CPT Robert Robeson points to two of the many bullet holes in his aircraft after being downed at LZ Ross on 13 Sep 69. (First LZ built on Batangan peninsula. The United States used LZs to a greater extent in the Vietnam War than in other wars because of the widespread use of helicopters, which provided increased mobility and rapid transportation of forces.
You could move the cyclic against this force but, if you released pressure, it would return to its last trimmed position. Landing Zone CHARLIE BROWN to LZ BRONCO came under an intense attack by a heavily armed enemy force 13 kilometers north of Tam Quan City. Author’s downed helicopter being hoisted out of LZ Ross beneath a Marine CH-53 helicopter on 13 Sep 69 to Red Beach in Da Nang. All enemy automatic weapon fire against the howitzer was instantly silenced. As operations officer for the 236 Medical Detachment (Helicopter Ambulance) headquartered at Red Beach, I’d scheduled myself to spend five days—10-14 Sep as John’s copilot. I did some silent praying en route, too. Kelley, Photos One man was killed on one of those hills around Khe Sanh during the 77-day battle. Artillerymen, supply and signal personnel, and engineers fought and died as emergency infantry reserves. The 1/50th Infantry was based at Landing Zone Uplift, 8 kilometres north of the town of Phù Mỹ.. Battle Edit. I nodded my head. “…I think I should say one word, too, a special word, about the Dust Offs—the Med-Evacs. He told me he’d reached up and merely touched my cyclic stick. We were all Americans and it was our job to see that they received immediate medical attention and safety on behalf of friends and family back home who weren’t able to be of assistance themselves. In rapid succession, the yellow master caution light at the top of the instrument panel was next to make its appearance. BS730775, temporary firebase set up by 4-31 November 1970 North of LZ Siberia by requesting extension into Marine AO, CIA helicopters and Nung mercenaries hung out here.
By: Michael P. Mick Johnson, a member of the 1st Cavalry Division, sits at a 105 mm Howitzer emplacement at Landing Zone Jamie near Tay Ninh, Vietnam in 1969 shortly before they were almost overrun by North Vietnam Army troops. What I discovered in that year’s tour was in this kind of rescue work a growth of character is possible through life-and-death struggles and in taking risks for others. FAQ | Contact, LZ's, FSB's and Features Sorted by
The landing point is the actual point on which aircraft are going to land (e.g., a point of the field).
This ensured that the nose of our bird would automatically rise should he be wounded or his hand come off the cyclic. He believes the coordinates are wrong.
As we fell out of the sky, John reminded me to stay close to the controls, something he’d never mentioned before. The last of it formed two small pools in the red clay beneath our aircraft. That’s why I couldn’t feel any force trim pressure against my hand. 0655 hours. Later. AT952355. Name [off site], ______________________________________
(AT934242 Div Arty ORLL), Near My Lai on Batangan Peninsula. He was an aircraft commander and also one of our unit’s instructor pilots. John grabbed a bunch of pitch with the collective in his left hand and began a tight, 360-degree cyclic climb to his left. © 2020 CherriesWriter - Vietnam War website. BT050250 (Frederick Hill report BT059351), Ten miles southeast of Duc Pho. I was standing bareheaded at “attention” in our unit area on the shore of scenic Da Nang Harbor in Da Nang, South Vietnam. Then he circled back to land, this time dropping out of the sky like a bag of dirty clothes down a laundry chute. Not only have my Dust Off comrades read the Vietnam book, but we’ve also played unique roles in the movie version while it was being filmed on location. I knew that if something didn’t happen fast our bird would soon have more characteristics of a crowbar than a crow. We gathered our crew—a medic and crew chief—and flew out to cover the action that would keep us in the air over 31 hours, which included 12½ night hours, evacuating dead and wounded from both sides of the action.
Two M113s attacked on the PAVN positions but both were soon disabled by RPGs. please send an Email to me, Dan Gillotti, at (hidavo@earthlink.net). He died that day at age 42, along with his 32-year-old copilot. Landing Zone Loon was a U.S. Marine Corps base located southeast of Khe Sanh, Quảng Trị Province in central Vietnam. written, oral, and electronic sources. Companies from the 1st Battalion 4th Marines replaced the 2/4 Marines on Loon on 4/5 June. Most of the cargo door windows had been shot up but, because Specialist Four Tom Franks—our medic—had kept everyone lying on the deck, none had been wounded again. This Then I couldn’t hear the automatic weapons anymore. These movements should have made the aircraft spin in circles. Courtesy of Frank Jodaitis. reunions] 2. Thank you, sir, for your contributions to this website. My crew in a Karmon HH-43 lost our engine and had to put down out in the boonies. I told him just think about this we don’t know for a fact but you just might have picked up the body of this man from Harvey and never knew it.
