My second week of flying. March 1968. We had been doing resupply all day at Dak To. I was still having trouble clearing the aircraft and giving directions as to trouble like 8 o'clock and 6 o'clock. The A/C was Mr. Montgumery and the peter-pilot was Mr. Taylor. My gunner was Francis Hightower. Later afternoon we got the call that a four man LRRP team was in contact and needed extraction. One was wounded and the bad guys were chasing them. We headed for the area with the Crocs as cover. We were north of Firebase 29 in that small valley where between Ben Het and Hill 875. The area was pretty open but near a tree line and the grass was about two foot height. We spotted the smoke and headed in but for some reason we were about one hundred yards from the tree line. I was told they were on my side of the ship so not to fire. I was clueless to what was going on. We landed and two guys started running towards us carrying a third. As they get close to the ship the fourth starts running towards us. About half way he falls. The rest of the team has reached the ship but the last guy is still down. Not knowing any better I jump out of the ship and run over to help the guy who fell. It turns out he didn't fall but was shot. I pick him up and start back to the ship. By this time Hightower is on my gun covering the ship and one of the LRRPs is running to help me. We get to the ship and all hell has broke loss. As we lift off we receive tons of fire. We caught several rounds in the engine but the ship was still able to flying as far as the dirt road that ran between Dak To and Ben Het. Our chase ship that was Sp/4 Lewis landed and took the wounded back to Dak To. Mr Montgumery jumped all over me for leaving the ship without saying anything. Because of the damage and the age of my ship Gator 374 was retired and was slug loaded back to Holloway. For many months after that I didn't have to buy any beer at the LRRP bar when we pulled an RON at Dak To. Also my name became Ron instead of new guy after that.