July-August 1972-page 05, 06, 07, 13

“Southeast Asia”

Fastest SEA Rescue?

TAN SON NHUT AB, RVN - In what was described as one of the fastest - if not the fastest - rescue in Southeast Asia, two HH-43 Pedro helicopters from Det 14, 3rd ARRGp here, picked up two F-4 Phantom crew members who were forced to eject from their aircraft recently. The fighter bomber was enroute to Bien Hoa after a strike when the crew discovered they could not lower its gear.

As soon as the emergency was declared a Pedro was launched from Bien Hoa. As the helicopter circled near the crippled aircraft, another HH-43 which was enroute from Tan Son Nhut to Bien Hoa, joined the rescue. One Pedro followed each of the crewmen to the ground after they ejected from their aircraft.

LtCol Gerald Foss, commander of Det 14, landed the helicopter he commanded in a rice paddy and picked up 1stLt Vance C. Parkhurst, the pilot of the F-4. Meanwhile, Capt Howard A. Randall, pilot of the second HH-43, set down in a small clearing near the Song Dong Nai River and rescued 1stLt Mike DeLong, the back-seater of the F-4. Both of the F-4 crewmen were airborne within 90 seconds after touching the ground.

Colonel Foss' crew consisted of Capt Donald H. Eudy,co­pilot; and Sgt Richard A. Johnson, medical technician. Captain Randall's crew included 2ndLt Billy E. Heslip, co-pilot; Sgt Stephen T. Missy, medical technician; and SSgts Truman O. Blake and Clifton R. Davis, firefighters.

In another Det 14 mission, shortly before midnight, three critically wounded Navy men suffering from numerous bullet wounds, were medevaced to the hospital by an HH-43 crew.

"Pedro 03" was airborne five minutes after receiving the alert call from the USN Command and headed for the pickup site, 15 NM from Tan Son Nhut. There were no navigational aids in the vicinity, the weather was poor enroute and an altitude of 1500 feet was maintained all the way because of ground fire observed by the crew along the route. Capt Henry G. Hamby, pilot of the HH-43, was in contact with the forces at the site on the FM radio while Capt Donald H. Eudy, the copilot, coordinated suppression of the artillery in the area. He also arranged for ambu­lances and fuel to meet the helicopter.

A flare was used to locate the site and a steep approach was made into the small area which was surrounded by a high fence and several unlighted towers. Numerous trees were also in the vicinity. Lighting at the landing site was minimal and no wind-indicating device was available. Two of the wounded were placed in the Pedro and a maximum performance take-off was made to clear the fences and power lines. Shortly afterward the patients were delivered to Saigon. After refueling, the third man was picked up and taken to the hospital. The rapid response of the HUSKIE crew was later credited with being directly responsible for saving the lives of the three men.

Sharing the hazardous mission with Captains Hamby and Eudy were MSgt Ralph E. Smith and AlC Stephen E. Tasker.

An HH-43 Pedro crew from Det 14, also recovered a Republic of Vietnam Air Force A-1 pilot after he bailed out of his aircraft five miles from Bien Hoa AB. The detachment covers the base on a TDY basis.
As the Pedro launched, Captain Eudy, the aircraft commander, saw the pilot floating to the ground. Captain Eudy landed the helicopter in the rice paddy near the downed VNAF pilot and SSgt Ronald Wilson, medical technician, ran to him. The RVN pilot, who appeared to be dazed, was helped into the HH-43 and airlifted back to Bien Hoa where an ambulance was waiting.
The other HH-43 crewmembers were Capt Jack Roberts, copilot; and SSgts Robert Montgomery and Ernest Taylor, firefighters.

SSgt Ronald Wilson, a medical technician attached to an HH-43 Pedro crew from Det 14, 3rd ARRGp, Tan Son Nhut AB, RVN, helps transfer a Spanish sailor who was medevaced from the Spanish Naval Academy training ship Juan Sebastian del Cano when he became ill. An HH-3 made the pickup and later transferred the sailor to a Det 14 helicopter for delivery to the hospital. (USAF photo)

Det 5, 3rd ARRGp, Udorn Airfield, Thailand, was the winner of the coveted MAC Commander's Trophy for LBR Units. Proudly displaying their prize are, front row, left to right, SSgt Paul Harshman, SSgt Freddie Senters, firefighters; SSgt Michael Auguste, engine mechanic; Capt Tom Meyers, pilot; SMS Richard Dumler, maintenance superintendent; MSgt Benny Stegall, medical technician; SSgt Bob Neal, SSgt Jerome Short, firefighters.
Second row, Capt Jonney Alexander (MC), flight surgeon; TSgt Homer Bartlett, medical technician; Sgt Larry Layne, administrative clerk; SSgt Dennis Lundine, MSgt Willie Bostic, Sgt Byron Hardie, helicopter mechanics; Lt Russ Hill, Capt Peter Buley, pilots; Sgt Larry Devore, helicopter mechanic; TSgt Lenny Brule, Sgt Tony Beaman, medical technician; Capt Bob Raggio, pilot; Maj John Cassarini, detachment commander.
On the HH-43 are A1C Lemayne Dewild, A1C Ray Prew, Sgt Tom Holloway, helicopter mechanics. (USAF photo)

"Rescue Teamwork" Saves Two

TAN SON NHUT AB - Rescue forces teamed up in a perfect example of their respective rolls recently when the crew of a US Air Force F-105 was forced to eject 45 miles southwest of Korat RTAFB, Thailand.
(add by Ragay : information from Mr. Tejo van Geffen - date  12 March 1972, call sign "Alamo 02")
An HC-130 "King" of the 39th ARRSq, responding to the first contact with the downed crew, flew to the area to pin-point their positions while an HH-43 Pedro from Det 4, 3rd ARRGp, was being launched from Korat. When Pedro arrived on scene the King had already made contact with the survivors and located them both.

