ Michael D. O'Donnell, January 1, 1970, Dak To, Vietnam. [Taken from vhpa.org (a much longer and more detailed account of the extraction attempt is found at the same website)]

REMARKS: SURVIVAL UNLIKELY - PER SAR

SYNOPSIS: By early 1967, the Bell UH1 Iroquois was already the standard Army assault helicopter, and was used in nearly every "in-country" mission. Better known by its nickname "Huey," the troop carriers were referred to as "slicks" and the gunships were called "Hogs." It proved itself to be a sturdy, versatile aircraft which was called on to carry out a wide variety of missions including search and rescue, close air support, insertion and extraction, fire support, and resupply to name a few. It usually carried a crew of four.

Military Assistance Command Vietnam - Studies and Observation Group (MACV-SOG) was a joint service high command unconventional warfare task force engaged in highly classified operations throughout Southeast Asia. The 5th Special Forces channeled personnel into MACV-SOG through Special Operations Augmentation (SOA) that provided their "cover" while under secret orders to MACV-SOG. These teams performed highly classified, deep penetration missions of strategic reconnaissance and interdiction that were called, depending on the time frame, "Salem House," "Daniel Boone," "Shining Brass" or "Prairie Fire" missions.

The NVA had enjoyed years of sanctuary in Cambodia and Laos, free from the war in Vietnam, with the exception of the ever-present threat of MACV-SOG teams who roamed the rugged mountains in search of them. Major hospitals, training centers, and rest and recuperation areas had been established in these areas, free from artillery barrages, attacks by ground troops, and while subjected to bombings, free of the massive bombing runs that racked North Vietnam daily. 1970 was to be the year the NVA were to lose their sanctuaries, as well as their safety from American and allied troops. With the Prince of Cambodia deposed, and the new Prime Minister, who was an avid enemy of the NVA, movements began immediately to seize control of the Cambodian countryside, thus denying the NVA their long-held supply routes and sanctuaries.

Plans were already underway to invade Cambodia with joint forces of American and ARVN forces later in the year. MACV-SOG teams from all three areas of operation - Command and Control Central (CCC), Command and Control North (CCN), and Command and Control South (CCS) - were to reconnoiter the interior of both Cambodia and southern Laos in preparation for the invasion, code named "Lam Son 719." Some of the most concentrated efforts of these initial reconnaissance missions were aimed at the communist's major sanctuaries in Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia. This province was covered with triple canopy jungle that shielded most ground activity from aerial view. Coupled with the high and treacherously steep mountains that covered the entire sector, this made ground reconnaissance a necessity, as well as a dangerous and often fatal venture. Insertions and extractions were nearly always carried out by aircrews negotiating their helicopters over "hover holes" in the jungle canopy that required pilots to tightly maneuver and weave to enter and exit them. Rope and ladder or landing zone extractions that were located inside canyons and narrow valleys often appeared to be custom built by the enemy for cross fire ambushes that no amount of aerial coverage could prevent.

On 21 March 1970, just 3 days after Prince Schanouk was removed by the parliament and Lon Nol was installed as the Prime Minister, then 1st Lt. Jerry L. Pool, team leader; SSgt. John A. Boronsky, assistant team leader; Sgt. Gary A. Harned, radio operator; and 5 Montagnard Commandos, comprised "Reconnaissance Team (RT) Pennsylvania," which was inserted by helicopter into Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia. The team's mission was to determine the size and movements of the NVA force that was seizing control over the province as well as the suspected NVA movements in neighboring provinces.

Within an hour of being inserted, RT Pennsylvania had been located by highly trained NVA Counter-Recon Hunter teams who were aggressively following them. Moving in a southwesterly direction away from their insertion point, the team fought through heavy jungle and the steep mountain terrain at an exhausting pace. Each time the team stopped, the pursuing NVA would catch up with them and a brief firefight would ensue. During these encounters, the NVA pushed the team deeper into the mountains to avoid capture.

The first night RT Pennsylvania managed to set up a small encampment and gain some much needed rest. However, by first light the team was moving again, this time with the NVA even closer than before, and frequently seemingly right behind them. By nightfall of the second day, 1st Lt. Pool and his team were on a constant dodge and ambush routine with a large force of pursuing NVA. All the team's efforts to evade the NVA failed. Finally at a point when the team reached a state of nearly total exhaustion, the communists incorporated dogs into their search effort.

On the morning of 24 March 1970, the members of RT Pennsylvania were losing ground fast. Jerry Pool radioed for an emergency Prairie Fire Extraction. His team had gone as far as they could and needed to either abort the rest of the mission or face death or capture. Under the circumstances, they could not evade much longer. After relaying their dire situation, the team resumed its evasive tactics up the side of the next mountain.

The Forward Air Controller (FAC) Air Force Capt. Melvin Irvin, pilot; and MSgt. Charles Septer, observer; call sign "Covey," flew over RT Pennsylvania's position. MSgt. Septer was in constant radio contact with the Americans on the ground. 1st Lt. Pool reported they had been "running and ambushing all morning, but their pursuers were right behind them." Charles Septer knew he had to get relief for the team or they were not going to make it. He called for close air support and soon a flight of A1-E Skyraiders, referred to as "Spads" when functioning as attack aircraft, arrived on the scene. With the protective air cover dropping CBU (cluster bomb units) and napalm around the team, they were able to place some distance between themselves and the advancing enemy.

The napalm slowed down the NVA, but it also started numerous fires in the dense growth of the jungle, these fires soon became as much of a threat as the advancing NVA. Jerry Pool reported that now both the fires and NVA were closing in on them. As the Spads worked overhead, Charles Septer devised an extraction plan. He radioed instructions to the team leader directing the team to move to the nearest available extraction LZ that was southwest of their position, near the bottom of a narrow valley with steep canyon walls. 1st Lt. Pool acknowledged the transmission and again emphasized the NVA were closing in and they were going to need more aerial coverage. At roughly 1130 hours, MSgt. Septer called Dak To for additional close air support.

Capt. Michael D. "Mike" O'Donnell, aircraft commander; then WO1 John C. "Hippie" Hosken, pilot; SP4 Rudy M. Becerra, crew chief; and SP4 Berman Ganoe, door gunner; comprised the crew of a UH1H helicopter (serial #68-15262), call sign "Red 3," in a flight of 4 Huey and 4 Cobra gunships conducting the emergency extraction mission for the RT Pennsylvania. All 8 of the helicopters were assigned to the 170th Aviation Company, 17th Aviation Group, 1st Aviation Brigade.

WO1 James E. Lake, who flew the aircraft that originally inserted RT Pennsylvania, and veteran pilot/former Green Beret Johnny Kemper, flew Red Lead, the flight leader for the Hueys. WO1 Hosken, while shy and retiring, received his nickname from the little round glasses he wore. SP4 Berman and SP4 Ganoe were both veterans of many clandestine missions "over the fence" into the politically denied areas of Laos and Cambodia. Capt. O'Donnell was Red platoon leader, but flew Red Three because while senior in rank, he was junior in experience, so he flew in the wingman position rather than lead. This was because on many MACV-SOG missions, experience equated to survival for the aircrews and teams alike.

After an approximately 20-minute flight, the four Cobras and two slicks arrived at the team's location. The Spads still circled in the sky above. Below them, the Covey Rider pointed out RT Pennsylvania's location to the gun team, and then gave coordinating references to the enemy positions based on the reports from 1st Lt. Pool. Immediately, the lead Cobra dove down to fire rockets along with its 40mm cannons and miniguns into NVA positions around RT Pennsylvania. The other gunship and the two Hueys orbited 1500 feet above the site, waiting for the team to reach the extraction LZ. The first Cobra soon expended its rockets and ammunition. The gunship withdrew from the area and flew to Dak To to rearm and refuel. On the ground, the situation facing RT Pennsylvania was deteriorating. Jerry Pool reported that they were back in contact with the enemy. They were moving as fast as possible, but the NVA were right behind them. To reach the LZ from their position, the team had to descend to the valley floor before moving southwest some distance.

In the sky above, WO1 Lake noted that he had a bit more than one hour of fuel remaining. Considering Pennsylvania's progress, he judged that it would reach the extraction LZ at about the time the two Hueys would be forced to return for fuel. He instructed Capt. O'Donnell to remain on station as long as possible to provide air cover for the team on the ground while he returned to Dak To to rearm, refuel and collect the other two Hueys for the extraction. Racing back to Dak To, James Lake and Johnny Kemper discussed the best way to perform what was sure to be a red-hot extraction. Landing in Dak To, WO1 Lake briefed the other two aircrews on their situation. Not only was RT Pennsylvania in desperate need of extraction, but by the time they could return, Capt. O'Donnell and the other Cobras would need to refuel. Time was critical.

Approximately 45 minutes later, WO1 Lake and the other two Hueys were enroute back to the LZ. WO1 William H. Stepp and WO1 Alan Hoffman were the pilots of the two Hueys. Neither pilot had extensive experience and WO1 Hoffman was also new to Vietnam. Because of this, neither of them totally appreciated the situation until they were airborne and had crossed into Laos. The reality set in as the flight raced westward. The aircrews monitored the radio transmissions between the FAC and 1st Lt. Pool as the team's situation continued to deteriorate even further.

Those 45 minutes had been harrowing ones for RT Pennsylvania. In continuous contact with the enemy, they were running through the dense jungle toward the LZ. The extraction birds were now ten minutes away. As the team stumbled down a steep slope towards the valley floor, Jerry Pool fell injuring his ankle. He reported that the enemy was right behind them, the fires were closing in, and he could not move further. He asked MSgt. Septer where the extraction birds were. Charles Septer replied they were on their way. 1st Lt. Pool looked up to the sky and saw Mike O'Donnell's Huey orbiting the LZ, he desperately radioed, "You ain't got no balls at all if you don't come down and get us right now!"

The aircrews supporting MACV-SOG operations had a creed they lived by: "You take them in - you get them out!" Without hesitation, Mike O'Donnell told Charles Septer that he would make the extraction alone. James Lake heard the transmission and told Capt. O'Donnell the rest of the extraction force was minutes away and to wait for them to arrive. Mike O'Donnell's reply was simple, the men on the ground didn't have a few minutes and he was going in. Followed by a Cobra gunship, Capt. O'Donnell dropped down between the canyon walls, slowed and hovered over RT Pennsylvania. He waited at a hover while the team scrambled through the dense undergrowth toward his aircraft. As the minutes ticked by, James Lake and the others arrived overhead. After roughly four minutes on the ground - an eternity under the circumstances - Mike O'Donnell started to pull up and away from the LZ. Slowly gathering speed, he climbed skyward. At an altitude of approximately 200 feet above the ground he reported, "I've got all eight, I'm coming out." The other aircrews heaved a collective sigh of relief. Suddenly and without warning, Mike O'Donnell's helicopter exploded in flames. Raining parts as its momentum carried it forward; the Huey continued some three hundred meters beyond the point of contact before it crashed in the jungle.

After a moment of stunned disbelief, the first voice over the radio was that of Cobra pilot Capt. Michael Jimison who was following Mike O'Donnell's Huey down the valley. He said, "I didn't see a piece bigger than my head." Capt. Jimison stated that he would move in for a closer look at the crash site. Making a wide, high-speed orbit of the site, the two Cobras flew back to the head of the valley, and began a run down the valley at a speed of close to 200 knots. Suddenly, the canyon walls lit up with muzzle flashes and tracer rounds. From the northern wall of the canyon, WO1 Lake watched a white streak flash behind the lead Cobra exploding against the far wall of the canyon. At the end of the pass, Capt. Jimison reported that he could see nothing in the heavy jungle of the valley floor except smoke and fire. Suddenly, a red flash of light followed by a column of dense black smoke rose from the crash site. Fires began to burn furiously in the jungle in and around it. James Lake decided to make a closer investigation of the crash site. He ordered the other helicopters to remain in high orbit while he descended through the veil of smoke toward the crash site. As he approached the valley, he watched thousands of tracer rounds begin their seemingly lazy looking arcs from the jungle on the canyon walls to flash by all sides of his aircraft.

The crash site was located at the bottom of a valley with steep walls that was populated by hundreds of NVA soldiers who were pouring out small arms and automatic weapons fire. From their position on the walls of the canyon, the NVA could shoot down at any aircraft attempting to fly through the valley near the burning wreckage. There was nowhere to land and hovering was certain death. James Lake and Johnny Kemper agreed there was nowhere to go, and nothing left they could do. From what they saw on the pass through, with what lay below them in smoke and fire, neither man believed that any person could have survived the explosion aboard the Huey or the 200 foot fall that followed it. WO1 Lake made a max power climb-out from the valley, and reluctantly turned away and ordered the flight to return to Dak To. At the time the immediate search effort was terminated, Mike O'Donnell, John Hoskins, Rudy Becerra, Berman Ganoe, Jerry Pool, John Boronski and Gary Harned plus the indigenous team members were immediately listed Missing in Action. Due to the area of loss being deep within enemy held territory, no further search and rescue/recovery operation was possible.

The Huey's wreckage was also located approximately 3 miles southeast of the Cambodian/Lao border, 15 miles west of the Cambodian/South Vietnamese, 23 miles southwest of the tri-border junction to Cambodia, Laos and South Vietnam and 35 miles west-southwest of Dak To, South Vietnam.

On 16 November 1993, during JFA 94-2C, a joint team under the auspices of the Joint Task Force for Full Accounting (JTFFA) traveled to Cambodia to investigate this loss incident. The team landed by helicopter on the top of the small hill about 500 meters south of the valley in which the Huey's wreckage was located. As the team moved to the crash site through the dense jungle and rugged terrain, it took them 2 ½ hours to travel the distance of only one-kilometer. The team searched the area, but found no evidence of a crash site.

On 18 January 1994, another JTFFA team interviewed Le Thanh Minh, a Vietnamese resident of Kontum, South Vietnam. Le Thanh Minh reported that in April 1993 he found the crash site in Cambodia while looking for aluminum. He said he found human remains, three dog tags, a first aid kit and a rucksack. He heard that people from Laos had discovered a watch, a gold ring, and an AR15 gun. He also reported that the crash site was spread over a 100-meter area and the tail section was visible and engraved with the number "262." He gave the dog tags to the team, two belonged to Berman Ganoe and one belonged to John Hoskins. The remains consisted of 15 small bone fragments.

Later in 1994, a JTFFA recovery team located and began excavating the crash site based upon information provided by Le Thanh Minh. As the work progressed, the American team members noted that the site had obviously been heavily scavenged over many years. Other joint teams returned to the site twice in 1995 and once again in 1998 to complete the excavation. During the various trips to Cambodia, US personnel also interviewed a variety of local residents of the region about the crash site and the fate of its crew and passengers. When questioned, the villagers would frequently say things like, "Oh yes, we've gotten some stuff from there," then they would produce remains, equipment and/or wreckage.

