Information on U.S. Army helicopter CH-47A tail number 66-19066
The Army purchased this helicopter 0367
Total flight hours at this point: 00000641
Date: 04/24/1968
Incident number: 68042424.KIA
Unit: A/228 AVN
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was REPAIRED IN THEATER
This was a Logistics Support mission for Resupply , Sling Loading.
While on Landing Zone this helicopter was Landing at 0200 feet and 060 knots.
Unknown
UTM grid coordinates: YC385980 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 48QYC385980)
Helicopter took 8 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 Bottom
Systems damaged were: PERSONNEL, HYDRAULIC SYS, FUEL SYS, FLT CONTROLS
Casualties = 01 KIA . .
The helicopter Continued Flight.
The aircraft continued and accomplished all mission objectives.
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center Helicopter database. Also: MISC (Miscellaneous. )
Crew Members:
AC FOX JOHN R
P DULAY ANDREW W
C PFC CABALLERO DAVID JOE KIA
War Story:
A Shau Valley- PFC. Caballero
KIA-YD. 274080
Southeast of Co A Nong Mountain-LZ.-Tiger
In my feeble attempt to give credence to the loss of PFC. David Joe Caballero of Corpus
Christi, Tx., I feel it necessary to tell of the A Shau Valley and the events that led this battle to come
about-Operation Delaware-By the 1st CAV. There are many names of pilots and crewmen that I should
give credit to, but three were most notable. During this operation was Ralph Jackson, Co of B/228,
Dave Clemmer, wounded pilot and Andy Dulay, my co-pilot on April 24, 1968.
The A Shau is a beautiful valley that runs North and South, adjacent to the Laotian border, just
south of the DMZ, sparsely populated by Montagnards, a nomadic people. A logging road 548 runs
thru here. The floor of the valley is 2000 ft. above sea level and surrounded by 5000 ft. mountains.
In 1963, Gen. Colin Powell arrived, serving as an advisor, declared it had a French Foreign Legion
quality, Beau Geste, without the sand, for six months he patrolled the A Shau. Upon his departure,
Special Forces operated a small base camp at the south end. As part of the Ho Chi Minh trail, the
North Vietnamese found this to be an ideal sanctuary. In 1965, the Marines took over operation of
this area establishing a western base at Khe Sanh plateau, just north of the A Shau. The North
Vietnamese continued to build supply caches and a hospital complex. This all came to be the staging
area for the NVA campaign, Tet'68, initiated in January.
The battle for control of I Corp by the Marines and 1st CAV. began. A/228th, a Ch-47 Chinook
Company, had recently moved to Hue Phu Bai on the western edge under protection of the U.S.Marines.
PFC. Caballero, Maj. Don Yenglin and myself were new arrivals, days prior to Tet. After many vicious
battles, control of most of I Corp was under US control with the exception of the Marines at Khe Sanh.
We were all battle weary, but the 1st CAV. fought it's way past the "rockpile" leapfrogging firebases up
the valley to Khe Sanh plateau, rescuing a very happy bunch of Marines. The following month of March
and April were spent moving the entire 1st CAV. into I Corp and lead elements of the 101st ABN. Division.
The decision had finally come to mount a large force incursion into the NVA supply base, the A Shau
Valley. On April 19, 1968 the 1st Cav would air assault into the northern end of the A Shau and the 101st
ABN. Division would provide a blocking force at the southern end of the valley. The first day of the
assault by 1st Cav. resulted in the loss of 25 aircraft of which 5 were CH-47's and one CH-54. One
CH-47 was mine. This battle would be extremely intense. My crew was able to be evacuated while I
remained on the ground with the Pathfinder to await another flight. Several aircraft were able to land,
but none were available to take me out. My Chinook began to burn and cook off rounds, as we watched
the display of fireworks a CH-54 crane arrived with a sling load D7 bulldozer. The C&C aircraft was
nearby and told the crane to drop his load further down the mountain at the valley's edge. Unable to
satisfactory place the bulldozer down, he moved forward and into the valley. The Pathfinder was frantic
to stop him, but was cut out by the C&C aircraft. The crane flew directly into a 51 caliber machine gun.
