November-December 1972-page 21, 25, 27

“Southeast Asia”

Base Firemen Injured Fighting Fire

HH-43 Crew Braves Explosions To Make Rescues

An excellent example of ARRS teamwork and dedication may be found below in this report received recently from Det 4, 3rd ARRGp, at Korat RTAFB. It was written by Capt David E. Buchholz, aircraft commander of "Pedro 26 "

...At approximately 0723L, the engine on Pedro 26 was shut down. The crew, with the exception of the pilots, had deplaned, and the pilots were accomplishing the cocking checklist when one of the crewmembers called out there was an aircraft on fire on the runway... Pedro 26 launched with the Fire Suppression Kit at approximately 0725L.

As Pedro left the alert pad, the two crewmembers from the burning aircraft could be seen running across the infield between Runway 24, and the parallel taxiway. The crew­members were safe, and as Pedro passed abeam of the distressed aircraft, the base firefighting force had the fire engaged. At this point the decision was made to fly to a safe distance, lower the FSK, land, and stand by until the emergency was terminated, or until directed otherwise by the on-scene commander. . .

At approximately 0728L, a transmission on FM Crash Net revealed that the foam supply was nearly exhausted. Since there was still evidence of fire, and numerous personnel were in close proximity to the aircraft, the decision was made to pick up the kit and continue to stand by in case a flashback threatened personnel working near the aircraft. Pedro 26 landed, deployed the medic for the hookup, and was moving over the kit when an explosion was heard. .. the aircraft had blown up and many people had been injured. The hookup was completed, and Pedro was flown to the scene where the kit was deposited approximately 75 feet upwind from the aircraft in a position where it could be utilized to fight fire. At that point the base fire­fighting equipment was out of foam and the trucks were unmanned. ..there was no fire in the immediate area of the injured firemen; and after kit deployment both Pedro firemen (Sgt Norman R. Jones and Sgt Peter Marcotte) began evacuating the injured to a safer distance. Pedro 26 retreated to a point some 200 feet away both to minimize the hazard to the helicopter and crew, and to remain clear of the men and equipment which had begun the task of trying to extract the many seriously injured men from the area.

The medical technician, TSgt James E. Morse, had made his way to the scene, and taking up a position near "Medic 2," an ambulance, began to administer treatment to injured personnel as they were removed from the site. Sergeants Jones and Marcotte, working as a team, extracted a severely injured man from a point very near the aircraft. After they had removed him from the area to a position on the grass infield, they returned for a second victim, also lying unconscious and severely injured at a point dangerously near the aircraft. As they removed him to the infield, another explosion occurred. At this point, Sergeant Jones returned to the helicopter to secure a litter for one of the victims. During the time that the firemen were engaged in extracting the victims, Captain David E. Buchholz, the aircraft commander, had deplaned and was preparing the rear of the helicopter for litter loading when Sergeant Jones arrived, picked up a partially assembled litter, finished the assembly, and raced back toward the place where the injured lay. At almost the same time, Sergeant Marcotte came to the helicopter for the second litter. (Still at the HH-43 controls was Maj Jack A. Weatherford.)

At approximately 0742L, Sergeant Jones and an unidentified fireman returned to the helicopter with a severely injured man secured to the litter. Assisted by Captain Buchholz, the man was placed aboard the helicopter and secured for flight. While this litter loading was taking place, Sergeant Marcotte, aided by an unidentified security policeman, secured the second victim to the second litter, and placed him aboard an ambulance.

At approximately 0745L, Pedro 26 departed for the Base Dispensary with Sergeant Jones and one victim in the back of the helicopter. A landing was made in a grassy area just South of the Dispensary, the victim was delivered to the care of a pair of medics, and Pedro departed, returning to the scene to determine if further assistance would be required.

While Pedro 26 was enroute to the Dispensary, Sergeant Marcotte again returned to the wreckage and sought to aid a third victim, but realized that this man was beyond help. Seeing no others who needed to be removed from the area, he turned his attention to the firefighting equipment which had been abandoned by drivers seeking to aid the injured. He first ran to F-6 (call sign "Tanker 3") and shut down a water turret that was spewing water and hampering rescue efforts, then he ran to "Tanker 1," and drove it to a safe point. When he looked back toward the scene of the accident he saw a Thai climbing into the large P-2 (call sign "Crash 2") vehicle with obvious intentions of moving it from the area. Being extremely knowledgeable of the personnel qualified and able to drive these trucks, Sergeant Marcotte knew that the Thai would not be able to move the truck and would be in danger of losing his life were he to remain in the vehicle. Sergeant Marcotte again returned to the crash scene, mounted the truck, and backed it and the Thai to safety.