In January 1998, the recovery team entered the crash site for the final time. At the time the excavation site was closed, the team members believed they were able to recover all human remains, dog tags, weapons, other personal effects, pieces of equipment and aircraft wreckage that was left at the crash site. In addition to the material recovered during the excavation, on several occasions human remains and material was recovered from local villagers as well as Vietnamese bones brokers. One bone fragment associated with this loss was actually sent into the Defense Prisoner and Missing Office (DPMO), Washington, DC; and from there it was sent via US mail to the US Army's Central Identification Laboratory, Hawaii (CIL-HI).

The remains recovered included 18 teeth/parts of teeth and a large number of bone fragments of varying sizes representing bones from every portion of the body and included some complete ribs and a scapula and were transported to the CIL-HI for forensic examination by the laboratory's staff. After a thorough examination and testing, CIL-HI forensic personnel concluded that only 3 bone fragments could be positively identified through mt-DNA to Mike O'Donnell, 3 teeth and 1 bone fragment to John Hosken, 2 teeth and 1 bone fragment to Rudy Becerra; and 5 teeth and 2 bone fragments to Berman Ganoe. No teeth or bone fragments were matched to Jerry Pool, Gary Harned or John Boronski's dental records or their family's DNA samples.

On 16 August 2001, a group burial was conducted at Arlington National Cemetery for Mike O'Donnell, John Hoskins, Rudy Becerra, Berman Ganoe, Jerry Pool, John Boronski, Gary Harned and the five Montagnard team members with the names of all seven Americans on the headstone. On 19 August 2001, those individually identified remains for Rudy Becerra were interred at the family burial plot at Greenlawn Cemetery, Rosenberg, Texas.

For the families and friends of Mike O'Donnell, John Hoskins, Rudy Becerra, Berman Ganoe, Jerry Pool, John Boronski and Gary Harned, they finally have peace of mind in knowing where their loved ones lie. For other Americans who remain unaccounted for in Southeast Asia, their fate could be quite different. Since the end of the Vietnam War well over 21,000 reports of American prisoners, missing and otherwise unaccounted for have been received by our government. Many of these reports document LIVE America Prisoners of War remaining captive throughout Southeast Asia TODAY.

Military men in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia were called upon to fly and fight in many dangerous circumstances, and they were prepared to be wounded, killed or captured. It probably never occurred to them that they could be abandoned by the country they so proudly served.

At the same time the families of these 7 Americans were informed of the individual or group identification of their men's remains, they were also informed of the very real probability that more remains of their loved ones could be recovered from or turned over by other Asians in the future.

1970

04

2

E-7 SFC

Donald G.

Armstrong

11F4S

KIA

Laos; CCC, FORD DRUM during a low-level photo mission; aircraft managed to return to base

2 Apr 70-Donald G. Armstrong, SFC, CCC, KIA during low level photo mission over Cambodia, aircraft returned. Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his heroism and extraordinary achievement while engaged in aerial flight. He served as an Infantry Operations and Intelligence Specialist (Special Forces Qualified). He was assigned to MACV-SOG, 5TH SPECIAL FORCES GROUP.

 


See https://army.togetherweserved.com/

Donald G. Armstrong

 

1970

04

3

E-6 SSG

Everette E.

Cofer

11B4S

KIA, DOW

Cam; CCS, RT Pick, mult frag wounds

03 Apr 70- Everett B Cofer, SSG E-6, USASF, RT PICK, CCS, Da Nang, Ops 35 Remains Recovered. Everett was on a Recon Mission with RJ Graham [filed by William "Bill" Deacy]

POSTED ON 8.21.2015
 
POSTED BY: [email protected]

 

FINAL MISSION OF SSGT EVERETTE E. COFER

On April 3, 1970, SSGT Everette E. Cofer was serving as a team leader of a six-man, long range reconnaissance team inserted deep into enemy controlled territory. Upon reaching their target area, SSGT Cofer’s team established positions near a trail in order to observe enemy traffic. To obtain a better vantage point, SSGT Cofer moved his team toward another ambush site, but during this move the team was spotted by a lone enemy soldier. SSGT Cofer immediately led his team toward a prearranged extraction landing zone. The enemy, coming in ever-increasing numbers, soon surrounded the team. SSGT Cofer called in gunships and directed suppressive fires that caused the enemy to withdraw temporarily. After the gunships expended their supply of ammunition, SSGT Cofer was informed that a 40-man enemy force was moving toward his position. The numerically superior force took cover and began firing B-40 rockets and heavy automatic weapons fire at SSGT Cofer’s position. Exposing himself to the intense enemy fire, SSGT Cofer rushed the enemy position to mark it with white phosphorous grenades. As he was returning to his team’s position, a rocket burst nearby, fatally wounding him. SSGT Cofer’s gallantry in action, at the cost of life, was in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army. [Narrative taken from SSGT Cofer’s Bronze Medal citation on google.books.com]

 

1970

04

3

E-4 SP4

Carl J.

Helring

96C20

DNH, drowned/suffocated

SVN; MACSOG 80, Gia Dinh Prov.

3 Apr 70  Helring, Carl J- SP/4, attached to MACSOG 80'S from 11/01/69 until his death an interrogator from  the 525th MI BN, drowned in recreational center swimming pool Gia Dinh Province, South-Non Hostile. 

Helring, Carl J-

 

 

1970

04

6

E-6 SSG

Andrew T.

Brassfield

11B4S

KIA, BNR

Laos; CCN, RT Intruder, XD983057, 39k WNW of A Luoi

06 Apr 70-Andres Thomas Brassfield SSG E-6, USASF Recon Tm Missouri, CCN, Da Nang, Ops 35, -KIA, body not recovered. On an intelligence gathering Recon mission in Laos. The team stopped for a rest and came under came under intense enemy fire and all team members were wounded and SSG Brassfield was fatally wounded. Brassfield?s remains had to be left behind in an effort to break contact with the enemy.  As the team stopped for a rest, it came under heavy enemy fire. In attempting to gain better cover, Brassfield was fatally wounded. The remaining team members were unable to recover his body because they had all been injured and were unable to carry him while trying to break contact with the enemy. Brassfield was never found. He was a personal friend of Jack Frost who was my first room mate when I got to CCN-rln

Andrew Thomas Brassfield

POSTED ON 6.30.2014
 
POSTED BY: [email protected]

 

FINAL MISSION OF SSGT ANDREW T. BRASSFIELD

SSGT Andrew T. Brassfield was assigned to MACV-SOG (Military Assistance Command, Vietnam Studies and Observation Group). MACV-SOG was a joint service high command unconventional warfare task force engaged in highly classified operations throughout Southeast Asia. The 5th Special Forces channeled personnel into MACV-SOG (although it was not a Special Forces group) through Special Operations Augmentation (SOA), which provided their "cover" while under secret orders to MACV-SOG. The teams performed deep penetration missions of strategic reconnaissance and interdiction which were called, depending on the time frame, "Shining Brass" or "Prairie Fire" missions. On April 6, 1970, SSGT Brassfield was operating in Laos with a team known as Reconnaissance Team Missouri on an intelligence gathering mission. The team was operating about 5 miles inside Laos east of Muong Nong in Savannakhet Province. As the team stopped for a rest, it came under heavy enemy fire. In attempting to gain better cover, Brassfield was fatally wounded. The remaining team members were unable to recover his body because they had all been injured and were unable to carry him while trying to break contact with the enemy. Brassfield was never found. [Taken from pownetwork.org]

 

1970            04

15

E-6 SSG

Dennis W.

Neal

11B4F

KIA

SVN; CCC, RT Montana, during Bright Light insert at LZ Orange near A-245, Dak Seang

1970

04

15

E-6 SSG

Michael V.

Kuropas

11B4F

KIA

Cam; CCC, RT Hawaii

15 Apr 70-Michael V Kuropas, SSG E-6 USASF and  Dennis W. Neal, SSG E-6 CCC-KIA (Kuropas was with RT Ohio before joining VIRGINIA) both were killed when attempting a bright light rescue of the 170 AHC.  In March of 1970, Prince Sihanouk was in France , and his cousin Prime Minister Sitik Matak, as temporary ruler in his absence, was making enemies of the NVA inside of Cambodia . He had issued the impossible ultimatum to the North Vietnamese to remove all NVA troops from Cambodia within 48 hours. That left the NVA with only two possible moves to make: 1) withdraw, which was impossible within the time given; or, 2) take over Cambodia . The later was their choice. The NVA, by mid-April had already seized control over two major provinces and were planning to take over the capitol. To assure non interference from the Americans, a major effort was also taking place in the Central Highlands of Vietnam around Dak Seang, Dak Pec, Bien Het, Dak To, and small villages up and down II Corp area. By April, SOG missions were increased in both frequency and intensity, while in the Central Highlands units were in constant contact with a building NVA force. April, of 1970 was becoming a busy month for the 170th Assault Helicopter Company. At SOG Headquarters in Kontum, SSG Dennis Neal, the Team Leader for RT Montana, and SSG Michael V. Kuropas, the Team Leader for RT Vermont, had volunteered to form a compliment of Montagnard to serve as a Bright Light team to insert on the LZ and affect a rescue of the downed men. During their briefing, they were informed that the LZ was a real bad one and that it was now known it was a Division Headquarters for the NVA, surrounded by fortified positions. Both men and their Yards were determined to go in, and shortly after noon boarded WO MacDonald?s aircraft and headed for Dak Seang. The flight of two, with the SF Team, arrived on site just as two F4's from Pleiku strafed the surrounding hillside, and four A1E Skyraiders dropped napalm. Two Air Force Jolly Green Giants from the 37th ARRS, stationed at Da Nang were on station and ready to approach the LZ. The Bikini aircraft who had been on site for hours warned the aircraft that the standard approach they were taking to the LZ was too risky, but the SARs continued to align themselves for approach. MacDonald was flying the aircraft. Sitting beside him as co-pilot was WO Tom Bennie. After notifying Neal, Kuropas, and the crew they were going in, Macdonald dropped the Huey into a steep dive and headed to the valley floor. WO Jim Lake with WO John Kenny, copilot, was right behind them as chase ship. MacDonald leveled off above the valley floor, staying low and fast up the side of the mountain to the LZ. Immediately he reported extensive fire from 360 degrees, but he pressed on. As he reached the LZ, MacDonald was taking extremely heavy concentrated small arms and RPD fire from all sides. Behind him, Neal, Kuropas, and the entire Montagnard Team lay dead from multiple gunshot wounds. FOR THE FULL STORY SEE http://www.macvsog.cc/dak_seang_15_apr_70.htm#Dak Seang

 

Michael V Kuropas

Dennis W. Neal,

 

POSTED ON 11.24.2016 
 
POSTED BY: DAI-UY MATT BEYELER

LZ (LANDING ZONE) ORANGE...FROM WALL OF FACES

From "Tales of SOG" here is a story that to me seems to epitomize the biblical verse "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13) On 15Apr70, just over 46 years ago, RT Montana was asked to help rescue the crew of a shot down 170th AHC Huey in the mountains high above Dak Seang, Vietnam at a small clearing called LZ Orange... Two US SOG troopers, SSG Denis Neal and SSG Michael V. Kuropas, and several Yards did not make it back alive. This photo below of RT Montana was taken just before this action. The next photo in this photo book was taken by yours truly as I was training to go out with the now reconstituted RT Montana one year later to look for an NVA sapper battalion NW of Dak To and right up against the Laotian border...Here is the link to the story... Read it and weep...! Literally...Also, I must offer my humblest of thanks to all of the Army and Air Force aircrews who showed up and tried to help: the 3 OH-6 Loaches, that C-123, the F-4s and A1Es, the Jolly Green Giants and all of the Hueys and Cobras... Some of them did not make it back to their base alive..Just imagine being asked to climb into a Huey and fly into a very small clearing high up in the mountains right next to Laos to rescue a shot down Huey crew and some pathfinders, and knowing by then that they were surrounded by hundreds, if not thousands, of NVA soldiers ready, willing and able to take shots at you... Would you have climbed into that Huey...? http://www.macvsog.cc/dak_seang_15_apr_70.htm#Dak Seang

In Respectful and Loving Memory

SSG Dennis Neal

SSG Michael V. Kuropas

 Then the call came to lay down their lives for their comrades in the afternoon hours of April 15, 1970. Would they take the call?

The 170th Aviation Helicopter Company had in the early morning hours of April 15th started inserting reinforcements on a small hill that was nothing more than a bald knob with craters outside the perimeter of a Special Forces Camp. However, this bald knob was a strategic position, which offered a premier vantage point over the entire valley and was in demand by both the Americans and North Vietnamese. The reinforcements were to come to the aid of an isolated Special Forces Camp at Dak Seang under siege by an entire North Vietnamese Army Division. Unknown to the reinforcement element, the bald knob was already under the control of the North Vietnamese Army’s Divisional Headquarters element. The first helicopter successfully landed without incident where two pathfinders and six Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) soldiers disembarked. The helicopter departed and the two Americans pathfinders started to bring in the remaining flight of helicopters with their reinforcements aboard. The North Vietnamese waited and as the next helicopter approached and was about 50 feet from the Landing Zone (LZ), they opened up from all directions on the crew on the ground and the inbound helicopter, killing one of the pathfinders immediately. Aboard the helicopter, the crew chief was hit repeatedly as the helicopter crashed and the eight ARVN soldiers aboard were killed. The pilot, co-pilot, and door gunner survived the crash along with the wounded crew chief. As these individuals were attempting to distance themselves from their downed bird, the pilot was hit a number of times in the back and fell wounded. The co-pilot drug the pilot away from the helicopter to the side of the hill below a crater and were joined by the door gunner. The pathfinder who had survived the initial volley of fire on the ground moved to aircraft wreckage and rescued the wounded crew chief and moved back to where the wounded pilot was lying.

The surviving Americans and ARVN soldiers were completely surrounded by a dug in and well Fortified enemy. As the defenders started laying down suppressive fire so they could move about, the six ARVN soldiers ran into the jungle, deserting the Americans. Throughout the day, a number of attempt were made to rescue these soldiers to no avail. The North Vietnamese were using the trapped Americans as bait to draw in other rescue helicopters. By 1:00 pm, the authorized rescue attempts stopped due to the intense barrage of enemy fire and damages sustained by the rescue aircrafts. Even with the Air Force’s fast flyers (F4's and A1E’s) strafing and dropping Napalm around the besieged aircrew, the enemy did not lose ground and those survivors were being chocked and were at the mercy of the enemy who would taunt them by firing into the dead pathfinder, who’s body was exposed.

