Information on U.S. Army helicopter CH-47A tail number 66-19080
The Army purchased this helicopter 0467
Total flight hours at this point: 00000566
Date: 04/25/1968
Incident number: 68042522.KIA
Unit: C/228 ASHB 1 CAV
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was LOSS TO INVENTORY
This was a Rescue and Recovery mission for Rescue of Persons
While in PickUp Zone this helicopter was at Hover at UNK feet and 000 knots.
South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: YD367143 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 48QYD367143)
Small Arms/Automatic Weapons; Gun launched non-explosive ballistic projectiles less than 20 mm in size.
The helicopter was hit in the Left Side
Systems damaged were: PERSONNEL
Casualties = 04 KIA, 02 WIA, 01 INJ . .
The helicopter Crashed. Aircraft Destroyed.
Both mission and flight capability were terminated.
Unknown
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, CASRP, MISC (Operations Report. Miscellaneous.
Casualty Report. )
Loss to Inventory
Crew Members:
G CPL EILER LINDEN DALE JR KIA
FE SP5 MCGEE BOLEN PONDEXDER KIA
AC MAJ MATTHEWS WIA
CE SP5 DAZELL DAN M WIA
G PFC DELP KENNETH HARVEY KIA
Passengers and/or other participants:
PFC MCMANUS JERRY DOYNE, AR, CX, KIA
This record was last updated on 08/17/2020
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Date posted on this site:
11/13/2023
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War Story:
Hit while hovering over UH-1 (probably 66-15052) for sling recovery. Crashed and burned.
Pat Murphy wrote -The last time I saw Mac (McGee) was the morning of April 25, 1968. He stopped in at my tent to say hello, and to tell me how glad he was that I was OK after the crash of my chopper, Crimson Tide 109. He then went on a rescue mission as FE of Crimson Tide 080. They were shot down with four dead and two wounded. Lost that day with Mac was Linden Dale Eiler (gunner), Jerry Doyne McManus, and Joseph Burkes. McManus and Burkes had just gone along as extra crew for the rescue. The CE, named Dazzell (or something like that), and the pilot, Maj. Matthews, our CO, were wounded. Rarely has a day gone by in my life that I have not thought of McGee and the others. That was 30 years ago, and I still miss them. I'll never forget them. May they rest in peace.
A Huey Cobra had been shot down, and they needed a Hook to run a rescue mission. Ron Turner was sick, so they needed someone to take his place as FE on 080, too. Dowda and I were still on bed rest. Others were busy with their own aircraft. Mac would go. He had been crewing for some time and had the experience. He had just been taken off flight status, and assigned to maintenance, because he was one of the best mechanics in the outfit, and they wanted him working on all the ships. He climbed aboard 080 along with the CE, who was named Dazell, I think.
Four maintenance guys went along as extra crew to help with the rescue equipment. The C. O. would ride in the left seat, and Major Vickers, the XO, was in the right seat, I believe. The gunner was Linden Dale Eiler, Jr. As they approached, a .51 cal. machinegun had been hidden in the trees, and Charlie was waiting. Before any gun escorts could react, 080 was down. The C.O. was wounded by the .51 when a bullet glanced off his chicken plate and went through his arm. Dazell was struck in the buttocks, and the bullet passed through his scrotum. They were the lucky ones. Mac and Eiler never had a chance. Eiler was immediately riddled at his gunner's position, and Mac, well; he never had a chance to exit the plane either, from what I heard. Two maintenance men were also killed while trying to get out of the ship. Four dead and two wounded. They told me that 080 had several hundred bullet holes in here fuselage from
nose to tail.
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Ralph, that is pretty much the way I remember it, too. Couple of additional details: 080 was pre-rigged for A Shau Valley rescue missions by removing the hook and rigging the rescue winch with a jungle penetrator down through the hook hole. It also had a ramp mount for a M-60. There were medics and extra gunners on stand-by to go with her if a mission was called. 080's regular Crew Chief was
Bob Schweitzer and he was on KP so Dan Dazell filled in as the CE. Ron Turner was the regular Flight Engineer but was on sick call and Bolen McGee filled in as FE.
MAJ Matthews and Dazell were both WIA. They were both evacuated to USS Sanctuary hospital ship together. Dazell remembers talking to him before they had surgery.
One other thing Dazell confirmed for me. They were shot down on their 2nd trip to the Huey Cobra's crash site. First trip confirmed the Huey Cobra was destroyed and pilot's bodies were burned. The second trip was to recover the bodies.
The other pilot was the XO/Maint Off (we think MAJ Anthony Vickers).
Bolen McGee (C/228th FE) was KIA. Also two gunners:
Eiler and McManus (C/228th) were KIA. Two other guys that we are not sure were
gunners/riggers (MOS 57H20) Burkes and Campbell (unit unknown) were also KIA.
Total of 5 KIA and 2 WIA.
080 was also KIA... She had to be slung out and ended up at Red Beach (got
photos).
--
- Jim Ketcham...KA4AFI...OWLS...FE CH-47
- C/228th ASHB, 1st Cav Div Dec'67-Dec'68
- ketchamj@snowhill.com -or- ketchamj@rucker.army.mil
Date: Thu, 20 Jul 2006 15:28:04 -0700 (PDT)
From: Mel Chappell