When was the last Medevac Mission?
by James M. McDonald
by James M. McDonald
Although 26 March 1971 officially marked the end of duties in Vietnam for
the 1st Cavalry Division, President Nixon's program of "Vietnamization"
required the continued presence of a strong U.S. fighting force. The 2nd
Battalion of the 5th Regiment, 1st Battalion of the 7th Regiment, 2nd
Battalion of the 8th Regiment and 1st Battalion of the 12th Regiment along
with specialized support units as "F" Troop, 9th Cavalry and Delta Company,
229th Assault Helicopter Battalion helped establish the 3rd Brigade
headquarters at Bien Hoa. Its primary mission was to interdict enemy
infiltration and supply routes in War Zone D. The 3rd Brigade was well
equipped with helicopters from the 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion and
later, a battery of "Blue Max", aerial field units and two air cavalry troops. A
QRF (Quick Reaction Force) - known as "Blue Platoons", was maintained in
support of any air assault action. The "Blues" traveled light, fought hard and
had three primary missions; 1) to form a "field force" around any helicopter
downed by enemy fire or mechanical failure; 2) to give quick backup to
Ranger Patrols who made enemy contact; and 3) to search for enemy trails,
caches and bunker complexes. "Blue Max", "F" Battery, 79th Aerial Rocket
Artillery, was another familiar aerial artillery unit. Greatly appreciated by
troopers of the 1st Cavalry, its heavily armed Cobras flew a variety of fire
missions in support of the operations of the 3rd Brigade. The pilots of "Blue
Max" were among the most experienced combat fliers in the Vietnam War.
Many had volunteered for the extra duty to cover the extended stay of the
1st Cavalry Division. On 30 March 1972, General Giap of the North
Vietnamese Army began an offensive across the DMZ in a final attempt to
unify the North and South. By 03 April, these thrusts became a full scale
attack. More than 48,000 NVA and VC troops hit Loc Ninh. Two days later, on
05 April, the North Vietnamese threw heavy assults against An Loc and
announced that by 20 April, An Loc would be the new capital of the South
for the North Vietnamese. In April and May, stepped up bombings by B-52's
helped blunt the North Vietnamese invasion. Large groups of enemy soldiers
were caught in the open fields and entire NVA units were destroyed.
Helicopters and gunships from the 3rd Brigade saw heavy action at An Loc
and Loc Ninh, engaging heavy armor as well as ground troops. The intensity
of the fighting took a heavy toll on them. For example, on 12 May, five Cobra
Ships were destroyed in less than 30 minutes by Chinese Surface-to-Air
(SA-7) Missiles. On 15 May, relief units, moving down Highway 13, broke
through and helped lift the bitter siege of An Loc. The North Vietnamese
were reeling from huge losses and began to withdraw to their sanctuaries in
Cambodia and Laos. Their spring offensive aimed at cutting South Vietnam in
half and capturing Saigon had been decisively smashed. The helo air effort of
the 3rd Brigade had turned in a magnificent performance in support of the
remaining advisors with the ARVN units. During the period of 05 April
through 15 May 1972, more than 100 T54 tanks, armored personnel carriers
and anti-aircraft guns were knocked out in the area around An Loc. By 31
March 1972, only 96,000 U.S. troops were involved in the Vietnam combat
operations. In less than two months later, the last of the 1st Cavalry Division,
the 3rd Brigade, began its "Stand Down" in a phased withdrawal and was
bought back to the United States, completing the division recall on 26 June
1972, which had started over a year earlier on 05 May 1971. The 1st Cavalry
Division had been the first army division to go to Vietnam and the last to
leave. I want to find out when was the "LAST MEDEVAC MISSION FLOWN IN
RVN"?