The weather was becoming worse and the risk to aircraft greater, soon they would be socked in and rescue out of the question. They were like mice being played with by a menacing cat, taking his time for the kill. The Special Forces Camp was under siege and the weather was now turning against them. Another negative turn of event was looming against their survival. The Army and Air Force commands decided rescue was no longer possible and no further attempt would be made sealing their fate to death.

Two other 170th’s helicopters had been inserting SOG recon teams around 9:00am, their crews were listening to the radio traffic regarding the Dak Seang reinforcement and rescue attempts. They landed at Dak To, requested release from their mission so they could assist in the rescue and asked for a SOG brightlight team, which SOG agreed. Dak To made communication with CCC at Kontum for the team.. Two SOG recon team volunteered to mount a rescue attempt. SSG Dennis Neal, Team Leader of Recon Team Montana and SSG Michael V. Kuropas, Team Leader of Recon Team Vermont volunteer for the mission and without hesitation, as usual, their Montagnards also volunteered. They combined their two recon teams to form a brightlight extraction force and were picked up and arrived on station about 2:00pm where they watched Jolly 27 (Jolly Green Giant, CH-46 helicopter) crash. By the time the SOG brightlight team arrived and were ready for their rescue attempt, they were fully aware of what had happened. (Two 170th Huey helicopters had been shot down, six shot up, one OH6 helicopter blown out of the sky, one Jolly Green crashed and another shot up so bad it had to be scrapped after landing, and one A1E aircraft last seen leaving the area of operations with one engine on fire).

The brightlight team maintained a holding pattern at high altitude watching a number of other unauthorized attempts to rescue, which were unsuccessful. At about 3:00 pm, with full knowledge of what they were about to face, a decision was at hand. It was time for a last ditch effort and as their helicopters approached the bald knob LZ, they started taking heavy machine gun fire from a quarter mile out. As the helicopter with the SSG Neal and Kuropas made it’s approach to the LZ, it came under intense enemy fire, the chopper was losing torque in their engine. Before the helicopter was forced down, SSG Neal, Kuropas, and the Montagnard Team members were all dead or dying from severe multiple gunshot wounds.

The helicopter’s tail boom had been hit by a B40 rocket which did not detonate, but logged itself in the bindings of the tail-rotor controls. The chopper slammed onto the LZ hard, several of the aircrew that had been pinned down made it to the helicopter which was able to manage to regain enough power and torque to lift off and fall down the hill side away from the enemy, all the while taking a steady hail of enemy fire.

Of this action, SGT Rosido Montana, pathfinder, of the 52nd Avn Bn was killed with the initial volley of fire. Eight ARVN soldiers aboard the crashed helicopter were killed and the pilot, WO Albert J. Barthelme, Jr., died of wounds before the rescue aircraft arrived. SSG Dennis Neal and SSG Michael V. Kuropas along with all the Montagnards of SOG were killed before the rescue helicopter slammed onto the Landing Zone. Sp/4 Vincent S. Davies, door gunner and Sp/5 Donald C. Summers, Crew Chief, both of the crashed helicopter, suffered multiple gunshot wounds were rescued. The co-pilot, WO Roger A Miller of the crashed helicopter was attempting to retrieve the body of WO Albert J Barthelme, Jr. and was left behind as was CPL Herndon A Bivens, pathfinder, of the 52nd Avn Bn who had positioned himself in the crashed helicopter fighting off the NVA with his M60 machine gun when last seen. The co-pilot, WO Tom Bennie of the rescue helicopter was wounded. At the conclusion of the war in 1973, WO Roger A Miller was release as a prisoner of war. He relates he and CPL Bivens were captured after spending the night and while attempting to return to friendly lines the following day. They were ambushed by the Viet Cong and CPL Bivens was wounded 5 or 6 times in he chest. The Viet Cong later told him Bivens had died after a couple of hours after being wounded. In effect,

All had been either killed, wounded, taken prisoners with the exception of the pilot of the rescue helicopter, Captain Bill MacDonald.

Without the heroic action of SSG Neal, Kuropas, the Special Commando’s, SOG’s disregard of command’s directives, and the men of the 170th Aviation Helicopter Company, the rescue would not have been made.

See Dak Seang for complete details of this action by Col Donald C. Summers.

 

 

 

pOSTED ON 8.24.2015 ON tHE wALLOF FACES

POSTED BY: [email protected]

FINAL MISSION OF SSGT MICHAEL V. KUROPAS - TOTALLY INCORECT

SSGT Michael V. Kuropas distinguished himself on April 15, 1970 while serving as a member of a reconnaissance team deep in enemy controlled territory. While on the reconnaissance mission, SSGT Kuropas was responsible for rear security of his team. As the team proceeded in the search area, enemy elements detected the rear security and placed a heavy volume of accurate fire on them. SSGT Kuropas left his position when he noticed five comrades in danger of being overrun by the enemy. Ignoring the intense enemy fire, SSGT Kuropas advanced to the area of his comrades and began detonating claymore mines and placing heavy automatic weapons fire upon the enemy elements. SSGT Kuropas, despite being wounded several times, refused medical aid and continued to fight until finally falling unconsciousness from his wounds. He died shortly after being evacuated from the area. SSGT Kuropas’ gallantry in action, at the cost of his life, was in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army. [Taken from SSGT Kuropas’ Silver Star citation]
POSTED ON 11.24.2016
 
POSTED BY: DAI-UY MATT BEYELER
 

 

1970

04

17

E-7 SFC

Jerry L.

Prentner

91B4S

DNH, accidental self destruction

SVN; CCS, Dispensary Medic, Darlac Prov., accidental GSW

17 Apr 70- Jerry L Prentner, SFC B-7, USASF, CCS, Ops 35, Accidental Gun Shot- KIA-RR

 

POSTED ON 8.25.2015
 
POSTED BY: [email protected]

GROUND CASUALTY

On April 17, 1970, SFC Jerry L. Prentner was a 20-year medical veteran serving as a chase medic at MLS when he died of an accidental discharge of his weapon at the CCS Medical Clinic. He was 38 years-old. [Taken from Secret Green Beret Commandos in Cambodia at books.google.com]

 

1970

05

8

E-5 SGT

Charles J.

Hein  Jr.

11B4S

DNH, accidental self destruction

SVN; CCC, w/ RT Vermont, Kontum Prov.; WP grenade accident

08 May 70- Charles J. Hein, Jr, SGT E-5, USASF, CCC- On May 6, John and other members of his unit were getting ready to go out on maneuvers and they were getting the grenades packed. The grenade Hein was handling fell on the concrete floor and cracked. “He saw that the fuse had been detonated and so he picked it up and ran to the door to get it out of the building, but before he could get rid of it, it blew up in his hands.” John was airlifted to the hospital in Pleiku and died two days later 

 

Charles J. Hein, Jr,

Charles top left


Sidney man gave his life to save fellow soldiers By TESS GRUBER NELSON, Staff Writer

Published: Wednesday, March 17, 2010 8:50 AM CD On his 22nd birthday, May 8, 1970, Charles John Hein, Jr., known as Johnny to his friends and family, passed away in a Pleiku Hospital after sustaining injuries trying to save his fellow soldiers during the Vietnam War. When injured two days earlier, John, a 1966 graduate of Sidney High School, was a member of the Fifth Special Forces unit, stationed in Kontum Province, located in the central highlands region of Vietnam. “He was adventurous, full of life, happy and he loved challenges,” said his older sister, Anna Lee Linglitz of Aurelia, Iowa. “He dove head-long into everything.”
An athlete at Sidney High School, who once held school records in the 220 and 440-yard dash, as well as the 4x440 and 4x880 relays, John was also a guard on the football team. “The coach called him one of the roughest linemen he ever coached,” said Langlitz. After graduation, John attended one semester of college at Peru State before enlisting in the Army. “School was just not his thing.” Basic training was completed at Fort Benning, Ga., with advanced individual training at Fort Gordon, Ga. John then completed jump training at Fort Benning and Green Beret training, also known as Special Forces training, at Fort Bragg, N.C. He liked excitement and adventure, so it didn’t surprise me he went into Special Forces,” said Langlitz. Assigned to the 7th Special Forces stationed at Fort Bragg, John received orders for Vietnam. He returned to Sidney for a few weeks, before catching a plane out of Omaha for San Diego, where he met up with other soldiers in his unit. “On August 16, 1969 he left for his tour in Vietnam. He belonged to Team Vermont of the 5th Special Forces group - in the MACV-SOG (military assistance command, Vietnam - Studies and Observation Group).” Langlitz said as a member of Special Forces, her brother was always under secret orders and that the MACV-SOG performed covert, unconventional warfare operations. “He was commander of long-range reconnaissance,” she added. “He was in the central highlands during his death. They were helping train the Montagnards (indigenous people of southeast Asia) and they were running reconnaissance from there.” Although John often wrote to his family, especially his mother, while in basic training, he didn’t write to his family while in Vietnam. Lanlitz said he probably couldn’t write because of his secret missions. “He didn’t write, but he did send pictures. A lot of the pictures his friends took.” While in Vietnam, John was promoted to Sergeant, an honor he was very proud of. “He liked being in the Army. He believed he was doing his patriotic duty. Before he went, he told us not to grieve for him if something happened to him because he was proud of his job and his outfit.” On May 6, John and other members of his unit were getting ready to go out on maneuvers and they were getting the grenades packed. The grenade Hein was handling fell on the concrete floor and cracked. “He saw that the fuse had been detonated and so he picked it up and ran to the door to get it out of the building, but before he could get rid of it, it blew up in his hands.” John was airlifted to the hospital in Pleiku and died two days later on May 8, his birthday. “It doesn’t surprise me he was trying to save his team members,” Langlitz said. “That’s exactly what he would have done.” Charles and Lillian Hein received word of their son’s death when an Army officer came to their home in Anderson on May 12 - Lillian’s birthday. “My mother kept a diary from 1937 until she died in 1999. In her diary on that day she wrote, ‘Sergeant Fletcher came 4:15. John died May 8.’ The rest of it is kind of personal.’” The loss of their son had a profound affect on Charles and Lillian, explained Langlitz. “She always grieved, but the one it changed was my dad. It basically destroyed my dad. He was never able to deal with it.” The death of her only sibling changed Langlitz as well. “For a long time I was angry, but time gets rid of the anger. You never forget, it’s always there, it’s always with you, but the edge gets taken off after a while,” she described. “You can’t live with that much anger and grief forever.” An Army officer escorted John’s body back to Sidney, and a closed casket service was held May 19, 1970, at the Sidney Presbyterian Church. Langlitz said casket bearers were members of the Special Forces and 12 high school friends of John served as honorary casket bearers. “I was so numb that day,” Langlitz recalled. “It took quite a while for me to accept it was really him.” Doubting it could really be John, Langlitz said the funeral director informed her and Lillian he had seen the body and verified it was definitely him. “He had horrific injuries, but he could tell it was him.” John was laid to rest in the Chambers family cemetery located in rural Fremont County.
“I tend to think of him (John) the way he was when we put him on the plane (for Vietnam). It’s hard for me to imagine him as a 62-year-old man, which is what he would be if he’d lived.” Langlitz’s son, Grant, was born two months after John’s death. She said Grant’s birth helped her deal with the anger and grief. “I had an infant I needed to take care of and I focused my attention on him,” she said. “He (John) knew I was pregnant and that he was going to have a niece or nephew. He was excited about it. It’s sad they (Grant and Lisa) never got to know him.” While Langlitz described herself as reserved and studious, she said John was more outgoing. “He was a singer, always got the lead in the play - he went out and made things happen, and was fun to be around. He also had a good sense of humor,” she described. “He was also very handsome. He was a ladies man who liked girls, fast horses and fast cars.” In addition to Lisa conducting research on the uncle she never got to meet, Langlitz said Congressional Medal of Honor winner Franklin Douglas Miller, who has since passed away, contacted her quite a few years ago to tell her about the John he knew. “He was his (John’s) best buddy over there,” she said. “NBC News was doing a piece of three Congressional Medal of Honor recipients living in Florida. They were each asked who their hero was, and Doug named my brother as his hero. NBC then contacted me and wanted pictures (of John). I started writing to Doug after that and he told me the names of two other people, Lee Burkins and John Plaster, who were also friends of John.” John was posthumously promoted to staff sergeant and also received the Soldier’s Medal, Bronze Star and Armed Forces Honor Medal given by the Republic of Vietnam. “He had applied for extended duty while there (Vietnam) and I think he would have made a career out of the Army.” Older then John by three years, Langlitz, a retired English teacher, said she and her husband Randall visited the Vietnam Wall Memorial in 2000. “I thought it wouldn’t bother me, but I cried from the time I got there until we left - I fell apart 30 years later.” She left a letter and a red rose near her brother’s name, located on panel 11, line 131. “I’m very proud of him- always very proud of him,” Langlitz said

 

1970

05

12

E-6 SSG

Robert F.

Preiss, Jr.

11B4S

KIA, DWM (recovered 06/20/95)

Laos; CCN, RT Cobra, YC298740, 21k SW of A-102, A Shau

12 May 70- Robert Francis Preiss, SSG E-6 of Cornwall, NY, USASF, Recon Team Cobra, CCN, Da Nang, Ops 35 KIA - Body recovered. While on a recon mission in Laos, the team was engaged by a North Vietnamese Army squad size unit while the team was on a rest break and SSG Preiss was mortally wounded. Due to the enemy situation, the team was enforced to withdraw leaving Preiss's remains behind. A search team was inserted on the 18th and it appears the battle area had been sterilized and a large rock slide had occurred. The only indication of Preiss? presence is the smell of decomposing flesh from beneath the rock slide.

Robert Francis Preiss

Preiss center

OSTED ON 8.25.2015
 
POSTED BY: [email protected]

FINAL MISSION OF SSGT ROBERT F. PREISS JR.

On May 12, 1970, SSGT Preiss was a team leader of reconnaissance team COBRA when during a rest break, the team was taken under fire by a squad-sized NVA element. SSGT Preiss suffered a mortal wound and later died. Due to the tactical situation, the team was forced to withdraw, leaving Preiss behind. On May 18, 1970, a recovery team was inserted into the area to search for the body of SSGT Preiss. From all indications, the battle area had been sterilized and a large rockslide had occurred. The only sign of Preiss was the smell of decomposing flesh from beneath the rock slide. It was believed that SSGT Preiss' body was under the rocks, but they were large and could not be moved. In March and April of 1995, a joint U.S./Lao People's Democratic Republic team investigated Preiss' loss in Xekong Province. The team conducted a ground search along the banks of the stream in the vicinity of the loss location with negative results. In May 1995, another joint team interviewed villagers nearby and persuaded them to take the team to a place where remains allegedly had been seen. The team did recover some personal equipment and possible human remains. A third trip was made to the area in April 1997. This team recovered material evidence, however no remains or personal effects were found during this investigation. In early 1998, another joint team excavated the site where they recovered possible human remains and personal effects. Anthropological analysis of the remains and other evidence by CILHI confirmed the identification of Preiss. [Taken from pownetwork.org]

 

 

1970

05

25

E-6 SSG

Robert L.

