My first mission in Nam, after my check ride, was to recon that area with Ron Corbin,(his first mission as an AC). This was about a month after the incident cited above. When class 66-17 arrived in country, several of us were sent to the 119th as replacements for the dead and wounded on that mission.
On the recon we were escorted by Jerry Nash in his Croc and another AC (I think it was Jimmy West)in his bird. As I happily flew along, I heard them say to each other, "Wonder where those two yahoos think they're going?" The other gun responded "I don't know, but if they stay on that heading, they'll be solo." I asked Ron what the big deal was,and he said, "They have air bursting flak on the other side of the river." Looking down, I saw that I was almost over the river. I turned hard to make sure I did not cross,and we descended with Ron at the controls and the photographer in the back took pictures of several LZ's and we went home. It was only after the mission that I found out that the area we were reconning was the place the 119th got the hell shot out of them a few weeks before.
Anyway, I never knew the crews lost on 11-11-66, but I heard of their courage and saw where they died.
Slow Salute
BT