Camp Holloway Discussion Forum - Research Archive - 11/11/00 to 01/21/10

mar. 21, 1969

We just crawled out of the bunker from the night before, Charlie paid us a visit by the way of a rocket attack. I was late getting to my ship, didn't have time to clean up, finally got off to work about 7:30,7:45, we were given a resupply mission that day. we had made about three or four trips into the LZ. Fossmo and I was bored so we were talking on the inter ship radio, having a good time, then about 10:15 we heard a mayday call, it was a Mohawk, going down over the pla-trap valley we laugh a little because the valley was so vast, it got serious when we learned that they were just out side our door.. we saw the chutes coming down, the Judge called for air support, was told it would be 15 to 20 mins. before we could get help. The Judge asked how did we want to play this, I said they don't have twenty mins. Fossmo agreed, the co-pilot said to wait for help. Judge said OK let's go get them. we turned toward Cambodia, saw the chutes hit the ground. then we heard from Thunder Thornton his crew would support us the best they could. we made it to the site and because of bamboo being so tall in that area we could not land, well we got as low as we could, I got on my belly and Fossy held my legs I reached got hold of SP/5 McCaughly arm and pulled him up into 573, I then saw he was wounded and said sorry about hurting his arm he said that's OK ( he was glad to be rescued) I got back to my set and all hell broke loose, they threw everything they had at us. Charlie in a tree must have been a sniper shot at me and hit my 60 mount putting a nice hole in it. causing shrapnel and a bullet into my legs, (think God for the mount) the path of the bullet was heading for my chest. The bullet was deflected into my leg, as soon as all this happened I yelled over radio " the little SON OF BITCH shot me" I opened up with my 60 into the tree were I saw sir Charles shoot from, the last I saw before we turned to leave was the little creep fall from the tree. We got about a K from there and 573 started making a weired noise one I never heard before. we was about 2 hundred feet about the ground,Thornton was on our buts, The Judge saw a dry creek bed and a dead tree, he flew toward the tree and just before we hit he flared the ship put the stinger on the ground and laid the ship up on the tree so it would break our fall and forward momentum, which it did. as soon as the dust cleared Thunder put his ship on 573s blades which was stuck into the banks of the creek, we all climbed into Thunders ship, he hot footed it to the 71st evac. at Pleiku, we landed at the hospitals pad. I walked into the hospital with the help from Fossy and The Judge, they got me in and checked me over and I was in surgry by 11:30 the next thing I remember was about 8:00PM that night. choking trying to pull a tube out of my mouth, the nurse came and got the tube out for me, they had me tied down so I could not move. the next day I got a visit from the CO from the 225th he wanted to thank us for rescuing his men, also was paid a visit from the Stars and Stripes they interviewed me and took some pictures, I got my Purple heart that day from our CO. don't know if it ever made the paper.
Just wanted to share the story. I know Thunder is gone to the big ship now,Want all to know just how good ALL of our pilots were and are.. Thanks to all of you who were there and did your best. paul sr

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