Coleman

11B4S

KIA, DOW

Laos; CCN, RT New Jersey

25 May 70- Robert L. Coleman, SSG E-6, USASF, RT NEW JERSEY, CCN, Da Nang, Ops 35, KIA-RR Coleman, a member of a team on a recon mission in Laos. The team was attacked by a North Vietnamese Unit and Coleman was shot in the spleen and bled to death before medical assistance could be provided.

Robert L. Coleman

30 May 70- Brian J DeVaney CWO aka B.J, of the 17Oth AHC, a native Canadian, who's last day of flying was the day before. One of his last missions was to insert a SOG recon team from CCC in the BRA area of the Ho Chi Minh Trail on 28 March. On the 30th, he learned the team was now in trouble and need to be extracted from the area, he felt it was his responsibility to extract the team since he had inserted them and therefore took the mission. Upon the approach to extract the team, the helicopter came under intense fire from a RPD Machine Gun, raking the chopper from front to rear while it hovered in an effort to pick up the team under fire. Several rounds entered from the rear of the aircraft. Two rounds hit SP/4 John P. Martin, Of the 17Oth AHC, crew chief, sitting directly behind the pilot DeVaney, one round hit Martin in the left thigh and one hitting the left tibia and going through the right Femur. One of these rounds that hit Martin passed through about a 1/4" inch crack in the Armor Plating protecting the pilot hitting CWO DeVaney’s armor chest plate bouncing back into his heart killing him instantly. The aircraft rolled, crashed and burned. SP/4 Martin came to from being unconscious, he was under the fuel cell of the aircraft, as he began to crawl away, Lt John W Naurot, of CCC's Recon Team, left the safety of the bomb crater and retrieved Martin by pulling him to safety in the crater. How the other crew members consisting of the Co Pilot Taylor and B.J got to the crater is not clear, Either the Co-Pilot and other members got to the crater themselves or the other members of the Recon Team exposed themselves to the hail of bullets by crawling out and pulling the crew back to safety. One SCU scout was also KIA in this incident. All members were rescued by another 170th Helicopter who lost 4" of tail rotor in the extraction. (Information provided by John P. Martin and edited by Robert Noe)

Brian J DeVaney

POSTED ON 8.27.2015
 
POSTED BY: [email protected]

FINAL MISSION OF CW2 BRIAN J. DEVANEY

On May 30, 1970, a U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H (tail number 67-17205) from the 170th Assault Helicopter Company was shot down during a SOG extraction in Laos. There are two accounts for this incident: First account - CW2 Brian J. (B.J.) DeVaney of the 170th AHC, a native Canadian, who's last day of flying was the day before. One of his last missions was to insert a SOG recon team from CCC in the “Bra” area of the Ho Chi Minh Trail on May 28, 1970. On May 30th, he learned the team was now in trouble and need to be extracted from the area, he felt it was his responsibility to extract the team since he had inserted them and therefore took the mission. Upon the approach to extract the team, the helicopter came under intense fire from a RPD machine gun, raking the chopper from front to rear while it hovered in an effort to pick up the team under fire. Several rounds entered from the rear of the aircraft. Two rounds hit crew chief SP4 John P. Martin, sitting directly behind the pilot DeVaney, one round hit Martin in the left thigh, and one hitting the left tibia and going through the right femur. One of these rounds that hit Martin passed through about a 1/4" inch crack in the armor plating protecting the pilot, hitting CWO DeVaney’s armor chest plate bouncing back into his heart killing him instantly. The aircraft rolled, crashed and burned. SP4 Martin came to from being unconscious and found he was under the fuel cell of the aircraft. As he began to crawl away, LT John W Naurot, of CCC's Recon Team, left the safety of the bomb crater and retrieved Martin by pulling him in the crater. How the other crew members consisting of the co-pilot Taylor and B.J got to the crater is not clear, either the co-pilot and other members got to the crater themselves, or the other members of the Recon Team exposed themselves to the hail of bullets by crawling out and pulling the crew back to safety. One SCU scout was also KIA in this incident. All members were rescued by another 170th Helicopter who lost 4" of tail rotor in the extraction. (Information provided by John P. Martin and edited by Robert Noe) [Taken from macvsog.cc] 

Second account - LT Robert Talmadge, the 1st Lift Platoon leader, provides a lengthy description of the 'life and times in the 170th,' a description of B.J.'s flying skills, and details about his death in 'Unknown Warriors: Canadians in Vietnam' by Fred Gafffen. B.J. was born a Canadian and retained his Canadian citizenship. What follows is an extract of that account: B.J. had completed one year in gunships and was most of the way through his six-month extension. He was a well-respected slick aircraft commander. He had been shot down twice during his time with the 170th. He wasn't scheduled to fly on the 30th because he was due to go home. However, the night before he signed up for one more mission. On the 30th he was Flight Lead on an SOB extraction mission out of Dak To. Talmadge was flying co-pilot in the reserve ship which launched when the call came that 'Lead's down.' The recon team and downed crew were in a bomb crater surrounded by jagged tree stumps in an area of Laos called 'The Bra.' CW2 Rich Glover was the aircraft commander of Talmadge’s aircraft. The recon team was receiving heavy machine-gun fire and didn’t want any more helicopters to come into their area. Disregarding this, Rich made a high overhead approach and hovered near the edge of the crater. As soon as the downed crew and wounded recon team members were on board, Rich started backing away from the crater. He inadvertently hit a tree stump with the tail rotor but managed to maintain control of the aircraft. As they headed for Ben Het, Talmadge got out of his seat and went back to help CW2 Mike Taylor, who had been flying with B.J., and the other wounded. He yelled to Rich that they needed to get to the Evac Hospital in Pleiku. Rich yelled back that he didn’t think the tail rotor would hold up that long but it did. Later inspection revealed almost three inches were missing from the tips of the tail rotor and one blade still had a four-inch piece of wood stuck in it. About 10 minutes after B.J. was taken into the Evac Hospital a nurse returned to say that B.J. didn’t make it. A doctor later told them that a remnant from a large-caliber round had come through the side of B.J.’s chicken plate, bounced back into his body and entered his heart. [Taken from vhpa.org]

1970

06

4

O-2 1LT

Mark H.

Rivest

31542

KIA

Laos; CCC, Reaction Company, Plt Ldr; small arms fire

04 Jun 70- Mark H. Rivest, 1LT 0-2, USASF, Reaction PLT LDR CCC-KIA in Laos

Mark H. Rivest

POSTED ON 8.26.2015
 
POSTED BY: [email protected]

FINAL MISSION OF 1LT MARK H. RIVEST

1LT Mark H. Rivest distinguished himself while serving as a platoon leader on a mission deep within enemy controlled territory. At the conclusion of an unsuccessful search for enemy activity, 1LT Rivest directed his men to establish a night defensive perimeter. 1LT Rivest then began placing guards around the perimeter in strategic locations while the remaining team members were busy preparing for the night. Suddenly, 1LT Rivest encountered an enemy unit silently advancing on the friendly position. In order to prevent the enemy from surprising his men as they worked, he immediately placed intense fire on the enemy troops, forcing them to trigger their attack prematurely. Although mortally wounded by the return fire of enemy fire, 1LT Rivest’s immediate and determined actions enabled his team members to repel the disorganized enemy without suffering further casualties. 1LT Rivest’s gallantry in action, at the cost of his life, was in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army. [Narrative taken from 1LT Rivest’s Silver Star award]

 

1970

06

10

O-2 1LT

Vyrl E.

Leichliter, Jr.

31542

KIA

Cam; CCS, w/ Exploitation Force, Platoon Ldr; small arms fire

10 Jun 70- Vyrl E. Leichlieter, 1LT 0-2, USASF, CCS, Plt Ldr-KIA small arms fire

Vyrl E. Leichlieter

POSTED ON 9.21.2019
 
POSTED BY: [email protected]

FINAL MISSION OF 1LT VYRL E. LEICHLITER

1LT Vyrl E. Leichliter served in the U.S. Army Special Forces, assigned to Command and Control South (CCS) at Ban Me Thuot, Military Assistance Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group (MACV-SOG), 5th Special Forces Group. In early June 1970, 1LT Leichliter was part of a 32-man Platoon Exploitation mission launched by CCS into northeast Cambodia. Their objective was to interdict North Vietnamese Army troops in the area and take prisoners during their planned 12-day patrol. They were part of a larger SOG Exploitation Company which was conducting reconnaissance and gathering intelligence inside of Cambodia. The mission was characterized by zig-zag movements some nine kilometers into Cambodia with nearly daily small unit contacts with the NVA. It was during one these brief engagements that Leichliter was killed. On June 9, 1970, while leading a small team in search of a new patrol base for the evening, Leichliter’s squad bumped into an NVA element at close range and he was killed instantly. A team of five was dispatched to recover his body, finding Leichliter laying on his back in the brush with at least two wounds to the center of his chest. He was carried back to a hastily created perimeter under heavy enemy fire. A large man, it took all five team members to carry Leichliter and his equipment. The platoon was extracted by helicopter shortly after. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and the book “Secret Green Beret Commandos in Cambodia: A Memorial History of MACV-SOG's in Cambodia” by Fred S. Lindsey]

30 Jun 70- William Stephen Sanders CPT 0-3, Pilot, FAC, of Winthrop, Maine USAF, 23rd Tac Air Spt, and Five crew members of an HH53, Captain Leroy C. Schaneberg, pilot; Major John W. Goeglein, co-pilot; SSgt Marvin E. Bell, flight engineer; SSgt Michael F. Dean, pararescueman; and MSgt. Paul L. Jenkins, pararescueman 40TH ARRS, 3RD AIR RESCUE GROUP, 7TH AF , Ops 32,MIA. His aircraft was shot down while providing support for a SOG recon team in Laos. The back seat rider escaped and was rescued. (Filed by William "Bill" Sheldon: CPT William Sanders, USAF, was flying a mission out of MLT 3, NKP. Back seater was SFC Albert Mosiello, USASF, CCN, MLT 3. Mosiello stated they were hit in the side by apparently a 37mm AAA round. He debriefed that the explosion probably killed CPT Sanders. Mosiello ejected, and was under canopy for 4 - 10 seconds. An HH 53 Jolly Green from 37th ARRS was launched from Danang to recover Mosiello. Sandys (A1s were covering). As the HH53 made an approach to hover, an NVA fired an RPG into the rotor of the HH53. The aircraft rolled out of the sky and exploded in a huge fireball. All 6 crew members were presumed KIA. 56th SOW commander, COL Sam Crosby informed me the 37th was launching another HH53, and asked if I desired to arm the A1s with tear gas for fire suppression. I affirmed, and as soon as the tear gas was down, the 2nd HH53 picked Mosiello out on a penetrator. I flew an electronic search of the crash site the following morning, with CPT Fred Parrot, FAC pilot 23rd TASS. No radio signals detected, no movement in or near the site. An NVA company was observed moving to the area. We pickled 2 pods of HE rockets into the NVA, and then departed the area. I sat on a KIA/MIA board. CPT Sanders was presumed to be KIA, but as I recall the status remained MIA for a long time. His status is still Body not Recovered; however, the five crew members of the HH53 Remains have been recovered. 

William Stephen Sanders

Leroy C. Schaneberg

John W. Goeglein

 

Michael F. Dean

Paul L. Jenkins,

A note from The Virtual Wall

On 30 June 1970, Captain William S. Sanders, pilot, and SFC Albert E. Mosiello, observer, were conducting a visual reconnaissance mission in an OV-10A (tail number 68-3807, call sign "Nail 44"). Due to mission requirements for handheld photography NAIL 44 was flying below the usual minimum of 1500 feet. The aircraft was taken under fire and 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, Mosiello ejected. The OV-10 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). A second FAC in the vicinity heard SFC Mosiello's emergency beeper and made radio contact with the downed observer. He then initiated Search and Rescue operations. A 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

As the aircraft hovered over SFC Mosiello's 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 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 Da Nang and A-1E SANDYs for fire suppression. SFC Mosiello was picked up. In his debriefing statement, SFC Mosiello stated a belief that Captain Sanders had been killed by the AAA hit and that he did not see Sanders eject or another parachute deploy. Search efforts for the 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. Efforts to locate the OV-10 crash site were unsuccessful due to the terrain and dense jungle.