the 1st Cavalry Division, President Nixon's program of "Vietnamization"
required the continued presence of a strong U.S. fighting force. The 2nd
Battalion of the 5th Regiment, 1st Battalion of the 7th Regiment, 2nd
Battalion of the 8th Regiment and 1st Battalion of the 12th Regiment along
with specialized support units as "F" Troop, 9th Cavalry and Delta Company,
229th Assault Helicopter Battalion helped establish the 3rd Brigade
headquarters at Bien Hoa. Its primary mission was to interdict enemy
infiltration and supply routes in War Zone D. The 3rd Brigade was well
equipped with helicopters from the 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion and
later, a battery of "Blue Max", aerial field units and two air cavalry troops. A
QRF (Quick Reaction Force) - known as "Blue Platoons", was maintained in
support of any air assault action. The "Blues" traveled light, fought hard and
had three primary missions; 1) to form a "field force" around any helicopter
downed by enemy fire or mechanical failure; 2) to give quick backup to
Ranger Patrols who made enemy contact; and 3) to search for enemy trails,
caches and bunker complexes. "Blue Max", "F" Battery, 79th Aerial Rocket
Artillery, was another familiar aerial artillery unit. Greatly appreciated by
troopers of the 1st Cavalry, its heavily armed Cobras flew a variety of fire
missions in support of the operations of the 3rd Brigade. The pilots of "Blue
Max" were among the most experienced combat fliers in the Vietnam War.
Many had volunteered for the extra duty to cover the extended stay of the
1st Cavalry Division. On 30 March 1972, General Giap of the North
Vietnamese Army began an offensive across the DMZ in a final attempt to
unify the North and South. By 03 April, these thrusts became a full scale
attack. More than 48,000 NVA and VC troops hit Loc Ninh. Two days later, on
05 April, the North Vietnamese threw heavy assults against An Loc and
announced that by 20 April, An Loc would be the new capital of the South
for the North Vietnamese. In April and May, stepped up bombings by B-52's
helped blunt the North Vietnamese invasion. Large groups of enemy soldiers
were caught in the open fields and entire NVA units were destroyed.
Helicopters and gunships from the 3rd Brigade saw heavy action at An Loc
and Loc Ninh, engaging heavy armor as well as ground troops. The intensity
of the fighting took a heavy toll on them. For example, on 12 May, five Cobra
Ships were destroyed in less than 30 minutes by Chinese Surface-to-Air
(SA-7) Missiles. On 15 May, relief units, moving down Highway 13, broke
through and helped lift the bitter siege of An Loc. The North Vietnamese
were reeling from huge losses and began to withdraw to their sanctuaries in
Cambodia and Laos. Their spring offensive aimed at cutting South Vietnam in
half and capturing Saigon had been decisively smashed. The helo air effort of
the 3rd Brigade had turned in a magnificent performance in support of the
remaining advisors with the ARVN units. During the period of 05 April
through 15 May 1972, more than 100 T54 tanks, armored personnel carriers
and anti-aircraft guns were knocked out in the area around An Loc. By 31
March 1972, only 96,000 U.S. troops were involved in the Vietnam combat
operations. In less than two months later, the last of the 1st Cavalry Division,
the 3rd Brigade, began its "Stand Down" in a phased withdrawal and was
bought back to the United States, completing the division recall on 26 June
1972, which had started over a year earlier on 05 May 1971. The 1st Cavalry
Division had been the first army division to go to Vietnam and the last to
leave. I want to find out when was the "LAST MEDEVAC MISSION FLOWN IN
RVN"?
Those Cav MEDEVACS;
They Just Won't Give Up
By PFC Nick Matuszeck
They Just Won't Give Up
By PFC Nick Matuszeck
Phouc Vinh - Two wounded infantrymen were finally pulled from the jungle
near the Song Be Bridge recently, but not before two Medevac helicopters
were shot down in the effort to get them out. One wounded man, dropped
by one of the birds before it crashed, spent an hour strapped to a rigid litter
listening to the enemy moving around his location before he was rescued.
The incident began when three wounded members of the 25th. Infantry
Division's 91-A element were being extracted from the Jungle near the Song
Be Bridge in Binh Duong Province.
Before they could be pulled out, however, intense enemy fire brought down
the "Dustoff" Bird, a craft supporting the 25th. While 25th. Infantry Division
Cobras circled high above, a MEDEVAC bird from the 1st. Air Cavalry
Division's 15th. Medical Battalion answered the "Mayday" call from the
stricken aircraft.
Warrant Officer Joel Morris, 'Medevac 26" Commander, rushed to the crash
site and , communicating with ground units, found the crew of the downed
bird had been rescued.
