Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1C tail number 65-09505
The Army purchased this helicopter 0466
Total flight hours at this point: 00001270
Date: 11/13/1967
Incident number: 67111313.KIA
Unit: B/1/9 CAV
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was LOSS TO INVENTORY
for Close Air Support
While in Target Area this helicopter was Attacking at 0050 feet and 070 knots.
South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: BT093311 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 49PBT093311)
Helicopter took 5 hits from:
Small Arms/Automatic Weapons; Gun launched non-explosive ballistic projectiles less than 20 mm in size. (7.62MM)
The helicopter was hit in the Engine Compartment
Systems damaged were: ENGINE, OIL SYS, PERSONNEL
Casualties = 01 WIA . .
The helicopter made a Forced Landing. Aircraft Destroyed.
Both mission and flight capability were terminated.
Destroyed by enemy forces
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense
Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis
Center Helicopter database. Also: OPERA, LNOF, 74077, STMNT, CRAFX, HDSV, FM232 (Operations
Report. Lindenmuth Old Format Data Base. Crash Facts Message. )
Loss to Inventory
Crew Members:
G SP4 CRYSTER JAMES PERRY III KIA
Passengers and/or other participants:
2LT EISENHOUR GLENN R, AR, PX, KIA
SSG GARTH RAYMOND, AR, PX, KIA
PFC LETTERMAN LAWRENCE ALLEN, AR, PX, KIA
PFC WARNE DENNIS EUGENE, AR, PX, KIA
War Story:
My Company, A 1/35th, and Bravo were still in the area of our big 11/9/67 fight. A 1st Cav Blue team had their chopper shot down several miles east and many other 1st Cav choppers were also shot down during the ensuing action. Since the 1st Cav did not have enough assets to secure all the downed birds---A and B 1/35th were flown in to help just before dusk. Our Bn Co Col Kimmel and staff were shot down and killed the next morning at the A, 1/35th location, BT085310. Here is an email from B, 1/35th Jon Ingenthron about what transpired with the 4 KIAs.
The CAV was operating a 'fully loaded' gunship in the area. (Somewhere on the Cacti web site, I read the full "CAV" side of the story as told by one of their people.)
This ship had been hit, made a forced landing in the middle of a dry rice paddy, crew was ok. They had put in a request for a "hook" to retrieve and save the ship. Guessing about 500 to 700 meters away was a dense tree line on an elevated area.
Co-B was working about 5 to 10 miles away destroying an amazing underground tunnel system. With only a few moments notice, we stopped that work and were immediately picked up by Hueys. Several lifts were needed to get us all out, I was on the last ship, fastest ride I ever had. Every indicator on the dash was at or beyond red-line and it felt like we were about 10 feet off the ground, well below tree top level. Sun was getting very low.
The downed ship was sitting in a rice paddy that was lower than usual, seems like the dikes were about 4 feet high, gunship in the middle, Co-B around all 4 sides, laying back against them and hurry up and wait. We heard the extraction ship (tow truck) in the distance and radio squawking.
The downed ship had been rigged with heavy web belts and a steel ring to catch the hook when it arrived. All very routine and slow motion. Larry Letterman dropped his gear and climbed on top of the ship, got the lines straight and stood up holding the large ring. I believe the extractor ship arrived, bounced a few times on final approach, Larry squatted down fast to keep from being hit by the chopper. I don't have any memory about the hook-up or where that ship went. The next sound we heard was Charlie's shot at the chopper. We knew that it came from the tree line. Maybe rocket launcher, LAW, recoilless rifle?
One shot was fired, a perfect direct hit on the gunship. When the seconds passed we all knew the gunship was a bomb and we went up and over the dikes to hide on the other side. The next five minutes was insane. It was the very thing that film directors try to replicate on screen. The guy sitting next to me had his ear sliced by shrapnel. All the platoons and squads were mixed up, no one knew were to run or to lay down, it was getting darker, the ship was blazing, stuff was exploding, incoming rounds? probably.
Ken, I know we always do not trust "I was there" stories but this guy has a rep for being solid. From what happened on my Company's end, I would say a RR hit the downed chopper as the bad guys blew one up in that fashion by us about 45 minutes later. Apparently all 4 B, 1/35th KIAs died either in the initial explosion or from the exploding gunship.
Bravo was brought in about 800 meters east of us---about BT093310 is close.
This record was last updated on 03/06/2009
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