17 Nov 2002

I rode in his airplane. We slipped those surly bonds and faced the dangers of combat together. He was a very good pilot, and a Forward Air Controller who did a superb job supporting the men of SOG on the ground. He died way too young, and his body has yet to be recovered. But I shall always remember him as such a good man, a good pilot, a great FAC, and a friend. God bless you Bill Sanders, NAIL 44. From a friend and comrade-in-arms, Bill Shelton [email protected]

POSTED ON 10.4.2014
 
POSTED BY: [email protected]

FINAL MISSION OF CAPT WILLIAMS S. SANDERS

On June 30, 1970, a crew from the 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron at Udorn Airfield, Thailand was dispatched to rescue a downed flight crew. Crew aboard the Sikorsky HH-53C "Super Jolly" helicopter included the pilot, CAPT Leroy C. Schaneberg, crewmembers MAJ John W. Goeglein, MSGT Paul L. Jenkins, SSGT Marvin E. Bell, and SSGT Michael F. Dean. The members of the 40th Air R & R were trained for both air and sea recovery, and the big "Super Jolly" was equipped to airlift both the crew and aircraft out of sticky situations. The downed and injured pilot was located in Savannakhet Province, Laos, about two kilometers south of Bang Tang. The HH-53C penetrated the area, known to be hostile, in an attempt to rescue the pilot, but was forced away by hostile ground fire. A second attempt was made, but the helicopter was hit by hostile fire, caught on fire, went out of control and crashed. The Air Force states it received evidence on July 4, 1970, that the crew was dead, but that evidence is not specifically described, and no remains identifiable as Bell, Dean, Goeglein, Schaneberg, or Jenkins have been recovered. Schaneberg received the Air Force Cross for extraordinary heroism as the aircraft commander on this rescue mission. On the same day, CAPT Williams S. Sanders was flying an OV-10A Bronco southeast of Khe Sanh at a point where Laos veers north to intrude on South Vietnam. His aircraft was shot down just inside Laos, not far from the location of the downed helicopter. The Bronco was generally used for marking targets, armed reconnaissance and forward air control, so the nature of CAPT Sanders' mission and its precise relation to the mission of the Super Jolly from Udorn is unknown. The crew of the helicopter was numerically listed missing before the OV-10, so it is does not seem likely that the helicopter was assisting the observation aircraft, but as no other aircraft is missing on that day in that area, either the downed pilot was Sanders or the pilot was rescued by other means. [Narrative taken from pownetwork.org; image from wikipedia.org]

 

(?) Jul 70, A Special Commando Scout, Bru, PIt Ldr, Co A, Hatchet Force This SCU was killed while he and some of the PIt Scouts along with SFC Robert Noe were were on the South China Beach of CCN compound after being returned from an extended tour of security duty of Hickory Radio Relay site. While in the water with some of his Plt members, a hand grenade was thrown into their midst and exploded resulting in his death.  Correction:  Interestingly enough, I was about 20 feet from this guy when the grenade went off, retrieved him from the surf and ended up taking him to the 95th Evac where he was pronounced dead, then on to the Morgue at the Da Nang...My take on the event (according to the other SCU wounded), was that the subject was fishing with a grenade in waist deep water, had just pulled the pin to throw it when he dropped it (his hands were wet), he bent down hoping to retrieve and throw it in time, but didn't quite make it... which accounted for the massive wound to his forehead.  Hadn't thought about that in years.... RT Hanna --Don't know which version is true, but you are correct, there was massive damage done to his head.  Went to the morgue and transported his body back home.  Maybe the version I got was because I was the American PLT Sgt and the Yards didn't want me to know they were fishing with explosives or the other yards didn’t know what he was doing and though someone threw the grenade at them????  Note: This was the day we got back from Hickory and that afternoon was sent on the Co Roc mission.. RL Noe

1970

07

4

E-7 SFC

Charles F.

Bookout

11C4F

KIA, BNR

Laos; CCN, RT Colorado,YC362495, 16k west of Ta Ko

04 Jul 70- Charles Franidin Bookout. SFC E-7 of Oklahoma City, OK, USASF, RT COLORADO, CCN, Da Nang, Ops 35 KIA, Body not recovered. The team was on Recon in Laos which was ambushed where he was wounded, examined by a team member who found a single bullet hole in Bookout?s back. A few moments later stopped breathing. Because of the tactical situation, his body could not be extracted at the time. (Added by Fred Wunderlich, "Lightning": The team?s 11, Oliveras, confirmed a head shot)  Body not recovered as of 25Jan2023  He was a personal friend of Jack Frost, my former room mate. rln

Charles Franidin Bookout

 

POSTED ON 6.26.2014
 
POSTED BY: [email protected]

FINAL MISSION OF SFC CHARLES F. BOOKOUT

On the Fourth of July in 1970, SFC Bookout was conducting a reconnaissance mission when his unit was ambushed in Laos. The team's position was near the border of Laos and South Vietnam, south of the South Vietnam city of A Shau, in Saravane Province, Laos. On the first burst of fire, SFC Bookout was wounded. He was examined by one of the squad members, and a single bullet hole was found in the left side of his back. About 10 minutes later he stopped breathing, and no pulse could be found. Due to the tactical situation and the intense enemy fire, the team was instructed to move to a clearing for extraction. SFC Bookout was left behind, because it would have slowed the progress and endangered the lives of the rest of the team to try and carry him to safety. It was believed that he was dead. The rest of the team was extracted safely at about 1900 hours that day. No search teams were inserted to recover Bookout because of impending darkness and the enemy situation. For every insertion like SFC Charles Bookout's that was detected and stopped, dozens of other commando teams safely slipped past NVA lines to strike a wide range of targets and collect vital information. The number of MACV-SOG missions conducted with Special Forces reconnaissance teams into Laos and Cambodia was 452 in 1969. It was the most sustained American campaign of raiding, sabotage and intelligence gathering waged on foreign soil in U.S. military history. MACV-SOG's teams earned a global reputation as one of the most combat effective deep-penetration forces ever raised. The missions Bookout and others were assigned were exceedingly dangerous and of strategic importance. The men who were put into such situations knew the chances of their recovery if captured was slim to none. [Taken from pownetwork.org]

 

1970

07

5

E-8 MSG

Richard L.

Smith

unk

KIA

SVN; CCC, HQ Co Club Manager, Kontum Prov., w/ SFC Lishchynsky ambushed returning from Pleiku

1970

07

5

E-7 SFC

George

Lishchynsky

11B4S

KIA

SVN; CCC, HQ Co, Kontum Prov., w/ MSG RL Smith ambushed returning from Pleiku

05 Jul 70- Richard L Smith, MSG E-8 and George Lishchynski (also spelled Lishcnynsky), SFC  USASF, CCC-KIA On July 5, 1970, SFC George Lishchynsky and MSGT Richard L. Smith were returning from Pleiku in a jeep along Highway 14 with two other persons (Dusty Moore and Jan Novy) when they were ambushed by a band of Viet Cong. Both SFC Lishchynsky and MSGT Smith suffered fatal wounds in the attack. [Taken from specialforceshistory.com]

 

Richard L Smith,

eGeorge Lishchynski (


1970

07

13

E-7 SFC

David B.

Hayes

05B4S

KIA

SVN; CCC, RT California, Kontum Prov., hit at first light when leaving RON site

13 Jul 70- David B. Hayes, SFC E-7, USASF, RT CALIFORNIA, CCC-KIA SMALL ARMS FIRE

David B. Hayes,

      

POSTED ON 6.6.2019
 
POSTED BY: BONNIE L COOPER

SFC DAVID B HAYES SILVER STAR CITATION:

For gallantry in action while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam: Sergeant First Class Hayes distinguished himself while serving as assistant team leader of a long range reconnaissance team operating deep within enemy controlled territory. As Sergeant Hayes and his comrades maneuvered through the mountainous, jungle terrain in search of enemy activity, they were suddenly ambushed from the rear by an element of enemy troops. Although seriously wounded in the initial burst of fire, Sergeant Hayes remained in an exposed position to place suppressive fire on the hostile force, thereby enabling his comrades to organize a hasty defensive position. He continued his determined efforts in an effective manner until he collapsed from the severity of his wounds. Sergeant First Class Hayes' gallantry in action, at the cost of his life, was in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

20 Jul 70 Cpt David W. Ayers, Co Pilot, US Army Helicopter 68-16550, Co A, 101st Abn Bn, 101st Abn Div.  KIA body recovered.  When attempting to insert a Hatchet Force Platoon from Co A, CCN on top of Co Roc Mountain.  Air loss Shot down in Laos on insertion, his aircraft was the first aircraft attempting to land and came under immediate fire, was hit by a RPG and fell off the top of Co Roc, down the steep clift and crashed, died on impact, helicopter burned before body could be removed.  Cpt Ayers, 25 years old from Simi, Ca., arrived in country Jun 70 and this was his initial checkout flight with Co A. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Click on --> CoRoc  (Cpt Ayers remains have been recovered and returned back to the US).  

NNOTES BY Robert Noe, Platoon Sgt: 

             1. WO Curtis Bodin was scheduled to be the Peter pilot on this mission on the AC that crashed with the loss of Cpt Ayers.  The morning of the mission he reported to Operations and saw that his name had been crossed out and Cpt Ayer's name written in. He went to Cpt Ayers and told him that he was suppose to be the Peter Pilot, he says that Cpt Ayers told him that Rank has its privileges.  Curtis says he was upset and  Cpt Ayers was new and this would was first mission, but after all these years realizes that it would have been him instead of Cpt Ayers that was killed. 

2             2. At the TOC Operation's briefing to the PL Ldr and Sgt it was stated there were teams inserted below the top with the mission to climb up to the top of Co Roc, but they got shot out almost immediately upon insertions so this mission was to insert the Exploitation Platoon on top of the mountain. The Plt Sgt asked why would they insert on top when the teams were all getting shot out below the top, the response was not to worry because they would be conduction bombing missions 24 hour before the insertion. Remembering WW2 pre-invasions prep with bombing and shelling, after which the enemy would emerge in full force for a defense...thus, it was determined this would be a suicide mission.  Some years later, the Plt Ldr said that he had been informed the insertion would be in advance of a NVA Regiment moving in to occupy Co Roc and the regiment beat us there.  It is my personal opinion that the saving grace for the Platoon was the emergance of that on NVA who fired the RPG which hit the lead chooper and the chopper fell off the mountain down the clift instead of crashing on top, thus preventing a repeat of the LZ ORANGE mission with the loss of Michael V Kuropas and Dennis W. Neal ON April 15, 1970   http://www.macvsog.cc/dak_seang_15_apr_70.htm#Dak Seang

Cpt David W. Ayers

POSTED ON 9.28.2015
 
POSTED BY: [email protected]

