March-April
1975-page
16
March-April
1975-page
16
Missions
of
Mercy
"Pedro"
From
56th
ARRSq
Aids
Base
KORAT
RTAFB,
THAILAND
-
HH-43
"Pedro"
helicopters
and
crews
of
the
56th
Aerospace
Rescue
and
Recovery
Squadron
(ARRSq)
lent
a
hand
to
Korat's
base
Military
Civic
Action
Office
recently.
Villagers
in
Ban
Kam
Pang
and
Ban
Kasieo,
who
frequently
became
sick
from
unclean
water,
needed
drinking
water
storage
tanks.
Ground
vehicles
could
not
transport
the
400-gallon
tanks
due
to
impassable
water
obstacles
so
Capt
August
G.
Juannarone,
Civic
Actions
Officer,
asked
for
"Pedro"
help.
With
approval
from
base
and
higher
headquarters,
two
"Pedro"
flights
were
made.
A
later
flight
brought
in
the
materials
needed
to
support
the
two
tanks.
Base
and
Thai
officials
have
long-range
plans
for
helping
villagers
at
nine
more
sites.
Once
approved,
the
56th
ARRSq
will
again
help
improve
public
health
while
gaining
experience
by
training
in
remote
areas
of
Thailand.
Crewmembers
were
Capt
Riley
Carruthers,
1st
Lts
Ecmon
D.
Thompson,
and
Larry
W.
Williams
and
SSgts
Dennis
R.
Bumgartner,
Charles
D.
Majors
and
Allyt
L.
Mattieson.
Others
involved
were
1st
Lt
Michael
E.
Scott,
2nd
Lt
Martin
A.
Quick
and
SSgt
Carl
E.
Isenhour.
Det
12
Records
Tenth
1974
Save
….
AND
….
U-TAPAO
RTAFB,
THAILAND
-
Detachment
12,
40th
Aerospace
Rescue
and
Recovery
Squadron
records
its
tenth
1974
"save"
as
an
HH-43
Pedro
crew
medevacs
an
airman's
wife
to
Bangkok.
Above,
the
crew
prepares
to
load
the
patient,
who
suffers
from
severe
internal
hemorrhaging.
Crewmembers
are
Maj.
John
Flournoy,
pilot
and
Det.
commander;
1st
Lt.
Thomas
Kemper,
copilot;
Sgt.
John
Coiro,
flight
mechanic;
and
SSgt.
Howard
Sheets,
medical
technician.
The
First
Save
of
1975
It
was
close
to
midnight
on 16
January,
1975,
when
Base
Operations
at
U-Tapao
RTNB,
Thailand,
notified
Det
12
that
a
Medevac
was
needed
for
Jean
Wallace,
dependent
wife
of
Sgt
William
Wallace.
The
patient
was
in
a
coma
caused
by
a
head
injury
incurred
in
an
automobile
accident.
Doctors
at
the
11th
USAF
Hospital
reported
Mrs.
Wallace
responded
only
to
deep
pain
and
they
noted
several
neurological
abnormalities.
Her
systolic
pressure,
which
should
have
been
between
100-140
was
±80.
The
ambulance
arrived
at
the
waiting
helicopter
and
the
patient
was
quickly
placed
on
board.
Assisted by his copilot, 2nd Lt Kenneth H. Charfauros, Capt Russell J. Spahr lifted the Huskie off the ground and proceeded to speed toward Don Muang Airport in Bangkok. Also on board the aircraft were crewmen TSgt Ronald K. Allen and Sgt Michael Misiewicz. Capt Rodger W. Althoff, a Medical Doctor, was on board attending to the patient. The night mission was complicated by several thunderstorms which had to be circumnavigated. After landing at Bangkok Airport, Dr. Althoff and TSgt Allen accompanied the patient to Bangkok General Hospital in the ambulance which was waiting at the airport. On the return flight to U-Tapao, the thunderstorm activity increased to such a point that Capt Spahr decided to return to Bangkok Airport. The crew remained in Bangkok overnight and returned to U-Tapao the next day. Dr. Althoff stated that a Save should be credited to the professional crew of Pedro, the HH-43 Huskie.
last update : 31/12/2007