TO LISTEN TO GEORGE JONE'S 50,000 NAMES ON THE WALL
09 Nov 67 Bruce Raymond Baxter, MSG E-8, Lowell, Mass, Spike Team Leader; Joseph George Kusick, SGT E-5, Bruin, Penn, Spike Team Radio Operator; USASF FOB 1, Phu Bal, Ops 35 and Six Indigenous Team Members; operating behind enemy lines in Laos along with John William Armstrong, LTC 05, Dallas, TX, Ralph Wayne Brower, Cpt 03, Stow, OH, Eugene Lunsford Clay, SSG E-5, and Larry Wayne Maysey, SGT E-5, Chester, NJ members of US Air Force, HH3, Jolly Green 26, 37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron, Da Nang Air Base, Ops 32/80 All were KIA-Remains Not Recovered. {I do wish to point out a mistake on my uncle's loss information however. Armstrong was not involved in the attempted recovery of Recon team Utah. The name of the MIA should be Adams, John Robert who was in the one huey gunship that was shot down. I do not know what became of rest of the huey crew but Adams not Armstrong is the name that should be put with trying to recover my uncle's Team. Armstrong was lost on the same day but in a separate action. I do believe that Armstrong was a F-4 Pilot while Adams was a door gunner on a huey. By Spec. David Bruce Baxter} (Chip Fleming, aks: Allen F., Jr. writes: I was with RT Utah during this operation. A SGT {name ?} and I were on our first Spike Team mission after graduating from training in Kham Duc when the team was hit by a reinforced company (we though at the time) while in our RON site. The SGT, me and 3 to 5 indig(?) got out on the first chopper during a night extraction-most of us were wounded. The others team members were KIA when their chopper was either shot down or damaged during the extraction. Air Force guys from NKP were also shot down later while trying to extract the remainder of the team in their Jolly Greens and possibly one Air Force Pilot won the MOH [Cpt Gerald O. Young, USAF won the Medal Of Honor that day for his extraordinary heroism, aggressiveness, and concern for his fellow man]. The first extraction was by Jolly Green 29 before being driven off by enemy fire. Jolly Green 26 (came in about 20 minutes later and picked up MSG Baxter and SGT Kusick, while lifting off was hit by automatic weapons fire and crashed. A recover team was inserted, found three charred remains, two had ID tags and were identified as members of the aircrew. The 3rd had no tag, but was identified as SGT Kusick, radio operator as the AN/PRC 25 radio antenna was found with these remains. Another set of remains were located away from the down chopper and identified as a member of the recon element. However, due to adverse weather conditions and enemy activity, the remains could not be recovered ). [Story featured in John Plaster's SOG A Photo History of the Secret Wars, pg 108] According to the book, Both Baxter and Kusick were shot and killed and then a huey was shot down. The surviving huey crew were then used as "bait" to bring in rescue helicopters into a trap. A Jolly Green came in to make a night extraction and the remaining survivors boarded, as the Jolly Green began to depart, it was hit by an RPG.--See the story in the book for full details. ADDITIONAL INPUT: Tail No: 66-13279, Model: HH-3E. Date of Loss: 9 Nov 67, Unit: 37th ARRS, DaNang Country of Loss: Laos. Call Sign: Jolly Green 26 KIA Co-Pilot: Ralph W. Brower (29E-56) Flight Engineer: Eugene L. Clay (29E-57) P.J.: Larry W. Maysey (29E-60) Location of Loss: 161458N 1065258E (YC012973) Notes: Acft was hit on takeoff by ground fire after MEDEVAC of USA personnel. Pilot awarded MOH for this mission. Additional Information: On November 8, 1967, two Air Force "Jolly Greens" (#26 and #29) from the 37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron were scrambled from DaNang Air Base at 1505 hours for an emergency extraction of five surviving members of a Special Forces reconnaissance team which had suffered heavy casualties while operating deep in a denied area in Laos. The recovery effort was to be recorded by the Squadron as one of the largest and most hazardous on record. The two Air Force helicopters were advised by forward air control to hold while three Army UH1B gunships softened the area with rockets and machine gun fire. An Air Force C130 gunship, meanwhile, provided flare support for the mission. At 1630Z, Jolly Green 29 picked up the three indigenous personnel before being driven off by hostile fire. Damaged, Jolly Green 29 left and made an emergency landing at Khe Sanh. 20 minutes later, Jolly Green 26, flown by CAPT Gerald Young, with flight crew consisting of CAPT Ralph Brower, co-pilot; SSGT Eugene Clay, flight engineer; and SGT Larry Maysey, rescue specialist; braved the ground fire to pick up Special Forces SP4 Joseph G. Kusick and MSGT Bruce R.Baxter, both wounded. The helicopter was hit by automatic weapons fire, crashed and burst into flames. By the afternoon of November 9, a recovery team was inserted into the area and reached the crash site of the burned HH3. Because of fading light, it was impossible to inspect the wreckage at that time. On 10 November, the wreckage was searched and 3 charred remains were found. Two of the remains had identification tags which identified them as members of the crew. The third remains had no tags, but were identified as SP4 Kusick, radio operator of the reconnaissance team, as the long antenna from his PRC-25 radio were found on his body. Capt Young had survived and was rescued 17 hours after the crash of the aircraft. About 34 meters downhill from the wreckage, another set of remains was found which were readily identified as MSgt Baxter from the facial features. No trace was found of the third crew member. The remains of the two crewmen and Kusick were removed from the aircraft and placed with MSgt Baxter's remains so they could be hoisted as one lift into a hovering helicopter. The identification tags of the crew members were placed with the remains. Weather conditions and enemy action would not permit helicopters to make the extraction either that day or the day following. The remains of the crew and passengers aboard Jolly Green 26 were never recovered. Although the location of the crash is known, the bodies of the crew and recon team who died still lie on foreign soil. The five are among nearly 600 Americans lost in Laos. The Air Force has dedicated three buildings to the memory of Larry Maysey, at Los Angeles AFB, California, at Randolph AFB, Texas, and at Hickam AFB, Hawaii. [filed by Paul Gregoire USMC, Vietnam - '65, '67; Air America, Laos - '70-'72--My part of the mission was as the pilot of one of the 6 USMC H-34s that assisted the VNAF King Bee H-34s in taking in the recovery team on Nov 9th and picking them up on the 11th. I believe the recovery team was a Hatchet Force. As I recall there were six Americans and about 90 indigenous personnel (Nungs, as I recall)]. For a detailed account of the action see page 108, John Plaster's book, SOG A Photo History of the Secret Wars., 1999. Additional Information: My records, dtd Jul 1980, indicates Baxter and Kusick-KIA, bodies not recovered--Lattitude 161458n longitude 1065258e (Laos) HH3E-five dead-pilot recovered. Other pilot name was Cpt Ralph Brower-kia-body not recovered. Don't know if JTF FA has ever looked at this crash site. By: MG Eldon Bargewell. USAF HH-3, call sign Jolly 26, JG-26 was attempting the night extraction of the remaining members of Spike Team Utah (radio call sign "Flatfoot") and managed to pick up the team members Baster and Kusick, but was brought down by heay ground fire upon liftoff causing the aircraft to crash killing all aboard, except for the aircraft commander, Cpt Gerald Young, USAF, who received the Medal of Honor for heroism. "Kingbee" helicopters and Army gunships from call sign "Culvert City" played a big role in the rescue attempts. By: Brad Ryti. USMC