Information on U.S. Army helicopter OH-6A tail number 68-17338
The Army purchased this helicopter 1169
Total flight hours at this point: 00001494
Date: 06/12/1972 MIA-POW file reference number: 1875
Incident number: 72061222.TXT
Unit: F/8 CAV
South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: YD544152 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 48QYD544152)
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: 1875 ()
Loss to Inventory
Crew Members:
OB SP4 WILEY RICHARD DENNIS BNR
P WO1 MARTIN THOMAS E RES
War Story:
S T A T E M E N T
- - - - - - - - - 13 June 1972
SUBJECT: Sandy 07 & 08 (BLUE GHOST 10)
1. A successful rescue was made of Blue Ghost 10 a U.S. Army OH6 LOH pilot. The aircraft with 2 SOB was downed by suspected small arms fire on the 280 degree radial for 19 nautical miles off of channel 69. THis was within 3 kilometers of where two army helicopters had been downed by enemy ground fire the previous day with no survivors.
2. Blue Ghost 10 was downed at approximately 0200Z. Sandy 07 & 08 (Lt Hukee & Capt Bardahl) were scrambled at 0215Z [from DaNang] but before getting airborne were told to return to the parking area and shut down. Queen [DaNang GCI] advised that there were numerous army choppers in the area and that the Sandys and Jollys were not needed at this time. At 0330Z Sandy 07 & 08 and Jolly Green 65 & 21 were scrambled by Queen and told that although no radio contact had been made with the survivor, mirror flashed were observed from the crash site. We were airborne at 0345Z and contacted King [USAF SAR command and control C-130]. King advised that Covey 116 was the on scene commander at the time and that he was putting fast mover strikes in the area. Covey 116 advised that known enemy locations were 300 meters north, 300 meters west, and 300 meters east of the survivor. Since no radio contact had been made, Covey 116 was not sure whether there was one or two survivors. Jolly Green 65 and 21 held feet wet east of channel 69 and Sandy 07 & 08 went straight to the SAR scene. Covey 116 showed Sandy 07 the survivor's position as soon as he arrived in the immediate area at 0415Z. On scene command was given to Sandy 07 at this time and Covey 116 RTB'd to channel 77 as he was running low on fuel. Sandy 07 made several low passes over the survivor with Sandy 08 watching for ground fire. Covey 15 now arrived on scene and he started putting in fast movers to the west and north. Each time Sandy 07 rolled in over the survivor, he got mirror flashes from him. The survivor was about 10 meters from the wreckage of his chopper. Sandy 08 and Covey 15 were shown the exact location of the survivor by Sandy 07. Due to the lack of [observed] ground fire received, Sandy 07 decided a pickup attempt would be made using Jolly Green 65 and 21 who were holding feet wet east of channel 69. The plan was to have Covey 28 put in a flight of fast movers 500 meters north of the survivor during the pickup. Sandy 08 exited the area to bring the Jollys to a final holding point about 5 kilometers to the east of the survivor. Jolly 65 was told to proceed from the final holding point on a heading of 210 degrees as low and as fast as he could. At the command of execution, Sandy 07 dropped a "too far" M-47 [100 lb smoke bomb] and headed out to join with Sandy 08 and Jolly 65. Sandy 07 and 08 put down parallel east-west smoke screens 25 meters south and 50 meters north of the survivor respectively. Sandy 07 and 08 delivered ordnance while the Jolly was in the hover and no ground fire was observed during the pickup which occurred at 0630Z. The survivor who was severely burned and lost his radio in the crash said the chopper rolled onto the other occupant after the crash. Sandy 07 and 08 escorted Jolly 65 with the survivor and Jolly 21 to channel 77 [DaNang]. Sandy 07 & 08 landed at 0710Z.
SIGNED: Hukee, Byron E., 1Lt, USAF, Sandy 07
SIGNED: Bardahl, Eugene A., Capt, USAF, Sandy 08
Byron Hukee, 5762 Hwy 25 S., Fruitland, WA 99129, (509) 722-3469
The radio chatter I just picked up on victor between you two completely blew me away. I flashed back to that morning crossing the steep ridges of the Song Bo river valley west of Hue flying a Cobra, when WO1 Martin's LOH was hit by AA and crashed near the blue line. The scout gunner, Richard Wiley, was killed. Martin escaped with burns to be picked up by a Jolly Green a few hours later.
Martin's was the only LOH lost that day by F/8, though WO1 Kelly's ship was shot up pretty bad trying to get in for a closer look at Martin's crash (I believe it was then shipped south for repairs -- maybe they decided to scrap it. That might be the second LOH you refer to as being lost on June 12). We finally had to call Kelly off so we wouldn't repeat the dual tragedies we suffered the day before when the Scout platoon leader, Cpt. Holm, and his second in command, 1LT McQuade, were killed in two crashes 20 minutes apart, along with 3 gunners. Tommy's survival was a highpoint, and the Air Force gets full credit for pulling him out alive.
From Mike Austin, F/8 Cav 71-72, Blue Ghost 23
This record was last updated on 03/12/2012
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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
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