Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 70-15841
The Army purchased this helicopter 0471
Total flight hours at this point: 1066
Date: 10/16/1972
Incident number: 72101616.KIA
Unit: 57 AHC
South Vietnam
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Also: VNAF (South Vietnamese Air Force. )
Loss to Inventory
Crew Members:
P 1LT DUGGER JAMES DOWEL JR KIA
Passengers and/or other participants:
SP5 CRAIG JAMES LEWIS JR,AR,PX,KIA
War Story:
I hope you guys don't mind reading these.There just something about
the idea of 30yrs.If someone asked me what I was doing 10yrs. ago I
wouldn't know,or even a year ago.But thirty years ago I can not only
tell you what I was doing on this day, but what I was feeling and
thinking.
This day actually started the day before, Oct.16.Two men from the
57th were killed at a firebase close to Kontum.It was overrun and
their bodies remained there.A pilot and a radioman their bodies right
in the middle of the firebase with no one around.
It was decided from higher up the Cav.would go in and retrieve the
men.Capt.Artiglier was the operations officer so he would get an all
volunteer crew.He told me just a couple of years ago how much he was
against it.It was an obvious, trap everyone knew they were waiting
for us.They told him if he didn't get a crew, they would.He said he
couldn't ask someone else to do something he wouldn't, so he
volunteered.
A WO2 volunteered, I can't remember his name but he was a IP
before coming to Nam.We had a crewchief,myself and two blues.One a E-
4 and Sgt.Jim Ohs who is a current member of our group here.He put
the plan together.
Land in the firebase,a safe distants from the bodies.Bring two
body bags and a long rope.We knew they would be booby trapped.We were
to lighten the load the best we could on the slick.A half box of ammo
and only what we absolutely needed.
On Oct.18,early in the morning the six of us were off.On the way
there we went over and over again what we were going to do.Circle
above the firebase until we were certian no one was around,land in
the firebase,the crewchief and I were to shoot anything that
moved,Sgt.Ohs and the other man were to tie the rope around the legs
of the two men, pull them away and then put them in the bags.All we
had to do was hope it all went according to plan.
After what seemed like an eternity of circling and not seeing
anything,the WO took the controls.We made the fastest descent in the
smallest circles I've ever experienced.I would of sworn we were going
to crash.As we got closer we could see the bodies of Spec.5 James
Craig and Lt.James Duggar laying there.The Lt's. head was on a pole
next to his body.We had our guns ready to shoot at anything that
moved.
Then all of sudden it felt like someone was locking all the
brakes.We were a couple of hundred feet of landing and the WO landed
outside the firebase on the road leading up to it.Just then the whole
firebase lit up with more explosions than I had ever seen.We got out
of there quick.As we were leaving we asked why the change of
plans,The WO said a strange eerie feeling came over him and he
thought he'd land outside,then fly in.If we went according to plan,
then surely there would of been six more bodies in that fire base.
We got back to Holloway where it was decided to get some SF guys
drop them off at the bottom of the hill.They would walk up get the
men and carry them back down to bring them back.
Now when I think of this day I think of the two men on the Wall
and how were not on the Wall with them because of a strange eerie
feeling.
Vic H trp 7/17
A1PianoKid@aol.com
This record was last updated on 07/18/2003
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