March-April 1970-page 7,12,13,14,15

“Southeast Asia” 

"Fire, Explosion Danger Ignored to Make Rescue"

 An AC-119 was down in a marshy pond near Da Nang AB and fuel from the ruptured tanks was spreading toward the flaming number one engine. This was the situation rescuemen aboard an HH-43 found when they arrived soon after the aircraft crashed in the early morning darkness.

Capt Walter F. Hogan, Det 7, 38th ARRSq, quickly positioned Pedro overhead and snuffed out the flames with the rotor downwash. The helicopter pilot then landed on the dry shoulder to which six of the survivors had made their way after the crash. They informed the rescue crew that two more men were thought to be in the downed aircraft which was partially submerged in the four to six-foot deep waters. Immediately, all four HH-43 crewmen leaped from the chopper and began splashing their way through the fuel and oil-covered water surrounding the wreck. Disregarding the obvious danger of a fire or explosion, they entered the aircraft. Although the AC-119 still was in a "power-on condition" (all the electrical switches were on), greatly increasing the hazard, the rescuers never hesistated.
Groping their way through the wreckage in the fume-filled interior, they found and freed two gunners trapped in the rear of the AC-119.

During this time, Captain Hogan and his copilot, Capt Roger F. Hill, were maintaining the HH-43 in a hover over the site in order to light the otherwise pitch black area. The injured survivors were carried ashore, Pedro landed to make the pickup and a minute or two later the two men were headed for the hospital.

Members of the rescue crew who went to the aid of the trapped men were TSgt Gordon L. Ball, flight engineer; SSgt Reginald Ramseur and SSgt Cecil H. James, airborne firemen; and TSgt Donald G. Smith, pararescuemen.

(Ragay :  Internet – possibly  AC-119K  53-3156  date  19 Feb 1970  : “Ran out of fuel; landed short.”)

PRE-DAWN AT DA NANG - Crewmen from Det 7, 38th ARRSq, check out an HH-43 for yet another mission. The slower moving helicopters will often be ordered into the air ahead of the fighter-bombers. When a strike is made, the choppers will already be in place waiting for a "Mayday" call. (USAF photo)

Bien Hoa Rescuemen Make Pickup

Two of the four members of a helicopter crew whose chopper crashed in a field near Bien Hoa AB were taken to the base by an HH-43 crew from Det 6, 38th ARRSq. The other two downed airmen were picked up by another helicopter. None of the survivors were injured. Manning Pedro were Capt Richard S. Dunlap, pilot; Capt Edward L. Coleman, copilot; and Sgt Roy T. Vogel, pararescueman.

Snake-Bite Victim Saved By Det 8

A Vietnamese soldier who had been bitten by a snake was evacuated by an HH-43 Pedro crew from Det 8, 38th ARRSq, Cam Ranh Bay AB. A jungle penetrator seat was used to make the pickup from a small clearing in the jungle near the top of a 2400-foot mountain. As Capt Peter F. Dineen hovered over the large trees, Sgt Kenneth J. Musnicki, a pararescueman, was lowered on the penetrator. He secured the soldier on the seat and then he and the evacuee were hoisted through the double tree canopy to the helicopter. Others participating in the mission were Capt Jay W. Hansen, the copilot; and SSgt Thomas W. Seibert, flight engineer.

Det 14 Crew Aids Coast Guard

A sailor suffering from severe abdominal pains was airlifted to shore by an HH-43B crew from Det 14, 38th ARRSq, at Tan Son Nhut AB. The pickup was made from the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter "Kingdom Bravo" after Capt Michael C. Kiefl landed on the vessel's helipad. To make the landing in the gathering darkness, the helicopter pilot first flew formation with the moving ship , then hovered over the helipad until synchronization was established with the ship's pitch and roll. It was Captain Kiefl's first landing of this kind. Others manning the HH-43 were Capt Patrick J. McDaniel, copilot; SSgt Richard W. Peterson, flight engineer; and Sgt Arthur Luna, medical technician.

Det 3 Saves Thai Girl, Rescues Pilots

An HH-43 launched in the dark from Ubon Airfield, Thailand, after word was received that a seriously injured Thai girl was bleeding severely and in need of immediate medical attention. At the pickup site, 15 miles from Ubon, Capt Michael C. Kiefl found an approach route between 100-foot trees and landed in a small clearing illuminated by a truck's headlights. The border of the site was outlined by flashlights. With the patient aboard, a restricted area takeoff was made and the patient was soon at the hospital. Other members of the HH-43 crew, alll from Det 3, 38th ARRSq, at Ubon, were Capt Allen E. Spalt, copilot; Sgt Jeffery W. Fehr, medical technician; Sgt John D. Chilson, flight engineer; Capt John R. Pettigrove (MC), doctor.  

Four combat saves were also chalked up recently by Det 3. A navigator who ejected from a crippled aircraft was picked up from a rice paddy by HH-43 pilot Capt Marvin A. Cleveland and Sgt Ronald L. Kaylor, flight engineer. A second HH-43 located the downed aircraft and found that the pilot had failed to survive. Manning this helicopter were Captain Kiefl, Captain Spalt, Sergeant Chilson, and Sergeant Fehr.

