January-February
1973-page
26,27
January-February
1973-page
26,27
“Southeast Asia”
Det
3
Makes
Night
Rescue
Two
pilots
whose
F-4
crashed
on
a
rainy
night
in
potentially
hostile
territory
two
miles
north
of
Ubon
RTAFB,
Thailand,
were
rescued
soon
afterward
by
an
HH-43
crew
from
Det
3,
40th
ARRSq,
stationed
at
the
base.
Weather
enroute
and
in
the
search
area
was
light-tomoderate
rain,
with
scattered
low
clouds
and
thunderstorms.
The
rescue
crew
made
voice
contact
with
the
downed
airmen
in
the
rice
paddy
below
but
they
couldn't
see
the
HH-43
because
of
the
rain
and
darkness.
A
circling
F-4
dropped
parachute
flares
at
the
request
of
Capt
Donald
C.
Blair,
HH-43
pilot,
and
the
survivors
were
sighted.
The
forest
penetrator
seat
was
lowered
and
the
pickups
made
without
incident
despite
the
poor
visibility,
weather
and
ever-present
danger
of
enemy
action.
Other
members
of
the
Pedro
crew
were
1stLt
David
R.
Kraner,
copilot;
Sgt
Walter
L.
Loftus,
mechanic;
TSgt
Noel
S.
Codner,
medic;
SSgt
Donald
W.
Covington
and
Sgt
Duane
D.
Christensen,
firefighter.
PJ
Honored
On
TV
Show
TSgt
Michael
E.
Fish,
an
ARRS
pararescueman
and
former
HH-43
crewmember
who
holds
nine
Kaman
Mission
Awards,
was
the
surprised
guest
of
honor
recently
on
the
Ralph
Edwards
"This
is
Your
Life"
television
program.
Now
stationed
at
Elmendorf
AFB,
Alaska,
with
the
71st
ARRSq,
the
Sergeant
served
in
Vietnam
in
1969
with
Det
11,
38th
ARRSq,
at
Tuy
Hoa
AB.
After
just
one
month
of
service
in
Vietnam,
Sergeant
Fish
earned
the
Air
Force
Cross,
the
next
highest
medal
to
the
Medal
of
Honor,
for
a
rescue
in
which
he
participated
as
a
member
of
an
HH-43
crew.
In
all,
he
is
credited
with
11
combat
rescues
in
Southeast
Asia.
Sergeant
Fish
was
chosen
to
appear
on
the
television
show
(although
he
didn't
know
it)
after
Ralph
Edwards
submitted
a
request
to
the
Department
of
Defense
to
select
someone
from
all
five
branches
of
service
who
had
distinguished
himself
in
the
performance
of
his
job
-
rescue.
The
Sergeant
was
sent
to
Los
Angeles,
Calif.,
on
a
temporary
duty
assignment,
supposedly
to
be
a
technical
advisor
on
air
rescue
training
film.
Instead,
when
he
went
to
the
studio
to
review
film
clips,
he
suddenly
found
himself
on
a
stage
facing
500
people
and
heard
a
voice
saying
"This
is
your
life!"
Vietnam
Pilots
Honored
Two
Vietnam
veterans
now
attached
to
Det
7,
44th
ARRSq
(MAC),
as
HH-43
pilots,
were
decorated
recently
during
a
flightline
ceremony
at
Seymour
Johnson
AFB,
N.
C.
The
presentations
were
made
by
Col
Royal
A.
Brown,
commander
of
the
44th,
on
a
recent
visit
to
the
detachment.
Capt
William
H.
Norris,
Jr.,
received
the
Distinguished
Flying
Cross
for
flying
an
"intricate
and
extremely
hazardous
mission
through
adverse
weather
conditions
and
the
constant
threat
of
hostile
fire
and
attack."
The
Captain
was
also
awarded
the
First
through
Fourth
Oak
Leaf
Cluster
to
the
Air
Medal
for
"meritorious
achievements
Maj
Floyd
R.
Lockart,
who
was
stationed
at
Da
Nang
AB,
was
presented
the
20th
and
21st
Oak
Leaf
Cluster
to
the
Air
Medal
for
"outstanding
airmanship
and
courage
during
the
successful
accomplishment
of
important
missions
under
extremely
hazardous
conditions."
Major
Lockart
holds
seven
Kaman
Scrolls
of
Honor,
and
two
Mission
Awards,
for
flights
made
in
HH-43s.
last update : 31/12/2007