However, there were still three critically wounded men on the ground who
needed immediate evacuation, Morris briefed his crew on their individual
responsibilities , then called the ground unit for approach instructions.
As the bird came in low over the high jungle canopy and prepared to drop
the rigid litter by cable, muzzle flashes were spotted from enemy gun
emplacements. The doorgunners, Specialist 5 Robert Valencia and Specialist
4 Daniel Weaver, opened up Hot and Heavy with their machineguns in an
attempt to suppress the enemy fire.
After quickly taking the craft out of range Morris and Warrant Officer Barry
Brown, the Co-Pilot, came in for another approach from a different route. As
the bird hovered over the jungle, Specialist 4 Gregory Shafer, the Medic, and
Crew Chief Jonathan Hodges lowered the hoisting cable and the litter
through the treetops.
But the enemy gunners soon zeroed in on the stationary chopper as the
crew exposed itself while struggling to hoist the first injured man to safety.
Despite their efforts, however, the rescue had to be aborted as several burst
of automatic weapons fire tore into the chopper's transmission.
The patient below, strapped to the litter, was at a height of about five feet
when the chopper crew was forced to cut him loose as they rapidly lost
altitude. Pilot Morris barely got the bird to a small clearing where he
crash-landed the Aircraft.
After a quickly-called appeal over the radio for assistance, Morris and his
crew abandoned the burning Aircraft. Armed with two M-60 machineguns
and their Pistols, they prepared for the worst and set up a defensive
perimeter around their burning ship. Fortunately, a rescue ship reached them
ahead of the enemy and they were soon on their way to safety.
The commander of the second bird, Chief Warrant Officer Christopher
Wickland, found himself faced with the same situation as the previous rescue
Pilot: the flight crew he'd intended to rescue was already out, but wounded
men remained with the ground unit. To add almost unbearable urgency to
the situation, the man who'd been dropped still hadn't been located.
With the gunners pouring out suppressing fire, the extraction of the first
patient went without a hitch as the crew exposed themselves to possible fire.
A quick flight to Phouc Vinh to rush the wounded man to medical aid was
followed by the successful search for the dropped litter patient. Even though
his chances for survival were thin, the crew of "MEDEVAC 18" refused to
abandon him. Wickland was told by the ground unit that the first bird had
carried the litter approximately 30 meters from the pickup site before
dropping it. Assisted by a LOH, Wickland and his crew began an intensive
search for the downed man and litter.
Finally, the LOH crew spotted the wounded man waving from a
nearly-concealed spot in the brush. The MEDEVAC bird dropped down near
his location, crewmembers hanging out the doors onto the skids to spot the
man's position. Fortunately, the bird was able to come low enough to allow
Victor and Specialist 4 Joe Kelly, the Medic, to jump to the ground, gather up
the wounded man on the litter, and load him back into the bird for the
life-saving flight to Phouc Vinh.
The patient later told of lying in the brush for an hour, unable to move and in
pain, listening to the enemy moving in the brush around him.
In an impact awards ceremony following the action, Brigadier General
Jonathan R. Burton, Assistant Division Commander of the 1st. Cavalry
Division Commended the courage of the crews of MEDEVAC 18 and 26. Every
member of MEDEVAC 26-Morris, Brown, Valencia, Weaver, Shafer and
Hodges received Distinguished Flying -Crosses,.Aircraft Commander Wickland
and Pilot Simpson of MEDEVAC 18 also received Distinguished Flying
Crosses, While Kelly, Sparkman and Victor each received air medals for Valor.
Copy of Flyer supplied by Barry Brown; Thanks Barry
near the Song Be Bridge recently, but not before two Medevac helicopters
were shot down in the effort to get them out. One wounded man, dropped
by one of the birds before it crashed, spent an hour strapped to a rigid litter
listening to the enemy moving around his location before he was rescued.
The incident began when three wounded members of the 25th. Infantry
Division's 91-A element were being extracted from the Jungle near the Song
Be Bridge in Binh Duong Province.