FINAL MISSION CAPT DAVID W. AYERS

There are three accounts for this incident: First account - The lead aircraft crew consisted of the following: aircraft commander WO Jim Wisecup, co-pilot CAPT David W. Ayers, crew chief Jimmy White, and gunner J.J. Makool. This lead aircraft received a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) hit as they were about to touch down in the LZ on top of Co Roc Mountain. It looked like AC Jim Wisecup immediately nosed his aircraft over the other side of the mountain, as it barely maintained flight above the trees down the mountainside. The aircraft was on fire now as it descended down the mountainside increasing towards an uncontrollable airspeed. At the bottom of the mountain it looked as if the RPG affected the controls of the aircraft as AC Jim Wisecup tried to slow down by flaring the aircraft prior to falling through the trees and on to the ground below. AC Jim Wisecup was our most experienced pilot at the time and it showed, as he needed to do some very special flying which saved many lives. LT James B. Weisbrod was the platoon leader with 5 other A Team members who were Montagnard commandos and all on the lead ship as it plunged down the mountainside and crashed through the trees and on to the ground. As AC Jim Wisecup flew his ship over and down the other side of the mountain, the second ship was approaching the LZ behind him. Aircraft commander WO Dennis Beattie and co-pilot LT Goggins were the pilots with crew chief and gunner unknown at this time. The second ship saw what was happening but was already committed to the approach to the LZ. They were taking quite a bit of ground fire with several hits to the aircraft. They were, however, able to continue on flying with a go around. SFC Robert Noe was the commando's platoon sergeant who was on the second ship with 5 of his montagnard commando team members. Over the radio came the A teams First Sergeant "SFC Noe" request for him and his team to be dropped off near the downed aircraft to provide the support needed to help in the rescue attempt. With the area hot, Dennis Beattie (second ship & aircraft commander) was advised by the C&C (command & control) aircraft that the mission was now aborted and he needed to head back home with his troops. I was the aircraft commander of the third aircraft and saw what happened to the lead ship. My crew was right behind the second ship and we decided to initiate a high over fly of the LZ as the second ship was on short final to the LZ. My copilot WO Jim Collins and the other crew members are unknown at this time. As we (the third aircraft) over flew the LZ, we headed down towards the crippled aircraft while our crew chief and gunner were providing fire support with their M-60's. The fourth and trail ship had the medic on board and would be the aircraft responsible for rescue of the downed crew and A Team members. Aircraft commander WO Mark Goodell (rest of crew unknown) positioned his aircraft for the rescue. His aircraft dropped down to a low hover to pick up the four down crew members and the six A Team members. Everyone was able to get into the ship except for three. Jim Wisecup looked to be hurt bad along with his co-pilot CAPT Ayers who was incapacitated or dead because of the crash impact. The entire area was on fire, so aircraft commander Mark Goodell had to bring the aircraft up to a high hover to avoid from having his aircraft from catching on fire. At the high hover his crew dropped two ropes and ladder for the downed soldiers. WO Jim Wisecup, while injured, was unwilling to leave his copilot behind, so he dragged CAPT Ayers out of the crashed aircraft and away from the burning area. WO Wisecup then hooked CAPT Ayers up to one of the STABO rigs (ropes), then climbed the ladder and assisted CE Jimmy Wright, who also was severely injured, by hooking him up to the ladder and then managed to climb into the rescue aircraft. The platoon leader of the A team, 1LT James B. Weisbrod, also severely injured, managed to hook himself on to the ropes while the crew chief; J J Makool (Crash Makool), the gunner, was walking around dazed from the crash landing and managed to make it into the rescue aircraft safely. I don't remember if any of the indigenous personnel were injured. AC Mark Goodell's aircraft was overloaded, especially with two personal on the ropes and one on the ladder. His aircraft would not have the power to take off "straight up" to avoid the surrounding fire. AC Mark Goodell did the only thing he could by initiating forward movement to gain speed to create the lift needed to take off from a high hover, using speed instead of the non-available power to lift the overweighed aircraft with all its occupants. In doing so AC Mark Goodell needed to over-torque the aircraft while both 1LT James B. Weisbrod and the copilot, CAPT Ayers were unfortunately being dragged along the ground through the brush, however, away from the fire. CAPT Ayers rope was already on fire, which then sadly came apart just as the aircraft lifted off. Although we believe CAPT Ayers was dead on impact of the aircraft crash, we knew how much more it would have meant to be able send his body home for burial for family and friends. Every other individual on or hanging from that aircraft most likely owes there life to Mark’s ability and courage in getting out of the very hostile and crippling situation. During the rescue, our ship Chalk 3 was assisting with firepower to suppress the enemy who was producing heavy weapons fire along with providing continues in-coming throughout the entire rescue area. Initially the Co Roc area was peppered with bombs and then the Cobras (attack helicopters), C Battery, 77th Aerial Rocket Artillery (Griffin’s) worked the area over, unloading their entire ordnance of rockets and ammunition to keep the enemy's heads down. Their brave actions are most likely the reason that only CAPT Ayers was lost during the mission. There was confusion when this mission occurred which hindered the participants in getting together. The records will indicate 7/19/70 or 7/20/70 depending on their origin. Several of the participants were able to get by this disinformation with the correct date being July 20, 1970. (Narrative by Frank A. Tigano) Second account - I remember in the briefing we were going to be dropped in front of a "suspected" NVA regiment. Forty Bru (indigenous soldiers), 4 Americans and I were going-staging in two lifts through Khe Sanh. I was in the second lift-lead chopper with Can Tua my interpreter and three other Yards. We flew over Khe Sanh heading for Co Roc and circled while it was prepped. As the chopper went into a hover close to the ground and I leaned forward to hop out, automatic weapons opened up at close range. I leaned back and opened fire. The chopper moved forward and the pilot dropped the nose over the edge and out of firing range. I knew the crew chief had been hit, but not in a vital area. I leaned out the door as we swooped down towards the valley and could see smoke and floor back by the engine compartment. As we neared the ground, I expected the pilot to auto rotate, but suddenly trees were flying by the door. I said "this is it!" and waited for impact. We hit and I felt the chopper bounce and thought "maybe...we'll make it." It bounced a second time and then hit and stopped. I looked around and saw the co-pilot slumped in his seat and the door gunner lying on the deck. I heard groaning from the front of the chopper and could see the pilot lying about 15-20 feet away still strapped to his seat. I looked down at my leg and could see my foot turned at 180 degrees from its normal position. I thought "I'm going home, BUT I have to get out of here first." I tried to stand- and couldn't. Tried to get up on my knees and couldn't. So I crawled out on my elbows while trying to call on my PRC-10. I crawled about 30 feet from the chopper and looked back. The flames were spreading into the cargo compartment and the M-60 ammo started to cook off. The Cobras flew overhead checking for bad guys, and then the chase ship came in. They threw down the ladder and ropes, and the medic climbed down the ladder. Several people climbed the ladder into the ship. The crew chief was hooked to the ladder, and CAPT Ayers and I were hooked to the strings. By then the chopper was engulfed in flames and the elephant grass was burning. The flames were within a couple of feet of me. As the chopper started to move, the ropes went taut. I could see that CAPT Ayers’ rope was burning, and then it snapped. The chopper dragged me along the ground a bit before it lifted up. I was swinging in the wind and my foot was flopping chest high. My web belt moved further up my torso from the weight until it was nearly around my chest. I was afraid that the fastener would break and that the belt would fly open letting me drop out. I was also afraid of passing out because everything was bright gold in color although I could see the details of everything as we were flying. I later found out that was shock. So to stay conscious, I pulled one canteen out-drank it and threw it away. Then I pulled a second one out and drank it. Before we got to QuangTri, the chopper stopped at an airstrip. The Cobras had already landed and the crews were standing there to catch me and lay me down on the runway. Then the chase ship moved horizontally and sat down so that the crew chief and I could be put inside for the rest of the flight. When we got to QuangTri, I was rushed into the ER and my uniform was cut off. The only one I remember seeing at that point was Can Tua was my interpreter. I remember the nurse telling the doctor my blood pressure was down to 60 over 20. I was just annoyed that I couldn't have a cigarette. I woke up in a body cast and was so distressed about it that I split the cast in half by thrashing. The only one I saw after that was Jimmy Wright (the crew chief) because we ended up in the same ward at the 25th Evac in DaNang. Then it was to Japan for another operation. After that back to Valley Forge Army Hospital for almost a year. Then back to Fort Devens and the 10th Group. (Narrative by James B. Weisbrod, 1LT, MACVSOG CCN) Third account - Somewhere along the line after that unforgettable 4th of July picnic (drunk), I got assigned as Jimmy Wright's gunner. I remember the morning before we went to CCN (Command and Control North--a Special Forces over the border covert operation) AKA known as SOG. There was a little bit of a stink whether or not I had my shit together, good enough to be on a CCN mission, because I was a FNG (eff-ing new guy). The other part of the controversy was some gunner (Mabry) was short (close to going home or on R&R) and was not available to fly CCN. I'm sure I had flown in country (without incident) prior to this CCN mission (whatever that meant), but I’ll be damned if I can recall any of it. Anyhow, Jim Wisecup was the AC (aircraft commander), CAPT Ayers was the co-pilot or PP (peter pilot), Jimmy Wright was the CE (crew chief) and I was the door gunner. They decided finally that I was a school trained crew chief, who lacked flight experience. So the faster I got some flight time under my belt, the sooner I would crew my own bird. That was fine with me, because I could not wait to get my own aircraft. I do not recall who all the other crews were, but I did figure out later that crew chiefs Doug Brown, Clarence "Pineapple" Garcia and, I believe, Gil Alvarado were there because of the ribbing I had to endure later on. I remember being a little self-conscious (FNG), being stared at by these Rambo-types, and at the same time feeling like “Wow, we are working with the U.S. Army's elite!" So, finally we get out of briefing. I still remember how serious the tone in the room was with the captain of the Green Beret commandos, pulling up the cover of the large wall map of the tri-border area (where South Viet Nam, North Viet Nam, and Laos all come together) and giving us our instructions and back-up plans. And me thinking, "so this is what CCN is all about" and "now I know what these monkey girdles with the d-rings are for" (similar to what mountain climbers wear for attaching a rope and repelling). So we loaded up the team and off we go. (I found out later from Robert Noe, who was in the ship behind me, Chalk Two, that some had actually made out their last will & testament). I think we had about a 12-man team that day. We had 4 or 5 on our bird because I recall how crowded the cargo area was, and I will tell you how I remember that fact later. Just before we went in as Chalk One (lead ship), I believe they (the gunships) prepped the LZ (landing zone) with rockets full of nails (small flachets that act as shrapnel), without high explosive. I don't recall any HE (high explosive) nor do I recall any F-4's (fast moving Air Force fighter jets, which were commonly used on these missions), so we go in to the so called LZ, and I remember it was a quiet insertion (about as quiet as half a dozen helicopters can be) with a fixed-wing OV-10 Bronco picture taker (known as Covey) above us. The CCN missions usually had three slicks (UH-1 Hueys) with the forth one being a chase or rescue bird with a medic on board. They figured it helped the odds out a little that one of the first three had a good chance of being shot down. Escorting the flight of four was two AH-1 Cobra gunships, one on each side usually. Then sometimes there were a couple of fast movers, and running the whole show from up above was Covey. Flying in the Covey was a SOG commando as well as the pilot. This was your best friend and your link to the rest of the world. In other words, he might as well have been God. The reason I remember it was a quiet insertion, was that I had not been asked to put down any suppressive fire on the way in with my M-60 machine gun. Jimmy Wisecup said, “You are clear down left," and I said, "You are clear down right," and they nailed us! The timing was such that it seemed as if they were listening to our intercom, impossible of course. There was a loud explosion, but not humungous. They had hit us with a RPG (a rocket propelled grenade) right next to my gun well (to my right, towards the rear of the aircraft). To this day I do not think it exploded on contact as it was designed to. Rather, it went part or all of the way through the body of the aircraft before it went off. (I discovered later on the reason for this, that they had fired at such close range, the rocket did not have time to arm itself). Also I do not recall any metal flying, which substantiates this theory. It all happened so quickly! As soon as the RPG had been fired, they opened up with small arms. I'm sure they could see me, because their muzzle flashes were that close! I had returned fire at first impact, and that might have helped to keep their heads down. I don't remember, but I’m quite sure the team fired back also, and Jimmy on the other side was busy on his M-60. It turned out later on that they were on both sides of us. Wisecup immediately picked the bird up off the top of this big hill we were on and down the side of the mountain we went. I had dreams for a lot of years after that because I was screaming, "Sir, my well's on fire, my well's on fire! The flames were licking the side of my face, even with my helmet on. I remember for 5-6 years after that my right eye and cheek were very tender and sunburned quite easily. That's probably where Gil and the boys came up with the other nickname that I never heard until recently, "on fire Makool." Then I did something that I had never been trained to do. I undid the mini-gun can, the large ammo can which held approximately 2000 rounds of 7.62mm ammo, used on the Cobra gunships with their 6 barrel electric machine guns, AKA mini guns. It was held on by a seat belt so it could be moved easily, and contained 3 to 4 times more ammo than conventional machine gun ammo can. And I kicked it out. I guess I figured it was getting so hot, that all that ammo was going to start cooking off. I also started heaving smokes off the Christmas tree (various colored smoke grenades for marking areas for locating purposes). The Christmas tree was a nickname for the pole that sat next to each gunner's well. It resembled the starting lights at a drag strip when all the smokes hung on it. i’s sure I pulled the pins on several smokes on the way down. I remember by this time I had taken off my seat belt to get away from the fire. I was hanging on the Christmas tree for dear life and the whine of the engine sounded just like all the WW II movies I watched when I was a kid, that steady higher and higher whine until the aircraft crashes. Now is when I remember how crowded the cargo area was, because I really needed to get away from the fire, because the flames were starting to do a number on me, and there was nowhere to go. There was this Montagnard scout sitting right in front of the Christmas tree. The only reason I didn't go sit on his head, was for the first time of everything I have described, I got really scared! He had a look of sheer horror on his face as he watched the flames engulf me. Thank God for Nomex fire retardant clothing, you can't imagine how hot JP-4 (jet fuel) burns! Then I remember seeing the trees through the windshield and we hit. An eternity later I shook my head, and it felt like a bowl of jelly. The reason for that was I had been knocked out (concussion) and in shock. When they found me I was walking around unconscious on my feet with an M-16 that belonged to the Green Beret commando on our ship (they had checked the serial # of the weapon). And I now know the Green Beret was Jim Weisbrod from Philadelphia. The reason my head felt like a bowl of jelly was the medic had just put smelling salts under my nose to bring me around and when I shook my head it felt loose. I did not find out until 10 years later, after having a conversation in my 18-wheeler on the CB with an ex-paramedic, that when one has a concussion the brain separates from the skull and is loose in the cranium. The medic is motioning to me up, and I don't have a clue what he is talking about because I was temporarily deaf from shock. Then it finally dawns on me, that there is a bird hovering above us, with the aluminum roll up ladder hanging right in front of my big nose, and he is motioning me to climb the ladder, which I do. I got inside the cargo area and there is Jim Wisecup with his nose split right down the middle. Then I must have passed out. The next thing I remember they are getting Jimmy Wright inside the aircraft. His arm was dangling like a puppet and he was covered in blood. He did not look good at all, very pale, he had almost bled to death. I remember telling him we were going to be OK and talking to him, hoping he would not go into shock. I later found out we had landed at the abandoned air strip at Khe Sahn once we had got back across the fence (border) into South Vietnam. They had got Wright down off of the ladder where he had been hooked up with his d-ring. Weisbrod the Green Beret commando had been hooked up to one of the strings (ropes with d-rings attached to them) and they got him in also. When we crashed, he was sitting with his legs hanging out of the cargo deck and the tree limbs did a horrific number on him, breaking his leg in three places. He told me at a SOAR (Special Operations Association Reunion) not too long ago that he never lost consciousness. I discovered later on that CAPT Ayers was KIA, probably upon impact, and that they had hooked him up to a string. The string caught fire and burned loose before the chase bird could lift off, and his body was never recovered. Why the bird didn't explode when we hit, only God knows. That's about it, that's most of what I can remember. Shortly after that they started calling me Magnet Ass and that I was bad luck. I heard it so much, I actually started to believe them. This became very depressing to say the least, because you must remember I had only been in country for about a month, had already lost my cherry (FNG). One more note - Wisecup later told me that he picked the biggest tree he could find, and flared into it belly first, to lessen the impact. It worked! Also at a reunion, my good friend warrant officer Curt Bodin told me that he was scheduled to fly right seat that day with Wisecup, and that CAPT Ayers pulled rank on him and scheduled himself instead. (Narrative by J.J. Makool) [Taken from macvsog.cc]

 

1970

07

25

E-5 SGT

Peter M.

Vanderweg

11B4S

KIA

Laos; CCC, Exploitation Force Sqd Ldr, ??where??

25 Jul 70- Peter M. Vanderweg, SFC E-7, USASF, Co A, Exploitation Force CCC-KIA died outright small arms fire

Peter M. Vanderweg


 

10 Aug 70-John E. Crowley, Sp4, D Troop, 1st Squadron, 1st Cavalry, Americal Div., assigned to Shining Brass mission. Remains found under overturned wreckage of a Huey. Ground loss was Aug 10, 1970, Laos. From: Neal Riley <[email protected]>
JTFFA-Full Accounting, Oct 6, 2008.

John E. Crowley

Notes from The Virtual Wall

On 10 August 1970 D Troop, 1/1 Cavalry, was tasked with inserting a Special Forces reconnaissance team into Laos about 26 kilometers west of Ngok Tavok. The aircraft, UH-1H tail number 68-16520, When the helicopter lost power and crashed when it was about 25 feet above the ground in the landing zone. SP4 Crowley and one passenger were trapped inside the aircraft. A medic from another helicopter entered the wreckage and managed to free the passenger, but Crowley was firmly wedged between the aircraft and the ground. After two or three minutes of effort, the medic gave up trying to free him. The medic determined that Crowley was dead, as there was no pulse and he could get no response from him. All personnel were extracted and another rescue team was inserted just before dark, but was unable to get back to the wrecked aircraft because of enemy activity. The second team was extracted the next day, and no further efforts were made to go back to the crash site. SP4 Crowley was classed as Killed in Action, Body Not Recovered. His remains were recovered on 26 June 1998 and officially identified on 22 April 2000.

13 Aug 70 Alan Browne Cheesman, Cpt; George D. Henry, Cpt; Terry D. Reams, SSG; and William L. Ripley, Sgt, USAF, 21 St Special Ops Sqd, Ops 32, Nakhon Phanom RAFB, Thailand, performing a CH-3E helicopter (Tail # 63-9681) Thailand-KIA-RR "extraction mission in Laos was damaged due to heavy enemy fire and on returning back to base the aircraft suddenly turned upside down and burst into flames, and crashed" -Info by Jim Williams, 361st AHC & 2nd source, Mike Taylor; also [Harve Saal's Legends who has the incident as "day/month unknown, 1969"]). (Special Note: Filed by Maj William "Bill" Sheldon, Cmdr of MLT-3: The crash of an HH3 killing Cheeseman, Reams, Henry and Ripley, was not Prairie Fire related. The HH3 was on a training flight inside Thailand. The crew and AC were daily SOG assets. On this mission, Cheeseman, an experienced PF pilot, was acting as IP for a couple of new pilots. Apparently, they were shot down north of Ubon RTAFB by a 12.7, 14.5 or 50 cal, in Thailand. The AC did land upside down, and as I recall there was one USAF pilot, (the student I believe) escaped through the canopy hatch.)

