March-April 1973-page 12 , 27 , 34

“Southeast Asia”

RotorTips  Mar-Apr-1973 - p.12 : 

Det 5 Rescues Pilots

UDORN RTAFB, Thailand - The prompt action of an HH-43 crew here exemplified the ability of ARRS rescuemen to meet the challenge of a rapidly-changing situation.

Pedro scrambled with an FSK after notification that a battle-damaged  T-28  15 minutes from the base would make a wheels-up landing at Udorn. Then an inflight emergency was declared by an F-4 so the HH-43 began a precautionary orbit and intercepted the F-4. When it had safely landed, Pedro returned the FSK to the pad and took off again a few minutes later to meet the incoming T-28. As fire equipment stood by, the taxiway was cleared and the run­way foamed. The T-28 touched down 400 feet along the 2000-foot foamed portion of the taxiway, skidded down the runway and came to rest 200 feet past the end of the foam. Pedro pilot Capt Phillip A. Steele had intercepted the aircraft and as it came to rest, landed 60 feet to the right and upwind of the T-28. SSgt Paul A. Harshman and SSgt Stanley B. Glowniak, firefighters, leaped from the helicopter and ran to the T-28. The confused and disoriented pilot made no effort to leave the cockpit until the Pedro firemen began to free him. Once safely away from the potentially dangerous area, the survivor was loaded into the rescue helicopter and taken back to the helicopter pad. Sgt Randal P. Sischo was helicopter mechanic on the mission and Sgt Thomas E. Marshall was medical technician.

Responding to the fifth in-flight emergency in a two-hour period,. an HH-43 crew rescued the pilot and navigator of a battle-damaged tactical fighter after they ejected 10 miles from Udorn RTAFB, Thailand. To pick up the downed pilot, Capt Thomas J. Meyer placed the front wheels of the helicopter on a levee so the crewmembers could exit and retrieve the survivor.
Other members of the HH-43 crew were Capt Peter J. Buley, copilot; SSgt Freddie J. Senters and SSgt Stanley B. Glowniak, firefighters; Sgt Alfred P. Avila, medical technician; and Sgt Thomas M. Holloway, helicopter mechanic. All are attached to Det 5, 3rd ARRSq, at Udorn.

RotorTips  Mar-Apr-1973 - p.27 :

Children Saved By Det 12

U-TAPAO RTNA - Thailand - A seven-year-old girl with a brain abcess and a 21-month-old boy with a serious breathing problem, were medevaced to the hospital in Bangkok by HH-43 crews attached to Det 12, 40th ARRSq, at this airfield.

The mercy missions were flown a few weeks apart. Members of the Pedro crew which airlifted the little girl to the hospital were Capt Ronald C. Green, pilot; and 2ndLt Don E. Bresett, copilot; Sgt Larry L. McCall, medical corpsman; and SSgt William R. Pendleton, flight mechanic. Also aboard was LtCol Wesley E. Romberger, commander, 11th USAF Hospital.

Manning the HH-43 on the other mission were Capt Gregor P. Noe, pilot; 1stLt David G. Rousseau, Jr., copilot; Capt Eldridge H. Pearsall, flight surgeon; SSgt Alan L. Suit, medical technician; and SSgt Frederick R. Marshall, helicopter mechanic.

RotorTips  Mar-Apr-1973 - p.34 :

Hazardous Night Rescues Save Six

NAKHON PHAN RTAFB, Thailand - Two B-52  crew­members who ejected from their crippled aircraft at night and landed in thick jungle, were rescued by an HH-43 Pedro from the 40th ARRSq's LBR Det here.

In order to make the first pickup, Capt Robert D. Thompson and his copilot, 1stLt George S. Tarrant, held the rescue helicopter in a tree-top hover. Sgt Cleveland Sheffield, Jr., the crew chief, was lowered on the forest penetrator seat and assisted the dazed survivor onto the rescue device. Sgt Lawrence Crouch, a firefighter, hoisted the man aboard where he was treated for shock by Sgt Harold D. DeLoma, the medic.

Another survivor was spotted by the light of a flare and Pedro moved to that area. Although injured, the downed airman was able to mount the penetrator seat and was hoisted aboard where he was treated by Sergeant DeLoma and SSgt Kenneth L. Summy, the other firefighter. The rest of the survivors and Sergeant Sheffield were picked up by other helicopters.

In another hazardous night rescue by the Nakhon Phanom LBR Det, four crewmembers from an EC-47 were rescued after it crashed and burned in a heavily wooded area two miles from the base. A rice paddy 150 yards south of the impact point was the closest spot to land so the fire suppression kit was placed there. The firefighters, SSgt Walter J. Heller and Sgt Gary R. Brunty, left Pedro and headed for the wreckage. They were accompanied by Sgt Joseph Castlen, the medic.

Capt Theodore McKnight then hovered the HH-43 over the wreck to illuminate the area, while 1stLt Jerry M. Brewton, the copilot, coordinated with a night recon helicopter for a flare drop. Pedro landed and Lieutenant Brewton leaped out to assist in bringing the injured aboard. SSgt Ronald T. Jerome, crew chief, and Lieutenant Tarrant got aboard to assist with litter loads at the crash scene.

The downed pilot was placed aboard and airlifted back to the base. Three other survivors were placed aboard when the rescue helicopter returned and others were taken back to the base in another helicopter after a request for assistance from Pedro.

Afterward, Sergeants Heller and Brunty, were particularly commended for the part they played in assisting the injured at the risk of their own lives. They repeatedly entered the burning wreckage to ensure that there was no one left on board and while inside, braved not only the flames, but small arms ammunition that was "cooking off" from the intense heat. Their efforts were described as "outstanding."

In a third mission - of a civic action nature - an HH-43 crew from the Nakhon Phanon LBR detachment medevaced a baby girl to the base hospital from a small village after it was found she was suffering from an advanced state of protein starvation. The child's condition was discovered during physical examinations being given the villagers by a field medical team of doctors, a dentist and medical technicians. Soon after lift off the tiny patient went into a coma but her life was saved by the promptness with which she was airlifted to the hospital. Maj J. Harry Stow, III, was pilot on the mission; Lieutenant Tarrant, copilot; Sergeant Sheffield, crewman.

last update : 31/12/2007