Before they could be pulled out, however, intense enemy fire brought down
the "Dustoff" Bird, a craft supporting the 25th. While 25th. Infantry Division
Cobras circled high above, a MEDEVAC bird from the 1st. Air Cavalry
Division's 15th. Medical Battalion answered the "Mayday" call from the
stricken aircraft.
Warrant Officer Joel Morris, 'Medevac 26" Commander, rushed to the crash
site and , communicating with ground units, found the crew of the downed
bird had been rescued.
However, there were still three critically wounded men on the ground who
needed immediate evacuation, Morris briefed his crew on their individual
responsibilities , then called the ground unit for approach instructions.
As the bird came in low over the high jungle canopy and prepared to drop
the rigid litter by cable, muzzle flashes were spotted from enemy gun
emplacements. The doorgunners, Specialist 5 Robert Valencia and Specialist
4 Daniel Weaver, opened up Hot and Heavy with their machineguns in an
attempt to suppress the enemy fire.
After quickly taking the craft out of range Morris and Warrant Officer Barry
Brown, the Co-Pilot, came in for another approach from a different route. As
the bird hovered over the jungle, Specialist 4 Gregory Shafer, the Medic, and
Crew Chief Jonathan Hodges lowered the hoisting cable and the litter
through the treetops.
But the enemy gunners soon zeroed in on the stationary chopper as the
crew exposed itself while struggling to hoist the first injured man to safety.
Despite their efforts, however, the rescue had to be aborted as several burst
of automatic weapons fire tore into the chopper's transmission.
The patient below, strapped to the litter, was at a height of about five feet
when the chopper crew was forced to cut him loose as they rapidly lost
altitude. Pilot Morris barely got the bird to a small clearing where he
crash-landed the Aircraft.
After a quickly-called appeal over the radio for assistance, Morris and his
crew abandoned the burning Aircraft. Armed with two M-60 machineguns
and their Pistols, they prepared for the worst and set up a defensive
perimeter around their burning ship. Fortunately, a rescue ship reached them
ahead of the enemy and they were soon on their way to safety.
The commander of the second bird, Chief Warrant Officer Christopher
Wickland, found himself faced with the same situation as the previous rescue
Pilot: the flight crew he'd intended to rescue was already out, but wounded
men remained with the ground unit. To add almost unbearable urgency to
the situation, the man who'd been dropped still hadn't been located.
With the gunners pouring out suppressing fire, the extraction of the first
patient went without a hitch as the crew exposed themselves to possible fire.
A quick flight to Phouc Vinh to rush the wounded man to medical aid was
followed by the successful search for the dropped litter patient. Even though
his chances for survival were thin, the crew of "MEDEVAC 18" refused to
abandon him. Wickland was told by the ground unit that the first bird had
carried the litter approximately 30 meters from the pickup site before
dropping it. Assisted by a LOH, Wickland and his crew began an intensive
search for the downed man and litter.
Finally, the LOH crew spotted the wounded man waving from a
nearly-concealed spot in the brush. The MEDEVAC bird dropped down near
his location, crewmembers hanging out the doors onto the skids to spot the
man's position. Fortunately, the bird was able to come low enough to allow
Victor and Specialist 4 Joe Kelly, the Medic, to jump to the ground, gather up
the wounded man on the litter, and load him back into the bird for the
life-saving flight to Phouc Vinh.
The patient later told of lying in the brush for an hour, unable to move and in
pain, listening to the enemy moving in the brush around him.
In an impact awards ceremony following the action, Brigadier General
Jonathan R. Burton, Assistant Division Commander of the 1st. Cavalry
Division Commended the courage of the crews of MEDEVAC 18 and 26. Every
member of MEDEVAC 26-Morris, Brown, Valencia, Weaver, Shafer and
Hodges received Distinguished Flying -Crosses,.Aircraft Commander Wickland
and Pilot Simpson of MEDEVAC 18 also received Distinguished Flying
Crosses, While Kelly, Sparkman and Victor each received air medals for Valor.
Copy of Flyer supplied by Barry Brown; Thanks Barry
Please click the Cav patch to read two excellent articles written by Mike Bodnar for The Saber
| Medevac Proves Invaluable Asset 1970 - Phuoc Vinh, RVN Submitted by: Mark "Doc" Holiday |
The cry of the hurt goes out and Medevac crews scramble. They care.