Alan Browne Cheesman

George D. Henry,

Terry D. Reams,,

William L. Ripley,

POSTED ON 9.24.2015
 
POSTED BY: [email protected]

FINAL MISSION OF CAPT ALAN B. CHEESEMAN

There are three accounts for this incident: First account - On August 13, 1970, Skycap 36, a CH-3E helicopter (#63-09681) from the 21st Special Operations Squadron, Nakhon Phanom RAFB, Thailand, was flying between Nakhon Phanom and Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base when it was hit by a 12.7mm round which blew up the hydraulic accumulators and knocked out both engines causing the aircraft to crash. Four of the crewmen were killed. They included pilot CAPT Alan B. Cheeseman, co-pilot CAPT George D. Henry Jr., and flight engineers SGT William L. Ripley and SSGT Terry D. Reams. [From wikipedia.org and vhpa.org] Second account – The aircraft was on an extraction mission in Laos in which it was damaged due to heavy enemy fire, and on returning back to base, the aircraft suddenly turned upside down and burst into flames and crashed. (Info by Jim Williams, 361st AHC, and confirmed by Mike Taylor) Third account – The mission was not was not Prairie Fire related (a SOG patrol into Laos). The HH3 was on a training flight inside Thailand. The crew and AC were daily SOG assets. On this mission, CAPT Cheeseman, an experienced Prairie Fire pilot, was acting as instructional pilot for a couple of new pilots. Apparently, they were shot down north of Ubon RTAFB by a 12.7mm, 14.5mm or .50 cal, in Thailand. The AC did land upside down, and as I recall there was one USAF pilot (the student I believe) who escaped through the canopy hatch. [2nd and 3rd accounts taken from macvsog.cc]

 

08

14

E-5 SGT

John A.

Premenko

05B4S

KIA

Laos; CCS, w/ RT??

14 Aug 70- John A. Premenko, SGT E-6, USASF, CCS, Recon Tm Radio Op-KIA in Laos. He was transferred to CCN and was the first of those transferred from CCS to CCN to be KIA'ed.  A few days after "he arrived at CCN he volunteered to strap hang with a CCN Recon team  where he was killed. The team was inserted into the area of operation and operated one day  without being detected by the enemy . While leaving the defensive perimeter that they had established during a rest break, the team was attacked by a superior sized force and well-armed force of enemy soldiers. In the initial exchange of fire SGT Premenko was critically wounded. Despite the facdt that he was seriously wounded, SGT Premenko reacted quickly and returned a savage burst of fire.  This provided enough cover for the fellow team members to be able to find covered positions and return fire on the enemy.  As the team members fired on the enemy, they moved forward to SGT Premenko's position in a valiant effort to save his life. His wounds proved too severe, however, and he died almost instantly. Though suffering from a mortal wound, SGT Premenko had managed to provide the covering fire necessary for the other team members. (Per 5th SFGA GO #1758, dtd 09/04/70)" EXTRACTED FROM pagte 641 and 642, Secret Green Beret Commandos in Cambodia, by LTC Fred S. Lindsey, USA Ret, dated 11/6/2012

11

John A. Premenko

 

1970

08

21

E-6 SSG

James E.

Holder

11B4S

KIA

SVN; CCN, RT Asp, in the DMZ. He was the 1-2 and was on his first mission.

21 Aug 70- James E. Holder, SSG E-6, USASF, Recon, CCN-KIA

James E. Holder

POSTED ON 12.8.2013
 
POSTED BY: JASON HARDY

MAC V SOG

James Holder was assigned to Military Assistance Command Vietnam, Studies and Observations Group (MAC V SOG), Command and Control North (CCN). He was the 1-1 (One-One) / Assistant Team Leader with Teddy Finley the 1-0 (One-Zero) / Team Leader of an unidentified recon team. They were on a combined operation with RT Crusader with James Johnson and David Rice when he was Killed In Action. I have been looking for the family for some time. [email protected]

 

1970

08

31

E-7 SFC

Charles H.

Gray

11B4S

KIA, fixed wing shotdown

Laos; CCN, Covey, in OV-10 #68-3798, approx 60 miles SW of Da Nang

31 Aug 70 - Michael John Mc Gerty, CPT 0-3, 20TH TAC AIR SPT SQDN, 504TH TAC AIR SPT GROUP, 7TH AF  Ops 32/75 and Charles H Gray, SFC E-7, FAC Covey Rider, Ops 35, KIA-RR. OV-1O aircraft was shot down in Laos. However according to reliable sources, the aircraft was flying low in clouds attempting to locate a recon team and hit a mountain top. (Having met SFC Gray a number of times while I was on Bright Light standby duty at the Mobile Launch Site in Quang Tri. Charles would come into the briefing room and later we'd drink a beer together, I found him to be a very dedicated and likeable person who enjoyed what he was doing. I felt I could rely on him coming to my rescue, regardless of the circumstances -RL Noe)

Michael John Mc Gerty

POSTED ON 9.29.2015
 
POSTED BY: [email protected]

FINAL MISSION OF CAPT MICHAEL J. MCGERTY AND SERGEANT FIRST CLASS CHARLES H GRAY

CAPT Michael J. McGerty was a Covey Forward Air Controller assigned to the 20th Tactical Air Support Squadron at Da Nang. He and MSGT Charles H. Gray Jr. (U.S. Army) were flying a OV-10A Bronco (# 68-3798) on August 31, 1970 on a FAC mission 60 miles southwest of Da Nang in Quang Nam Province South Vietnam when they were shot down by ground fire. Their bodies were recovered. CAPT McGerty had served 221 days in combat. He was from Fullerton, California and born on 5 November 1943. He was 26 and married when he died. [Taken from fac-assoc.org]

4-7 Sep 70-Three unnamed SCU Hatchet Force Company B, Operation Tailwind, Kontum Operating deep in Laos, within 45 miles of Chavane, Company B performed one of the most successful Hatchet Force operations. In this operation, 3 SCU Montagnard killed, 33 wounded and all 16 Americans wounded. For their efforts, they secured the most important intelligence find on the NVA 559th Group since the war. Details by Ben Lyons Sep 5, 2006.

1970

09

15

O-2 1LT

William R.

Goolsby, Jr.

31542

DNH, accidental self destruction

SVN; CCS, Khanh Hoa Prov., grenade accident at CCS compound at BMT

15 Sep 70- William R. Goolsby, 1LT 0-2, CCS, New Assignment (arriving on Sep 10, 70) and assigned as a Platoon Leader,  Exploitation element, not Recon-Death Non Hostile. Killed in the Recon Company billets when a fragmentation grenade that was either sabotaged in shipping, no pin installed, or he accidentally pulled the pin while rigging up his web gear exploded. Details by Ben Lyons, Sep 5, 2006.

"Lt Goolsby of B Company was killed by self-accidental discharge of a grenade in his room as he was packing to go on a recon mission.  He was just newly assigned to CCS, BMT.  Goolsby was killed, his roomate was med-evac'd,  REecib CO Troy Giley reported, 'If I remember correctly his roommate was 1LT Gary T. Christian, then the XO of Recon Company, Christian returned within two  weeks to get  his gear and then went to the US  for eye surgery.'  No further details available"    Extracted from:  Page 607, Secret Green Beret Commandos in Cambodia by LTC Fred S. Lindsey, USA (RET)

Note:  He arrived on the 10th and killed on the 15th, only 5 days with CCS, it is highly unlikely we was going on a Recon Mission with 5 days with the unit. I'd speculate that he might have been going on sometype of orientation, but no way would he be actually going on an actual mission without being properly trained.  This is  not something any specialized unit would do.  RLN

William R. Goolsby

 

1970

09

20

E-6 SSG

Anthony B.

Appleton

91B4S

DNH

Okinawa; CCN, during stand-down on Oki

20 Sep 70- Anthony B. Appleton, CCN, Da Nang, Ops 35 died as a result of a non hostile action as a result of a self inflicted wound - not on the wall. As I remember, the word was he had gotten a "Dear John" letter and he was distressed. Anthony was a great guy and I like him and thought of him as a friend. so I was deeply sadden to learn of his loss. -rln  "SSG Anthony B. Appleton, CCN (OP 35) who died of a self-inflicted wound on September 20, 1970. SSG Appleton was in Okinawa on a HALO training mission. For this reason, his name does not appear on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial." Special Operation Association

Anthony B. Appleton

 

1970

10

5

E-5 SGT

Fred A.

Gassman

11C4S

KIA, BNR

Laos; CCN, RT Fer de Lance, YC227912, 28k WNW of A-102, A Shau, w/ Davidson

1970

10

5

E-6 SSG

David A.

Davidson

11B4S

KIA, BNR

Laos; CCN, RT Fer de Lance, YC227912, 28k WNW of A-102, A Shau, w/ Gassman

05 Oct 70 - David "Babysan"Arthur Davidson, SP/5, Tm Ldr of East Riverdale, Maryland, and Fred Allen Gassman, SGT, Asst Tm Ldr of Ft Walton Beach, FL and Two Special Commando Scouts of RT Fer-de-Lance, CCN Da Nang, Ops 35 on Recon 12 miles inside Laos west of Ta Bat--KIA, Bodies not recovered. After the team was inserted in Laos, it made contact with an enemy force. Gassman contacted an aircraft and reported that Davison had been hit by a long burst of enemy fire and had fallen off a cliff and that the team was receiving ground fire from three sides. Gassman was requesting an airstrike when the FAC heard him say "I?ve been hit - and in the worst way." Gassman fell to the ground groaning with a large hole in his back. Two SCU escaped and provided a graphic detail account of the other's deaths. A search was attempted, but prevented by the heavy enemy presence in the area. (Added by Fred Wunderlitch "Lighning": Gassman ran with Lighning on several missions but could not resist running with his old buddy "Babysan" who came up from CCC to CCN). [Photo featured page 104-105, Project Omega, Eye of The Beast, by James E. Acre]  

POSTED ON 12.5.2017
 
POSTED BY: TED MATAXIS

SSG DAVID A. DAVISON

David did more than most in VN.
1st Brigade 101 1965-66
Project Omega 1966-68
CCS, CCN 1968-1970
KIA 62nd mission- He was a man among men. VR, Ted

David "Babysan"Arthur Davidson

Fred Allen Gassman

 

On October 5, 1970, SSGT Davidson and SGT Fred A. Gassman were members of a joint American and Vietnamese reconnaissance patrol operating about 12 miles inside Laos. The patrol had established their night position west of Ta Bat when they were attacked by a hostile force. According to the two surviving indigenous patrol members, Davidson was hit once in the head during a long burst of enemy fire while the team was attempting to evacuate the area, and fell down a ridge, after which he lay motionless with what appeared to be a fatal head wound. At about 1300 hours, Gassman radioed the overhead aircraft that they were being hit from three sides, and that they were low on ammunition and requested an emergency extraction and air strikes. As he attempted to retrieve the homing device, he stated on the radio, "I've been hit, and in the worst way", followed by several groans before the radio went dead. The surviving indigenous patrol members said that they last saw Gassman lying motionless with a large hole in his back. One unsuccessful search and recovery attempt was made shortly after the incident, but further attempts were curtailed due to the difficult tactical situation in the area. Davidson and Gassman remain missing. All other team members were successfully extracted. [Taken from pownetwork.org]

A Note from The Virtual Wall

By report, Recon Team "Fer-de-Lance" was inserted into Laos west of the A Shau Valley on 05 Oct 1970. The team was led by SSgt Davidson with Sgt Fred Gassman as number two and an unknown number of indigenous troops. The team was attacked on the night of 05/06 Oct while in a night defensive position just south of Route 922 near the village of Ta Bat. SSgt Davidson was hit and apparently killed early in the fight. Sgt Gassman and the surviving troops attempted to break contact, but were tracked and engaged by NVA troops. The last contact with the patrol was at about 1300 on 06 Oct, when Gassman reported that he had been hard hit. Two of the indigenous troops were sucessfully extracted and during their debriefs reported that both Davidson and Gassman had been fatally wounded. Although an immediate effort was made to recover the missing team members, the recovery team was unable to locate any of them before being forced from the area by NVA troops.

By report, Staff Sergeant Davidson was serving his fourth tour in South Vietnam at the time of his loss. While there can be no doubt that he was heavily decorated, The Virtual Wall has not been able to obtain information on his awards and can display only the "basic four" awards received by everyone wounded or killed in Vietnam.

12 Mar 2004

Davidson was respected by SFC Jerry "Mad Dog" Shriver and rivaled Shriver in having made an incredible number of trips across the "red line" into Cambodia and Laos. Davidson had a previous tour with SOG. His nickname was "Babysan" because he had a youthful boyish face but in the field he was incredibly proficient and cool. Like Shriver he just kept going out until the odds caught up with him. One report was that on his last mission the final radio transmission was "I am hit and in the worst way..." His remains were never recovered from Laos. I only met him once, he was with Shriver, in the Moose's Lounge, a bar in the B-23 compound in Ban Me Thuot in the spring of 1968. He may have been operating out of the SOG compound at East Field about 7 clicks outside of Ban Me Thuot at the time. By the time Davidson bought it late in 1971 the NVA "hunter-killer" teams really had SOG's number. The NVA placed so many trailwatchers on potential LZ's getting "on ground" undetected was practically impossible. The odds were definitely against them and he just kept going out. Davidson had courage but went into denied areas once too often. It had to end as it did. He had incredible courage. One of the very best to wear the green beret, Davidson was a legend to those who knew of him. Between the two of then, Shriver and Davidson may have done more over the line insertions than any other 30 men combined. Rest in Peace "Babysan", Rest in Peace...

Je me souviens.......

From a member 5th Special Forces, 1968.

 

1970

10

19

E-7 SFC

Peter J.

Wilson

11B4S

MIA-PFD

Laos; CCC, RT South Carolina, YB618135, 28k SW of A-244, Ben Het

19 Oct 70 - Peter Joe Wilson, SSG E-6, USASF, Recon Tm Ldr, CCC, Kontum, Ops 35 MIA-Presumptive finding of death. Team Leader of a Recon team in Laos, which made contact with a numerically-superior enemy force two miles inside Laos in the tri-border area southwest of Ben Het. The team made four contacts, which forced the team to abandon the battlefield with the hostile force in close pursuit and then Wilson directed the team to head in an easterly direction. This is the last time Wilson was seen by Sgt John M. Baker when Wilson directed him to the front of the patrol. Wilson was covering the rear and tending to the wounded soldier, Djuit; later Baker heard Wilson transmit "May Day, May Day" on his emergency radio and the sounds of a firefight from the direction of the separated patrol element.. An intensive search of the area was made without success.  Brightlight: RT Texas was brightlight during this period. Covey reported hearing the emergency signal from SSG Wilson's radio. It was decided to deploy our team to try and find SSG Wilson. We had two slicks with accompanying gunships. I (Sgt Don Green) was the one-two and radio operator on the team. I was in the second slick in the left door. VC had set a trap and were waiting for us. They fired Rockets flying just under the skids of the lead chopper. The mission was aborted.