The 2001 version of Vietnam LZs, FBs, FSBs and Camps By: Dan Gillotti ©2001-2003. VC/NVA Operational Areas : 9. That upbringing gave me a wealth of appreciation and insight for this spiritual involvement. As soon as I grasped my cyclic, it was immediately evident that the force trim pressure no longer existed. My Lai also known as Pinkville massacre, or Song My massacre. As the Huey’s nose began a dive toward the trees, I instinctively grabbed my set of controls. That’s the great part and it meant so much to every last man who served there. To the east was the Nui Lon Mountain. While John climbed down to check the battle damage, I got out and stepped around to the open cargo door on my side of the aircraft where our patients were lying. I’d been sweating like a marathoner in the heat and stress of this life-and-death emergency. John—or “Eight-Ball,” his nickname—was one of our unit’s elder statesmen at 32 years of age. The aide for COL D.W. Pratt (the U.S. Army 95th Evacuation Hospital commander) was reading my citation for a Distinguished Flying Cross, which our entire, four-man Dust Off crew had been awarded. Short Range Patrol from 2-8 arrives LANDING ZONE PATT. On Highway One near the coast. Last modified We were in the air 11 hours that day and 10 hours on the 12th. All he could find were old sandbags. Northwest of LZ professional. Old Glory had never looked as good to me as it did at that moment. In Hiep Duc Valley 1 mile northeast of Vinh Dong hill. BT135305, Headquarters of the 198th Brigade. “How’re you doing?” I asked, putting my hand on the shoulder of an African-American infantry staff sergeant who had managed to raise himself to a sitting position. BS872325 (AKA LZ Debbie) (Div Arty ORLL BS 870321), BS638552 and BS478478 opened in early 1970, Five miles east of LZ Dottie and four miles North of My Lai (4). On 3 February 70, I was promoted from operations officer to commander of the 236th Medical Detachment. (Div Arty ORL BT 063 470) (named after 4th Inf Div unit nicknamed "Blue Cacti" in Task Force Oregon) (Also listed at AT055470 in Frederick Hill COARS). “My cyclic’s been shot away!”. Despite the preceding hours of air and artillery strikes heavy fire again met the U.S. force.
God was our co-pilot that day too and we had no injuries. This was a great group of men. He retired from the military after 20 years of service in 1973 and continued his aviation career in civilian life. He had four children. After a moment of silence, he said, “Okay, we’ll drop our own smoke.”.
I immediately looked over to see him sweeping his cyclic stick in wide circles around the cockpit. Also 962999 from 1970 Americal ORL (Frederick Hill COAR has AS959999.). Between air-to-air and air-to-ground communications, I offered my usual silent prayer for our safety and that of our patients. As described by Tom Lane[permanent dead link]: In the early morning darkness of 6 May, the NVA retaliated with an intensive rocket and mortar barrage, followed by a massive 95th Regiment pincer grand assault against 2 sides of the base an hour later. frequent. Our engine failure wasn’t because of enemy fire, but mechanical issues. I’d have to autorotate if it did. Thirty-five miles North of Chu Lai. killed. 0815 hours. It was mid-March 1970. As part of the May Offensive, PAVN General Chu Huy Mân Commander of Military Region 5 ordered the 3rd Division to attack the 1/50th Infantry in Bình Định Province with a series of large-scale ambushes. Fifteen mi S of Chu Lai. My father was a Protestant minister. Named after 1-1 Cav ditty. (Frederick Hill COAR BT172078). [announcements] [15th 13km MW of QuangNgai City, 5km N of Song Tra Chuc River, 24km due S of Chu Lai, 5km SSW of LZ Phoenix, 5km ENE ville of Xuan Hoa, 9km W of QL-1. We both realized what had just happened.
After removing the metal floor paneling and taking apart the control, he had discovered that only a sliver of metal had been holding my cyclic in place.
Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. 1/46 Inf left 22 Aug 70 and base was closed. Tall trees encircled the tiny inverted-V-shaped landing zone where our patients were located. BS634380 (Div Arty ORLL BS634380), (also known Ha Thanh Special Forces Camp) (COARS Frederick Hill established by 2-1 Inf 3 December 1970; AT873385), West of Tam Ky?
Coordinates: 14°17′17″N 109°03′04″E / 14.288°N 109.051°E / 14.288; 109.051. The Americans counterattacked with all available personnel, the officers involved being killed at the head of their troops. South of Chu Lai BS 578961 (Div Arty ORLL BS571963 and BS572965), (AKA Hill 29) North of Tam Ky and south of LZ Baldy West of Highway One. BT027342 (BT028341 and BT027341 Div Arty ORLL), West of LZ Ross. BS539824. If others don’t believe such things occur, it doesn’t matter. Every waking day, even over 50 years later, I remember my Dust Off compatriots who endured and gave so much of themselves in our fight to save lives.