The Pathfinder turned to me saying, "We lost that crane!" I lost two friends, Art Lord and Charlie
Millard. Another crane flown by Ted Jenkins came in and dropped a sling load. After several hours on
the ground a supply ship was able to take me out. A/228th would lose another CH-47 with the loss of
all the crew except the pilots, Don Winskey and Frank Wendt, who were able to E&E out the next day.
We would lose another pilot, Dave Clemmer, with a leg wound.
On April 24, 1968, Andy Dulay and myself would receive a tactical emergency mission to resupply
a 105 firebase SE of LZ Tiger. The unit was in danger of being overrun. An external load of 105 ammo
was rigged and internally we loaded some classified ammo with additional artillery troops. Camp Evans
was carrying WX 100 ½ with tops at about 8,000 Ft. Our flight plan would be to climb out IFR to VFR
on top. We were then to proceed out to the A Shau and rendezvous with two UH-1 gunships that would
escort us down through a VFR hole in the clouds to the valley below.
Since we were close to the Loas border, our descent would be to rapid spiral down 6,000 ft. to the
valley. The descent was so rapid and tight we would drift in and out of settling power. The final
approach was from Tiger Mountain, SE. parallel to the valley floor to the hilltop firebase. On short final
we were able to see 4 or 5 UH-1 destroyed aircraft around the boundry of the firebase. Within 50 ft. of
the firebase boundry we began to receive small arms fire directly underneath the left side. This gun fire
seriously damaged the radio compartment and the #1 hydraulic system began to lose pressure. The left
waist gunner took a round just below his armoured chest protector, proceeding upward and killing him
instantly. The crew said he simply crumpled to the floor. They were not sure what happened to him.
There was no room on the helipad to land, so after dropping the sling load we moved forward to the
edge of the pad touching down our aft wheels, then lowering the rear ramp to unload the ammo and troops.
We began our ascent with the #1 hydraulic pressure now at zero. Our altitude would be limited to 6500 ft.,
just enough to clear the 5,000 Ft. mountains, but we would remain in IFR conditions for the flight back to
Camp Evans. Knowing that an IFR approach would be required, I began announcing MAYDAY on both the
emergency frequencies. Carl Hess, of B/228th heard the mayday and relayed our intentions to Evans Tower
and that we had wounded on board. After completing an ADF approach , we landed in the Bravo Co. area
and were met by medics. PFC. Caballero was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead and
transferred to the morgue. The aircraft was reviewed by B Co. Cmdr. Ralph Jackson and his maintenance
officer to determine the flyable status, again we were met by medics requesting that I come to the morgue
for identification and to receive his personal effects. As I observed PFC. David Joe Caballero, it struck me
that he appeared so small laying on that cot, pale and in a peaceful sleep. So young~ Just a boy! Of all the
emotionally difficult things I've done this would stay with me always!! Tomorrow I would fly again, the
battle would go on. I do not look at the name or personal effects~Just keep moving.
It would be many years before I would pursue this man's name. My search taking me through the VHPA
Directory and the national archives, waiting months for the final answer on the report DA form #1. Thanks
to Julie Klink and Gary Thewlis for their assistance.
This was a tough war for tough young men. Doing their duty in a war they didn't understand, nor was
appreciated by the American people. Recently, I participated in a radio talk show in Shreveport, La. The
movie "We Were Soliders Once" has generated a lot of interest in those of us that were involved. The public
timing may be a little late, but there is a new generation and if we can find ways to remember those we lost,
such as the final roll call in the movie, recognizing that these were real young men who's lives were not fulfilled.
In retrospect, most of us have returned to homes, businesses, marrying and raising children in the freedom
they purchased for us. God Bless them all!!
Thank you for reading this story.
John R. Fox
307 Woodland Lake Dr.
Atlanta, Tx. 75551
(903)-796-3220
April 2002.
Editor's Note: From 1st Cav Div ops log for 24 Apr 1968: "Rec'd 50 cal fire fr YC 360985 (approx 3k's NW of Cecile) resulting in 1 US KIA." so location is near FSB Cecile not FSB Veghel.
This record was last updated on 08/17/2020
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