Nearly five years ago, the 15th Medical Battalion, of the First Cavalry Division
(Airmobile), became the first such Army Unit with organic aviation. Since
then, 15th Med has time and again proven it's value: unassessable in terms
of human suffering lessened and lives saved.
In Vietnam, the rugged terrain has often made the air ambulance role
difficult. The unavailibility of a landing zone, in areas of dense jungel,
neccessitates the use of a hoist for bringing wounded men aboard the
aircraft. The use of a hoist and jungle penetrator, or rigid litter, has saved
many lives. But the use of these pieces of vital equipment can be extremely
hazardous. The Medevac helicopter, hovering above the jungle, is a
stationary target for enemy gunners. In fact, the wounded man himself is an
inviting target.
A ground Infantry Unit is in contact with an enemy force. The Commander
informs the Medevac Pilot that a hoist mission will be necessary, while the
aircraft is still enroute to the contact site. Smoke is popped and the
helicopter crew drops a rigid litter to the men below. The helicopter then
circles the area as the wounded man is strapped into the device. When all is
ready, on the ground, the helicopter hovers over the treetops. The ground
troops put out an enormous amount of fire, in an attempt to keep the
enemy's heads down. Doorgunner and crew chief open up with their M-60s,
as ugly green tracers scream past their ship. The medic is moving quickly,
lowering the hoist to the waiting men below.
Then comes the always too slow ascent, as the electrical fishing reel hauls in
it's catch. When the wounded man finally reaches the helicopter, the men
aboard swing the hoist inside the ship and pull the man to safety. As the
pilot pulls his craft out of the hover and moves out fast, the medic is
administering to the wounded Skytrooper. Within minutes, the wounded
man is receiving the concentrated attention of a hospital staff.
For the men of the Medevac crew, another job is done. A feeling of
satisfaction and compassion is their reward.
Nearly five years ago, the 15th Medical Battalion, of the First Cavalry Division
(Airmobile), became the first such Army Unit with organic aviation. Since
then, 15th Med has time and again proven it's value: unassessable in terms
of human suffering lessened and lives saved.
In Vietnam, the rugged terrain has often made the air ambulance role
difficult. The unavailibility of a landing zone, in areas of dense jungel,
neccessitates the use of a hoist for bringing wounded men aboard the
aircraft. The use of a hoist and jungle penetrator, or rigid litter, has saved
many lives. But the use of these pieces of vital equipment can be extremely
hazardous. The Medevac helicopter, hovering above the jungle, is a
stationary target for enemy gunners. In fact, the wounded man himself is an
inviting target.
A ground Infantry Unit is in contact with an enemy force. The Commander
informs the Medevac Pilot that a hoist mission will be necessary, while the
aircraft is still enroute to the contact site. Smoke is popped and the
helicopter crew drops a rigid litter to the men below. The helicopter then
circles the area as the wounded man is strapped into the device. When all is
ready, on the ground, the helicopter hovers over the treetops. The ground
troops put out an enormous amount of fire, in an attempt to keep the
enemy's heads down. Doorgunner and crew chief open up with their M-60s,
as ugly green tracers scream past their ship. The medic is moving quickly,
lowering the hoist to the waiting men below.
Then comes the always too slow ascent, as the electrical fishing reel hauls in
it's catch. When the wounded man finally reaches the helicopter, the men
aboard swing the hoist inside the ship and pull the man to safety. As the
pilot pulls his craft out of the hover and moves out fast, the medic is
administering to the wounded Skytrooper. Within minutes, the wounded
man is receiving the concentrated attention of a hospital staff.
