The following is not ment to diminish the importance of any other day in Vietnam or any other life lost during the War.
On May 6, 1967 three members of the 119th AHC lost their lives. Timothy William Kearney, James Allen Bullington, and Richard Charles Gupton. The Crew Chief, Mike Ebert, survived with minor injuries. The following is a brief account of the last minutes of Crocodile 596 as witnessed by me during a mission to extract an A-Team in trouble. Croc 596 was flying right wing and another Croc was flying left wing supporting two slicks. We never made it to the Pick Up Zone. I remember seeing a lot of smoke come out of the exhaust tube and then watching 596 nose over into the trees. We turned and hovered over the crash site by this time black smoke was rising out of the jungle and Rockets and small arms were going off. Mike Ebert appeared in a small clearing below me about 60 or 70 feet down through the trees. I dropped our survival radio down so we could determine the status of the rest of the Crew. Mike said they were dead. The AC and Peter Piolt were were pinned in the ship and hopefully died on impact. The alternative fate is more than I can think about. The Gunner Guppey was thrown from the ship and Killed from impact. I dropped the Mcguire rigs out and was preparing to go down when the C&C ship gave orders to stay in the chopper. We lifted Mike out on the Ropes took him to a clearing nearby and got him in the ship. After that it was balls to the walls back to Pleiku Evac.
This was in my mind my worst and best day in Nam and we all know about the bad days. For the past 35 years I have delt with this thinking that One out of Three isn't all that bad. Not much to go on but when you watch something like that and are helpless you need something to hold on to.
Four years ago I met Mike Ebert again for the first time in 31 years at a VHFCN Reunion in Denver. I'm getting a little choked just thinking about it. For 30 years I repressed the most important year of my life. This chance meeting is the hole reason I am here today. 31 years ago I took a chance to hang out with a bunch of ex chopper crew members and I am glad I did. Do I still have problems like the rest of us "YES". Will I let them take control of me "NO". Will I ever forget them "NEVER". Mike and I continue to keep in touch via e-mail and land line. He is on the West Coast and I'm on East Coast. He is my light in a very Dark year.
On Monday I will be at the "The WALL" in DC as I have been for the past 5 years to pay my respects to the Crew of 596 and all of the other 58,000 + brothers who gave their all.
I will give a Special Salute to the men of the 119th on Monday for all of you. Thanks for this web page and the opportunity to share my feelings.
Tom Gator 851.