Capt Daniel Biezad brought the Pedro to a hover above the high tree tops and Maj Harold W. Stoll, the F-105 GIB, climbed on the jungle penetrator and was hoisted aboard. Captain Biezad then flew to the pilot of the downed fighter-bomber, Capt James P. Verstrete, who was approximately 100 yards from Major Stoll. Since he had been injured, the Pedro lowered its medical technician, Sgt Gerardo Ramos, to help him. The 200-foot cable on the penetrator was fully extended when Sergeant Ramos reached the ground. The rescue seat was recovered just as two HH-53 "Super Jolly Green Giant" helicopters from the 40th ARRSq arrived.

Pedro led one in for the pick-up of the injured pilot and then returned to the base at Korat, with Major Stoll. Maj Ralph Allred, aircraft commander of the big helicopter, then lowered his pararescue specialist (PJ), Sgt William M. Hughes, Jr. He placed the downed pilot on a stokes litter and it was brought on board.

As Captain Verstrete was flown to Bangkok where he could receive further medical care, one of the finest displays of rescue teamwork in recent months came to a successful conclusion. LtColonel Carl W. Rottmann, director of operations of the 3rd ARRGp, the parent unit of all the rescue forces, said "This was one of the smoothest missions I have ever seen. The King, the Pedro, and the Super Jolly Green Giant displayed perfect teamwork."

Other crewmembers included copilot Capt Douglas C. McGraw, flight engineer Sgt Dennis L. Chriswell, and PJ  A1C Raymond T. Crow, Jr., on the Super Jolly Green Giant and helicopter mechanic Dwight L. Berry on Pedro.

Unfortunately not all rescue missions can be termed successful. Seldom, however, does a mission fail because of lack of effort on the part of the rescue forces. In a recent example of the effort put forward in an "unsuccessful" mission, the alert HH-43 Pedro crew at Det 4 performed outstandingly. After scrambling when an F-105 crashed on take-off, they launched in record time and dashed to the scene with the Fire Suppression Kit slung below the helicopter.
(add by Ragay : information from Mr. Tejo van Geffen - date  02 February 1972, call sign "Ashcan 02")

Wreckage was scattered from the runway to a lightly wooded area nearly a mile away. The tower had not observed any chutes and the crew was believed to still be in the flaming wreckage. The "Thud" had been carrying 20MM shells and other armament, some of which began exploding as Pedro arrived at the scene of the main wreckage. Since the area where the plane had come to rest had closely spaced trees, the Fire Suppression Kit could not be used and was placed in an open area 200 feet from the main wreck.

Sgts Billy Whittaker and Norman Jones, firemen, were lowered to the flaming aircraft and attempted to rescue the pilots. They raced through the flames and exploding ordnance and reached the cockpit only to discover there was no one there. The pilots had apparently ejected.  

Capt Daniel Biezad, the aircraft commander, returned the Pedro to the base perimeter where the crew of the illfated craft was found. One had successfully ejected, the other had been killed.

While Pedro made no saves, the professionalism and heroism of the crew was noteworthy. They had risked their lives to save the crew. With ordnance "cooking off" they had continued to do their job and risk their lives in an effort to save others.

The other members of the crew were Sgt Stuart Lindberg, medical technician, and Sgt Whitfield Paige, helicopter mechanic.

The entire crew was commended by the commander of the 388th TAC Fighter Wing, Col Stanley N. Ulster, Jr. "for the tremendous job the personnel of Pedro (helicopter) did in response to the emergency call...

"All personnel involved displayed an outstanding example of expertise and professionalism during the entire operation," he said.

For sometime the men of Det 12, 3rd ARRGp, at U-Tapao RTAFB, Thailand, had been seeking an insignia befitting their unit and the missions it carries out. Then, according to the story, Capt Dennis D. Olson leaped from his bed at midnight and feverishly began working on a design which had suddenly come to him. The result is the unique insignia shown above.

An enlargement of Captain Olson's distinctive "HH-43 Air Rescue" design was presented to the USO and is displayed in the club. It also adorns the rescuemen's personal plaques hanging in the aircrew lounge.

The detachment is on a 24-hour alert posture and responds to about 20 airborne emergencies a month. In addition personnel undergo constant training with six to eight practice fires being fought each month. Maj Bruce M. Purvine, detachment commander, said each of the six pilots attached to the unit has about 400 hours in the HH-43. Most have crossed-trained into the Air Rescue Service and average about 20 hours a month flying time. The "Pedro" unit has received MAC safety awards for the past two years.

The latest life-saving mission flown by a Det 12 Pedro crew involved the medevac of a "Sunday-swimmer" who was critically injured when he hit his head on the bottom of a boat. The accident occurred as the man was swimming in the shallow waters off the islands west of Pattaya Beach. His friend managed to pull him from the water and summoned help.

Twenty minutes after the accident the HH-43 arrived and landed at the water's edge. Aboard were Capt Dante O. Fierros, pilot; Capt Ralph Bell, copilot; Sgt Thomas W. Hooker, helicopter mechanic, and Sgt Fred A. Praitano, medical technician. Also aboard was Col John R. Hoch, a flight surgeon.

The patient, who had suffered a broken neck, was placed in the helicopter by Colonel Hoch and Sergeant Praitano. A few minutes later the HH-43 landed at the base where an ambulance was waiting. Afterward, the "quick reaction" of the Pedro crew and their "professional manner" in handling the emergency was credited with saving the life of the injured man. 

last update : 24/10/2007