Two airmen who ejected from their crippled aircraft were picked up from a rice paddy by an HH-43 manned by Captain Spalt, pilot; Maj Floyd R. Dooley, copilot; SSgt Rufus B. Russell, flight engineer; and Sgt Gerald E. Kent, medical technician.

Another downed pilot was picked up from a small jungle clearing by Captain Kiefl and his crew: Sgt John F. O'Neill, flight engineer; Sergeant Fehr, medical technician; and SSgt William J. Selke and Sgt Jessee L. Bunche, firefighters.

  HH-43 CREWS DRILL DAY AND NIGHT
Det 1 Crews Now Practice "At Home"

  PHAN RANG AB, RVN (7AF) - Air Force Det 1, 38th ARRSq, recently acquired its own firefighting practice area, complete with simulated aircraft fuselage. Detachment crewmembers previously journeyed to either Cam Ranh Bay AB or to Thailand for their proficiency trainning.

One of the unit's missions is to remove crewmembers from aircraft which have crashed on the runway and are burning, or are in danger of burning. The HH-43 Pedro is used for the rescue work. When a landing aircraft experiences mechanical difficulties or has been hit by enemy ground fire, the unit is one of several which respond, standing by to help in case the aircraft does fail to make a safe landing.

"Our practice firefighting is designed to closely resemble an actual situation so each crewmember can perfect his duties and work as a member of a team," said Maj Raymond L. Foster, detachment commander.  

Frequently, as many as four firemen may participate in a practice drill.  "Besides two experienced men, we may have some new arrivals. This training supplements that which they have already received. It also provides an important safety factor, so the most realistic training can be provided with little comparative danger," Maj Foster said.  

Practice fires are fought both during the day and at night. The late evening drills are designed to enhance the crew's depth perception, which normally is greatly impaired because of inadequate light. During an actual crash, firetrucks from the 35th Civil Engineering Squadron also use large amounts of foam to help put out the fire.  

"But ours is the most crucial responsibility - getting out the people," concluded maj Foster.  "Working as a quick-moving, efficient team - matured by constant practice - is vital to fulfilling our responsibility and motto:  "These Things We Do, That Others May Live."  

Infero - An HH-43 Pedro rescue helicopter from Det 1, 38th ARRSq, sets down to let off firefighters and amedic before tackling 500 gallons of blazing fuel. The fire suppression kit (FSK) had been set in place a few seconds before. A metal structure simulating an aircraft is in the fire's midst. Firemen use a foam mixture from the FSK to cut a path to the wreckage, where, in an actual situation, they would remove people from the aircraft. The helicopter would meanwhile hover above the flame, its rotorwash helping to clear a path while providing cool, life-sustaining air for the firemen and people in the plane.  

Dust And Smoke - A firefighter from Det 1 prepares a fire suppression kit (FSK) while an HH-43 Pedro rescue helicopter hovers above the flaming fuel. The detachment recently acquired its own practice crash rescue area where members of the unit practice frequently to build up teamwork and to completely familiarize each man with his equipment.

Casual Spectator - A medic, right foreground, relaxes against a fire suppression kit (FSK) while Det 1 firefighters practice entering a fire. (USAF photos by A1c William Canava)

SMALL BUT VITAL-DET 13 IS LIFE SAVER
100% Operational Ready Status For Two Years

By Sgt Ralph Saenz

PHU CAT AB, RVN (7AF) - There is a small unit here that performs a vital function - the saving of human lives.
Det 13, 38th ARRSq has two missions, local base rescue and aircrew recovery. "We fly mostly local base rescue missions averaging two or three scrambles a day," said Maj Ernest A. Headberg, Jr., commander of the unit.

When the horn sounds at the detachment area, four men race to an HH-43 Pedro helicopter. Two of the men are pilots. The other two are firemen attached to the unit from the 37th Civil Engineering Squadron. There are six firemen assigned to Det 13. The helicopter is started and hovers over the pad while one of the firemen hooks a fire suppression kit to the underside of the helicopter.

The Pedro crew intercepts whatever aircraft is in trouble and follows it in. If the plane crashes, the helicopter goes down to the crash site. The firemen waste no time. If the plane is on fire the fire suppression kit is detached and used to keep the flames contained long enough for the firemen to get the crewmembers away from the plane. The base fire trucks then come in to extinguish the fire.

"Our second mission, aircrew recovery, is not limited to Air Force operations. We recover people from all services, Major Headberg said. "We have four medics assigned to us from the 37th U.S. Air Force Dispensary. They are not trained pararescue medics. We teach them things relating to rescue pick ups, like operating the hoist, but they are not qualified as jumpers. We give them a lot of credit though. It takes nerve to go down into enemy territory to check on survivors of a downed aircraft.

