January-February 1967-page 6

Two Rescuemen Sacrifice Lives For Wounded

"SEA  DET  RECORDS  YEAR  OF  HUMANITARIAN  SERVICE" 

Pleiku (7AF) - Although its first permanently assigned personnel reported for duty only a year ago , in January 1966 -  Det 9 of the 38th ARRSq (MAC), has already established one of Southeast Asia's most outstanding records. By the end of October the detachment had made 92 combat pickups, of which 60 were logged as combat saves. This total represents one fifth of all combat saves logged in SEA during the first 10 months of 1966. It is even more remarkable when it is noted that Det 9 operated with only two HH-43F helicopters and an average of six pilots, four crew chiefs, and four pararescue specialists during this period.

Operations Hawthorne, Paul Revere II, and Paul Revere IV, all waged in Vietnam's central highlands, presented the busiest operational challenges to the unit. During Hawthorne, 25 members of the 101st Airborne Division and one North Vietnamese were retrieved from the battlefield. This required seven night sorties, five of which were flown by Capt Lawrence F. Marcum. Two day sorties were flown during the operation by Capt Darrell A. Lowery. Two other sorties were flown into the area in an effort to extract wounded, but heavy 50-caliber fire prevented the hovering that was necessary.

During Paul Revere II, the detachment was called on to assist the lst Air Cavalry Division in the evacuation of wounded. With the aid of ground radar, Capt Fredrik M. Bergold led a flight of two helicopters into the hostile and fog-shrouded Chu Pong Mountain area to evacuate two wounded soldiers. In August, Capt Richard L. Cardwell led two helicopters into the same area to evacuate five wounded soldiers. This was another minimum weather rescue that required instrument flying. In late October, the 4th and 25th Infantry Divisions made heavy contact near the Cambodian border west of Plei Djereng, and Paul Revere IV was underway with Det 9 again called upon to make battlefield pickups.

(add by Ragay : below report was mission   DET.9-38-31-28 Oct (RCC Narrative) 1966 ; see  page 62-4511

During this operation two rescue crew members died as the result of enemy action while evacuating wounded soldiers at night. The copilot of the HH-43, 2ndLt George H. Bonnell, III, was fatally injured and the crew chief, A2c Francis D. Rice, was killed when enemy fire struck the rescue helicopter as it hovered over the canopied jungle. Three wounded soldiers who had been hoisted to the helicopter also perished.

When first arriving at the site, Capt Carlton P. Vermeys, pilot of the downed helicopter, had been advised that the area was secure since no contact had been made with the enemy for 45 minutes. A flare had been lighted by the ground party to mark their exact position. At the time of the tragedy, A2c Allen R. Stanek, the pararescue-man, was helping load wounded into litters preparatory to hoisting them aboard the HUSKIE. Disregarding their own safety, the pararescueman and several soldiers dashed toward the downed helicopter and extracted Captain Vermeys, who was slightly injured, and Lieutenant Bonnell from the flaming wreckage. 

Due to the renewed fighting, the cover helicopter was unable to evacuate the two pilots that night. The next morning an HH-43 crew from Det 9 made an attempt to pick up their downed comrades but were waved off due to the intense ground fire. Undeterred by the obvious hazard, 1stLt Michael E. Davis and his crew made a second attempt, and were able to carry out the rescue successfully. To make the pickup, Lieutenant Davis held the chopper in a 150-foot hover over the tops of the trees while SSgt Charles Jenkins, pararescueman, dropped into the hostile area and prepared the survivors for hoisting. Ground fire intensified as the helicopter headed for the medical evacuation station. Soon afterward, the same HH-43 crew evacuated a critically wounded soldier from a nearby area. Sharing in the hazardous missions were Captain Lowery, the copilot, and A2c Harry J. Hull, crew chief. Lieutenant Bonnell died later at Clark AB, P. I., from his injuries. 

That afternoon the detachment's second helicopter (add by Ragay :  "Pedro 56"   62-4525 ) , flown by Capt Dale R. Tyree, detachment commander, evacuated six personnel from the jungle. On the last sortie of the day this helicopter was hit by 50-caliber fire, but made it to a forwarding operating area for a forced landing. This helicopter was returned to Pleiku in November by Chinook helicopter (add by Ragay : according to Mr. Bergold the return took place on 30 October), and detachment maintenance personnel replaced components and patched damage done by eight 50-caliber hits and the forced landing. 

This was the third time a helicopter had been rebuilt during the year by the maintenance men under the supervision of SMSgt Elton L. Tisdale. In praising Det 9 maintenance personnel, Captain Tyree said, "Our missions usually come in big bunches, and these men always had our two choppers available when most needed."

The detachment had flown 329 missions through the end of October. Of these 252 were local base rescue, 22 aircrew recovery, 13 medical evacuations, and 42 base support. The two helicopters logged 608 hours, of which 205 were in combat, and the incommission rate averaged 91 percent.

To date, the small unit's members have collectively received : 14 Distinguished Flying Crosses, two Airmen's Medals, 21 Air Medals, two Air Force Commendation Medals, and five Purple Hearts. Several other awards, including four Silver Stars, are pending. Additionally, in the four past months that the new, fast-growing Pleiku Air Base has conducted an Airman of the Month program, members of Det 9 have twice been selected for this honor. 

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

--Code of the Airescueman

last update : 08/06/2007