 

Received Mar 3, 2005 "Hi, My name is Pamela Jo Wilson (Brownfield)I as named after my Dad. SSG Peter Joe Wilson. MIA on 19 Oct 1970 two days after my 5th Birthday. I was just looking on the internet and found my Dads name. I never know there was anything out there about him. I don't know much about him. My mother passed away about tens ago. She never told me much. I read today that his nick name was "Fat Albert" I never knew that. I sure would like to learn more if I could. Anyways it was kinda nice knowing something about a man I never remembered. My email address is [email protected]"   

Peter Joe Wilson

 

 

1970

11

14

E-5 SGT

Leonard P.

Allen

11B4S

KIA

Laos; CCN, RT Anaconda

14 Nov 70- Leonard P, Allen SGT E-5, USASF, CCN, Da Nang, Ops 35, KIA-RR.  On a mission in Loas as a member of RT ANACONDA. former Det B-55 (5 Mike Force) Remains recovered

Leonard P, Allen  

 

1970

11

24

E-6 SSG

Martin I.

Arbeit

11B4S

KIA

Laos; CCN, Co. A, (Nung Company), near Co Roc, west of A-101, Lang Vei

24 Nov 70- Martin I. Arbeit , SSG E-6, USASF, CCN Da Nang was on operations with Co A, Hatchet Company and was KIA,-RR. SSG Arbeit was every bit a professional soldier. He use to have a monkey that he cared for that accompanied him until May of 1970 when he was in Long Than, B-53 drawing ammunition for a mission. SFC R.L. Noe was also drawing C-4 and the monkey jumped off Arbeit's shoulder and grabbed one block of C-4 explosive and carried it to the rafters of the warehouse where the monkey took a bite and then shortly thereafter fell dead. The last I saw of Arbeit was at the CCN TOC in Aug 70 where I suggested he seek a desk job because the way he was going, he would not survive Nam. During the 2005 Special Forces Association, Samuel Snyder stated that Martin had ran past him and got hit in the leg opening up the femoral arty and he bled to death before he could be evacuated.-RL Noe.. I read what you had about Marty Arbeit-he was a great guy.  I had been the medic inserted on his previous mission when the medic was sick.  Also I had wanted to go on the mission when he was killed but they had someone else assigned and I could not bump in. I was the chase medic that was sent, they had trouble hooking Marty to the ladder for extract.  I climbed down to help but he had sustained several hits.  I latter wrote a paper at Loyola University about that mission- wishing only that I got there sooner or had been the medic on the mission.  I ended up with Marty's car-15 for awhile and gave him and his spirit some credit for helping me stay alive [by Bob Woodham] .

 

Martin I. Arbeit

 

 

 

Click on image to enlarge

 

Dear Mr. Noe,

  I am writing on behalf of my husband, Peter Arbeit.  He is currently serving in Iraq and came across the macvsog website that had his father listed.  Being so young when his father was killed, he/we thirst to know more about Marty.  Although we have all of his pics from Vietnam, we have no stories to go with them.  If at all possible, do you or anyone else have any personal stories to share with us'  Our children, as well as ourselves got a kick out of the monkey story!   Sincerely, Pete, Tonya, and kids [email protected]
 
 
I remember Marty Arbeit very well from when I was at CCN.  My recollection was that he was One-Zero of RT Virginia but I really am fuzzy on those details.  I was at Ft Bragg when they had a memorial service for him at Ft. Bragg and did not get to attend.  At that time I was chief of SF Lt Wpns Committee and I think the service was during our field week and we were all on the range.  As the only officer out there I could not get  off to go to the memorial service.  I did run into some of the guys who came in for the service.  I think I saw SSG Fitzgerald and he was wearing some sort of plastic cast or brace on his arm (left, I think).  However, I was thinking that Arbeit was killed as a Covey Rider when they were shot down around or in the DMZ.  But I really am fuzzy on some of the details so I can't be sure I am not mixing up some of his details with someone else.  I do remember that Nick Manning told me that Arbeit took him out on his (Manning's) first recon mission.  He did have a very funny tale to tell about what happened on that op.  If you have Fitzgerald's e-mail, I think he was a good friend of Arbeit and would have a much clearer recollection.
 
I don't remember Arbeit's monkey but I remember that SSG McKee had a monkey that liked rum and coke and used to drink out of guys glasses in the NCO club at CCN and the next day he would be lying in his cage with a hangover.  Some guys did not appreciate that.  Or maybe that was Arbeit's monkey.  I think its name was Dumb Shit.
 
Larry Green

 

1970

11

28

E-7 SFC

Ronald E.

Smith

11B4S

KIA, BNR

Laos; CCC, RT Kentucky, YB650174, 24k WSW of A-244, Ben Het

28 Nov 70- Ronald E. Smith, SFC E-7 USASF CCS, Ban Me Thuot, Ops 35 MIA in Cambodia while on Recon patrol.  as of 2023 Body not recovered

A Note from The Virtual Wall

On 28 November 1970 Recon Team Kentucky was conducting a long-range reconnaissance mission in Attopeu Province, Laos, near the tri-border area of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. In mid-afternoon, the team, which consisted of two US Special Forces soldiers and a number of ARVN Special Forces personnel, was attacked by a company-sized enemy force. The initial attack split the recon team and wounded SFC Smith. The team leader made his way to SFC Smith and found that Smith had been hit in the head and torso by automatic weapons fire. As he and an ARVN team member attempted to recover Smith's body, a rocket-propelled grenade exploded nearby, killing the ARVN soldier and knocking the team leader unconscious. The remaining team members broke contact, carrying the wounded team leader with them but leaving their two dead behind. After extraction, the team leader reported his belief that SFC Smith was dead. The enemy presence precluded insertion of a ground team to search for and recover the two bodies. While available information indicates that SFC Smith was carried as Missing in Action for a time, it also indicates that an annual review board eventually recommended, and the Secretary of the Army accepted, a finding that SFC Smith had been killed in the 28 Nov 1970 action. His present status is Killed in Action, Body not Recovered

POSTED ON 10.17.2014
 
POSTED BY: [email protected]

 

 "I am the niece of SFC Ronald E. Smith USASF. He is still very loved and missed by my entire family. I would love it if you could put me in touch with anyone who knew him. Pics and stories are all we have of him for now and I would love to have more info on him.  Thank You - Crystal  [email protected]

 

I have extended contact to the family.  I went to his funeral. -B. Kuhlman GL 2881 (Posted Via email Jun 8, 2011)

Ronald E. Smith

FINAL MISSION OF SFC RONALD E. SMITH

Ronald E. Smith was born in Kingman Indiana on March 29, 1940. He joined the U.S. Navy as a young man, completed his commitment and then joined the Army. He advanced in the Army to Sergeant First Class, and received Special Forces training. He served in Germany until 1968, then was shipped to Vietnam, where he was assigned to Command and Control Central, MACV-SOG. SFC Ronald E. Smith was assigned to Special Operations Augmentations, 5th Special Forces Group.  On November 28, 1970, Smith was a rifleman and a member of a joint Vietnamese and American long range reconnaissance team (LRRP) named Kentucky/Louisiana on a mission in Attopeu Province Laos, near the tri-border area of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. At 1605 hours, the team came under enemy attack from a reinforced enemy company. The team became separated and several members were wounded. In the initial attack, Smith was hit by enemy fire, and was wounded and sought cover. The team leader immediately went to him to bring him to cover. When he turned Smith over, he saw that Smith had been hit in the forehead, chest and side by automatic weapons fire. While he was attempting to recover Smith, a B-40 rocket propelled grenade (RPG) hit the area, killing a Vietnamese member of the team who had also come to assist Smith. Enemy fire again struck Smith, and concussion from the rocket fire knocked the team leader unconscious. The remaining team members, who were Vietnamese, broke contact with the enemy, carrying the team leader with them. The team leader later stated that it was his opinion that Smith was dead. However, the Army told Smith's family that "based on past experience, we have learned that one cannot always accurately determine an individual's condition under the stress of battle." Therefore, the Department of the Army was reluctant to declare Smith dead. He was declared Missing in Action, and according to MAJ Gen. Kenneth G. Wickham on December 9, 1970, "the search is continuing," as no conclusive evidence was obtained that Smith was dead. No search could be made because of continuing hostile troop movement in the area. The area of loss was then classified, and Smith's family was informed only that he had been "operating deep inside enemy dominated territory." On January 15, 1971, COL Michael D. Healy wrote Smith's family that he offered "prayers for [Smith's] return. On April 28, 1971, the Army again wrote to Smith's family and stated that it had been decided he could not have survived the incident. He was declared Killed in Action/Body Not Recovered. The action was based on the "additional information" that the team leader "definitely determined that [Smith] died of his wounds." On August 14, 1973, MAJ General Bowers wrote Smith's family and told them that the area of Smith's loss could now be released, and that he had been lost in Laos. He enclosed an amended Report of Casualty (DD1300) reflecting that information. [Taken from pownetwork.org]

 

1970

11

29

E-7 SFC

John R.

Bean

11B4S

KIA

Laos; CCC, A Company, 3d Platoon (Hatchet Force)

29 Nov 70 - John R. Bean, SFC E-7, USASF, CCC, Kontum, Ops 35, KIA-RR~ Body escorted to the United States by 2Lt Robert Noe on 7 Dec 70. The operation lasted from Nov 25-29, 1970. SFC Bean was killed in the morning of the 29th before the extraction. He was awarded the Purple Heart and the Silver Star for his actions during the operation. The operation is officially listed as a search and clear operation. The platoon was sent into the area to determine what was there. In early November an RT was sent into the same area. On the first day they ran into a company sized NVA unit which tried to capture them. The NVA used bull horns and fired rpg’s over their heads in an effort to capture them rather then kill them. My platoon was sent in to find out what was really there. We made contact on our first day. The conversation that the NVA unit had just prior to the initiation of combat was they were expecting an RT. The platoon was in and out of combat everyday during the operation. Besides large cashes of rice and other food the platoon discovered a bomb making factory late in the day of the 28th that was 20 meters wide by 50 meters long. Slightly after the discovery of the factory an NVA company made contact and chased the platoon until dark. During the night the platoon hid by staying in a river with the search being conducted on both sides of the river. Intelligence determined that we probably ran into the 66th NVA Regiment. All members of the platoon were wounded and there were 5 Montinards killed as well as SFC Bean. Another Sergeant on the operation was awarded the DSC. After the extraction an arc light was done the same day. By Steve Feldman.  As I was rotating back to the US, I was designated to escourt his remains back to the in early December 70.  RLN

  

John R. Bean

 

My Name is Neil R. Thorne. I am researching a particular Hatchet Force mission, I am hoping you can provide me with some more information and contacts. I noticed on your website a write up was done by a Mr. Steve Feldman about this mission. I would very much like to contact him regarding this mission.  The mission I am researching occurred between 25-29 Nov 1970 in Attapeu Province of Laos (48PYB6449). The American members of this platoon sized force were as follows:
1Lt. ? Goldstein – Medivaced, early 2nd day into mission
SFC John R. Bean – KIA Last day of mission
SGT Edward C. Ziobron – WIA (in contact with)
SGT Chester “Chet” Zaborowski – WIA (in contact with)
SGT Clyde C. Conkin – WIA (in contact with)
I am trying to ascertain which RT team was sent in to do the BDA after the extraction and Arc-Light of the area on 29 Nov 70. 
I am also looking for any documents, AARs, or other information pertaining to this Hatchet Force and the subsequent intel gathered by the RT Team follow-up. I would very much like to contact Mr. Steve Feldman, and speak with him as well. I assume from the level of information he has on this operation that he was with S-2? 
Neil R. Thorne, P.O. Box 41, Fishers Hill, VA 22626, (540) 539-7303 email:  [email protected]

 

 

1970

12

4

E-6 SSG

George C.

Green, Jr.

05B4S

KIA, BNR

Laos; CCC, RT Washington, YB671492,  in Charlie 3, 16km NE of Leghorn

04 Dec 70- George Curtis Green, Jr. SGT E-5, USASF, CCC, RT Washington, Kontum, Ops 35 MIA, Presumptive finding of death. The recon team operating in Laos, after insertion and spending the night. The next morning the team killed a sentry, shortly thereafter they were engaged by an company size enemy force. The team began evasive maneuvers, having shaken the enemy for a short time. At the extraction LZ, in a burst of enemy fire, Green was killed with three wounds in his back with small arms and rocket-propelled grenades. Green was hit three times in the back with small arms fire and killed instantly. The intensity of the enemy attack forced the team to leave Green's remains behind during the extraction. As of 2023 body not recovered

George Curtis Green, Jr

 

POSTED ON 9.21.2015
 
POSTED BY: [email protected]

FINAL MISSION OF SGT GEORGE C. GREEN JR.

Green's long range reconnaissance patrol (LRRP) was operating in Attopeu Province, Laos about 20 miles west of the South Vietnamese city of Dak Sut on December 4, 1970. At 0920 hours that day, the enemy assaulted the team at a landing zone (LZ) with rifle fire and rocket propelled grenades. Green was hit three times and was instantly killed. Because of the intensity of the enemy attack and fire, the recon team had to leave Green's remains behind. Later aerial searches were made of the area, but Green's body was not seen. Because of enemy control of the area, no ground search was possible. Green is one of nearly 600 Americans lost in Laos. [Taken from pownework.org]

 

1970

12

28

E-6 SSG

Roger L.

Teeter

11B4S

KIA, DOW, fixed wing shotdown

Laos; CCN, Covey, aboard OV-10 #67-14661, near Ban Bamran, 48Q XD509615, just west of the DMZ

28 Dec 70- James Smith, Pilot, CPT, USAF 20TH TAC AIR SPT SQDN, 504TH TAC AIR SPT GROUP, 7TH AF, Ops 32 and Roger L. Teeter, SSG E-6, USASF, CCN Da Nang, MLT 3 Covey, Ops 35 KIA while performing operations to extract a recon team which had been surrounded by enemy forces. (By Fred Wunderlitch, "Lighning": Teeder was a personal, close friend and he stayed pass his DEROS date to fly the Covey mission).

James Smith,

Roger L. Teeter

POSTED ON 9.21.2015
 
POSTED BY: [email protected]

FINAL MISSION OF CAPT JAMES L. SMITH and roger l. teeter

CAPT James L. Smith was a Covey Forward Air Controller assigned to the 20th Tactical Air Support Squadron at Da Nang. He and his observer, SSGT Roger L. Teeter, U.S. Army Special Forces, were flying an OV-10A (#67-14661) in the Steel Tiger area of southern Laos supporting a reconnaissance team. The aircraft was thought to have been hit by anti-aircraft fire near Ban Bamran just west of the DMZ and they died in the crash. CAPT Smith was serving his second Vietnam tour and had served 176 days in combat on his second tour. Their bodies were recovered. CAPT Smith, from Larsen, Wisconsin, was 26 and single when he died. [Taken from fac-assoc.org]

 

 

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