Sergeant Marcotte joined the Pedro crew in the vicinity of the withdrawal area, and when it was determined that no further assistance was required, Pedro 26 and crew (with the exception of Technical Sergeant Morse who returned to the Dispensary to render medical assistance) returned to the Pedro pad to terminate at 0805L. 3 sorties­ .7 hour flying time logged on the mission.

  Det 5 Medevacs Marine

UDORN RTAFB, Thailand - Flying at night through rain and over unlighted, rugged terrain, an HH-43 crew from Det 5, 3rd ARRGp (MAC), at this base medevaced a Marine with acute appendicitus from Nam Phon RTAFB approximately 48 miles away.

Capt Larry B. Doege and his copilot, Capt Thomas J. Meyer, used dead reckoning as the primary source of navigation to the pickup point. This was necessary as Udorn ADF was out of commission and no navigational aids were listed at Nam Phon. The flight was made over forrested, rising hills which were obscured by light rain and haze encountered immediately after takeoff.

Anticipating a litter or stretcher patient, Captain Doege slowed the helicopter near Nam Phon and tracked the rotor blades for the smoothest possible ride. A ground mobile unit saw the spotlight being used by the helicopter crew, contacted the HH-43 and directed it to a landing site near the patient. He was placed aboard the Pedro and examined by Capt Richard C. Huff (MC), a flight surgeon who had made the flight from Udorn. Captain Huff said that without air evacuation to operating facilities at Udorn, the patient's life would be in jeopardy. Takeoff was made immediately afterward and again difficulties were encountered in the form of night navigation and rainstorms. Forty minutes later, however, the Pedro crew delivered their patient to Udorn.

Other members of the HH-43 crew were Sgt Thomas M. Holloway, helicopter mechanic; SSgt Paul A. Harshman, firefighter; MSgt Benny F. Stegall, medical technician.

Rescued From Sea By Det 12

U-TAPAO, RTNB, Thailand - An enlisted man who had been in the water for more than 10 hours after a boating accident, was rescued by Pedro 36, an HH-43 from Det 12, 3rd ARRGp (MAC), at this base.

A helicopter search began after the detachment was notified that a sailboat with two men aboard was overdue. As darkness fell, the survivor was spotted about two miles southeast of the base and a forest penetrator with a flotation collar was used to make the pickup from the choppy sea. A search of the area for the second survivor began, then terminated when it was learned that he had been picked up on shore by a ground party. 

Manning the rescue helicopter were Capt Carr E. Flournoy, pilot; 1stLt David G. Rousseau, copilot; Sgt Thomas W. Hooker, helicopter mechanic, and Sgt Oliver Chapel, medical technician; and SSgt George E. Cotton, firefighter.

37^th Pedro Saves Downed Pilot

DA NANG AFLD, Vietnam - A pilot who ejected from his battle-damaged F-105 was rescued from the South China Sea by an HH-43 Pedro from the 37th ARRSq (MAC), at this base.

Capt Donald R. Wagner and his crew had just returned from scrambling for another emergency when word was received that the F-105 was inbound to Da Nang. A minute after taking off to meet the crippled aircraft, Pedro was notified that the two occupants had ejected. The HH-43 received immediate clearance across both runways and six minutes later was over the ejection area eight miles from the base. One survivor was spotted in the two foot waves almost immediately, and a few minutes later was hoisted to safety. The other occupant of the F-105 was rescued by another helicopter, also attached to the 37th. With Captain Wagner in the HH-43 were Capt Allen C. Spitler, copilot; SSgt Charles R. Worley, helicopter mechanic; SSgt Samuel J. McElhaney, hoist operator; SSgt David Newman, firefighter; and Sgt Robert W. Parrish, medical technician.

Det 5 Saves Downed Pilot

UDORN RTAFB, Thailand - An HH-43F Pedro crew from Det 5, 3rd ARRGp, here was notified at 1125L that an F-4E was inbound with severe battle damage. The alert crew scrambled with the FSK aboard and entered the normal holding pattern to await the damaged aircraft. At 1150, the control tower notified the Pedro crew that the pilot had decided to bail out. The FSK was returned to the pad and a Search and Rescue Kit picked up for the ensuing mission. After a few minutes of flying, the Pedro crew received a beacon from the downed pilot's radio and homed in on its signal. Enroute, two Thailand T-28's were requested to provide cover since the area was not known to be "secure."

Capt Larry B. Doege, pilot of the HH-43F, contacted the survivor and was guided to his exact position in the heavily forested area which was also densely covered with 5 to 8­foot trees, the HH-43 slowly descended and came to a 10-foot hover over the survivor. Sgt Thomas M. Holloway lowered the forest penetrator seat through the underbrush and the downed pilot was hoisted to safety. A max power/restricted takeoff was made to avoid the encircling trees. Total time from ejection to return to base was 33 minutes.

Other members of the Pedro crew were 1stLt Russell G. Hill, Sgt Alfred P. Avila and SSgt Foster D. Smith.

last update : 22/10/2007