For the men of the Medevac crew, another job is done. A feeling of
satisfaction and compassion is their reward.
| SNIPERS IN BOX CANYON 8 February 1971 Ron Huether (Baby Huey)– PIC John Goldsmith (Goldie)- Pilot Jim Ferguson - Crew Chief Dan Brady- Medic Dave Cooper- Gunner |
Brief synopsis of mission:
Working from FSB Mace in the 1st Cav. Division area, we received a call for
wounded from platoon trapped in a box canyon by a number of snipers. We
scrambled with two AH-1 attack aircraft for the 15 min flight to the box canyon
near the town of Ham Tan. As we arrived on the scene we were told to orbit to
the southeast because the unit was still under fire. About this time an OH-6 pilot
was trying to burn out the snipers by dropping white phosphorus grenades on
the sniper's location. Unfortunately the grenades bounced off the jungle canopy
and landed on the pinned down US troops. There were numerous US troops
with white phosphorus burning through their skin and as the stood up and
screamed, the snipers would pick them off. Though we were ordered not to go
in I asked the crew what they thought. All wanted to try a rescue using the
rescue hoist. I told the gun birds we were going in and they set up their
protective orbits. We flew in, hovered above the triple canopy and lowered the
forest penetrator. Being in a box canyon, with high ground on three sides of us,
we were easy targets for the snipers. The first thing to be shot out was the
rotating beacon, them bullets came through each red cross.
Ferguson and Cooper were shooting their M-60's as fast as they could but to no
avail. A bullet came up through the boot of the door gunner (Cooper), bounced
off the chicken plate of the medic (Brady), hit the transmission and then
ricocheted forward striking me in the back of the helmet. When the bullet
entered my helmet it threw me forward (I was flying) on the controls. At the
same time, Cooper and Brady were shouting into the intercom that they were
hit. The pilot, Goldsmith, thought that two crewmembers in the back were hit
and that his AC was hit. He took the controls and departed the area for a nearby
fire support base. Upon landing at the FSB, Ferguson jumped out and noticed
the fuel lines were hit and told us to shut the aircraft down. A sister Medevac
(WO1 Gregg Simpson) then took over and attempted to complete the mission.
His aircraft was also damaged before he could get any patients out. An aircraft
from the 45th Med. Co. had been called as backup for our two aircraft. That
aircraft was flown by 1LT Tom Lacy. By the time he got to the patients the
snipers had departed and he was able to get the patients without any problems.
More than half the platoon were killed by the snipers and almost everyone left
was a casualty.
Working from FSB Mace in the 1st Cav. Division area, we received a call for
wounded from platoon trapped in a box canyon by a number of snipers. We
scrambled with two AH-1 attack aircraft for the 15 min flight to the box canyon
near the town of Ham Tan. As we arrived on the scene we were told to orbit to
the southeast because the unit was still under fire. About this time an OH-6 pilot
was trying to burn out the snipers by dropping white phosphorus grenades on
the sniper's location. Unfortunately the grenades bounced off the jungle canopy
and landed on the pinned down US troops. There were numerous US troops
with white phosphorus burning through their skin and as the stood up and
screamed, the snipers would pick them off. Though we were ordered not to go
in I asked the crew what they thought. All wanted to try a rescue using the
rescue hoist. I told the gun birds we were going in and they set up their
protective orbits. We flew in, hovered above the triple canopy and lowered the
forest penetrator. Being in a box canyon, with high ground on three sides of us,
we were easy targets for the snipers. The first thing to be shot out was the
rotating beacon, them bullets came through each red cross.
Ferguson and Cooper were shooting their M-60's as fast as they could but to no
avail. A bullet came up through the boot of the door gunner (Cooper), bounced
off the chicken plate of the medic (Brady), hit the transmission and then
ricocheted forward striking me in the back of the helmet. When the bullet
entered my helmet it threw me forward (I was flying) on the controls. At the
same time, Cooper and Brady were shouting into the intercom that they were
hit. The pilot, Goldsmith, thought that two crewmembers in the back were hit
and that his AC was hit. He took the controls and departed the area for a nearby
fire support base. Upon landing at the FSB, Ferguson jumped out and noticed
the fuel lines were hit and told us to shut the aircraft down. A sister Medevac
(WO1 Gregg Simpson) then took over and attempted to complete the mission.
His aircraft was also damaged before he could get any patients out. An aircraft
from the 45th Med. Co. had been called as backup for our two aircraft. That
aircraft was flown by 1LT Tom Lacy. By the time he got to the patients the
snipers had departed and he was able to get the patients without any problems.
More than half the platoon were killed by the snipers and almost everyone left
was a casualty.