Helicopter UH-1D 65-10088


Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1D tail number 65-10088
Date: 12/02/1966 MIA-POW file reference number: 0537
Incident number: 66120210.TXT
Unit: 281 AHC
This helicopter was LOSS TO INVENTORY
This was a Rescue and Recovery mission for Rescue of Persons
Unknown this helicopter was Unknown at UNK feet and UNK knots.
The station for this helicopter was SAVANNAKHET in Laos
UTM grid coordinates: XD633631 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 48QXD633631)
Count of hits was not possible because the helicopter burned or exploded.
(7.62MM)
Systems damaged were: PERSONNEL
Casualties = 05 DOI . .
The helicopter Crashed. Aircraft Destroyed.
Both mission and flight capability were terminated.
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Reference Notes. Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Also: 0537, UH1P1, 01267, CASRP (Casualty Report. )
Loss to Inventory

Crew Members:
P WO1 HARRISON DONALD KIA
P WO1 SULANDER DANIEL ARTHUR BNR
CE SP4 BODZICK WILLIAM JOSEPH KIA
G SP4 BOUDREAUX LEE JOSEPH JR KIA

Passengers and/or other participants:
SGM STARK WILLIE ERNEST, AR, PX, BNR
SGT DYER IRBY III, AR, PX, BNR
MSG BOTT RUSSELL PETER, AR, PX, BNR


REFNO Synopsis:
In late November 1966, Russell Bott and Willie Stark were inserted bout 1 1/2 miles into Laos west of the DMZ along with a number of Vietnamese Special Forces (LLDB) "strikers". The team, a long-range reconnaissance patrol (LRRP), was soon discovered by a superior North Vietnamese force, members of the 325B NVA Division. A two day running battle ensued. Near the end, Bott radioed that he was down to one grenade ond one magazine of ammunition. He also stated that several of the Vietnamese members of his team were dead or wounded. Willie Stark was wounded in the chest and leg, but was alive. Bott requested exfiltration at that time. He refused to leave his wounded teammate to seek safety, and in his last radio message, Bott indicated that he was going to destroy his radio, that he felt capture was imminent. Two gunships working the area were hit by enemy fire. Also, the exfiltration helicopter from 281st Assault Helicopter Company was hit, and crashed and burned, killing the crew of four and Irby Dyer, a medic from Det. B-52 Delta who had gone in to help treat the wounded. The wreckage of the plane and all five remains were found in searches conducted December 10-13. The remains, which had been horribly mutilated by the enemy, were left at the site. When a team returned to recover the remains, U.S. bombing and strafing activities had destroyed them further. The identifiable remains of three of the crew were recovered, but those of Daniel Sulander and Irby Dyer were not. Searches for Bott and Stark were unsuccessful. Vietnamese team members who evaded capture reported that they had heard North Vietnamese soldiers say, "Here you are! We've been looking for you! Tie his hands, we'll take him this way." Sgt. First Class Norman Doney, who was Operations Sergeant at that time at B-52 headquarters at Khe Sanh, overheard the Intelligence Sergeant on the "52 Desk" reviewing intelligence about Bott. Doney states that it was reported that Bott was seen with his arms tied behind his back going through a village, and that he was alive 3 days after he became missing. Information from the POW Network.

This record was last updated on 09/20/1998


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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023


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