"In the two years of operation here, we have been very fortunate. We have lost only one member of our squadron through enemy action," continued Major Headberg. "During this time we have always remained on 100 percent operational ready status."

Det 13 also has medical evacuation capabilities. One Pedro can carry two people comfortably, and more if necessary, to the large hospital facility at Qui Nhon. There are two versions of the HH-43 Pedro which the squadron flies. The B model is also used by rescue squadrons in the United States. The F model, used in the Republic of Vietnam, has a larger engine and is armor plated.

"There's only one thing on my mind during a mission," said the major, "and that's getting the downed crewmen out of enemy territory and back to safety." Below is a short account of an "at-sea" medical evacuation made by Det 13. Scores of such missions have been flown by the detachment but most were over land.

Alert! Alert! - In top left photo, seconds after the alert horn sounded, crewmen from Det 13 race to their HH-43 Pedro helicopter. An alert crew may scramble several times a day for local base rescue, aircrew recovery missions, or to make medical evacuations. Top right, an HH-43 with a fire suppression kit attached flys out to intercept an aircraft in trouble. Bottom left, an HH-43 crew walks back to the operations building following a scramble. Bottom right, an important part of the rescue team, Det 13 mechanics perform maintenance on one of the detachment's HH-43's. Det 13 has been on 100 percent operational ready status since it came to Phu Cat two years ago. (USAF photos by SSgt Paul J. Harrington)

HH-43 Medevacs Sailor

Two HH-43's from Det 13, 38th ARRSq, at Phu Cat AB responded when a call for a Medevac was received from the USS Haleakala after a petty officer began suffering severe abdominal pains. Captain David A. Cochenour landed on the ship's helipad to make the pickup.

LtCol Earnest A. Headberg, Jr., detachment commander and pilot of the back-up helicopter, said afterward, "The boys in the pick-up helicopter did a real professional job of setting down on the ship. With 12-foot waves causing the ship to pitch up and down, the matter of hitting the pad just right got a little complicated. The pilot did a great job of getting on and getting off safely."

Grateful - SF1 Melford A. King, center, expresses his gratitude to "Pedro" crew which evacuated him from a ship 20 miles offshore. Left to right are, Capt David A. Cochenour, pilot; Maj Joseph D. Price, copilot; Sgt Stephen L. Stover, crew chief; and SSgt Edward E. Scott, medical technician. Other crewmembers were SSgts Robert A. Twigg and Alc James J. Washbeck. (USAF photo by Sgt Bill Stahl)

Det 11 Saves Pilot

TUY HOA AB, RVN (7AF) - Bailing out of his F-100 Supersabre at an altitude of 200 feet, Capt Larry D. Leppa is convinced he would not like to do it every day. Capt Leppa's aircraft flamed out during a landing approach two miles from the runway here and 200 feet above the South China Sea.

After he bailed out, USAF HH-43 Pedro helicopters were on hand to rescue him from the water. "I barely got wet, Captain Leppa said, "a rescue crew had me out of the water within eight minutes. After I ejected I never felt the seat leave me. All I remember is hitting the water. When I came back to the surface one of my fuel tanks was floating fins up nearby and the rescue chopper was hovering overhead."

The HH-43 aircraft commander, Capt Charles T. Wohlnick, commented, "Captain Leppa sounded real calm throughout the operation. When he flamed out he had about five seconds to make his decision to eject. We'd been told he was having troubles and we were airborne to meet him."

Assisting Captain Wohlnick in the rescue were Capt James H. Brittingham, copilot; Sgt Richard E. Evans, pararescueman; SSgt Osby Hunter, Jr., SSgt Gwenold G. Nelson, and Sgt James W. Nelson, rescue specialists. All from Det 11, 38th ARRSq at Tuy Hoa.

Det 1 Rescues Two From Sea

Two downed pilots were rescued and eight wounded Vietnamese soldiers were evacuated recently by HH-43 crews from Det 1, 38th ARRSq, Phan Rang AB.

An F-100 pilot who ejected over water 40 nautical miles from the base, was plucked from the sea without incident despite 10 to 15-foot swells. Major Ronald K. Dalrymple was pilot of the HH-43 and Capt Thomas E. Rodgers, copilot.

Others members of the crew were SSgt James A. Taylor, flight engineer; MSgt Anthony R. Gargano, pararescueman; and Sgt David Hernandez, medical technician.

Another F-100 pilot was also rescued from the sea after ejecting from his crippled aircraft. Again the pickup was made without incident. Maj Raymond L. Foster was pilot of the HH-43 and Capt Harold N. Hansen, copilot. Crewmen were Sergeant Taylor, and Sergeant Hernandez.

Det 1 personnel who participated in one or more of the five medevac missions flown by detachment Pedros were: Major Dalrymple, Captain Hansen, Sergeant Taylor, Sergeant Hernandez, Capt Wayne R. Crowther, Capt Richard G. Humphreys, SSgt Henry L. Jones, 11, Major Foster, Sgt Gary L. Hartley and Sgt Robert C. Edens.

last update : 22/08/2007