unit history information
for 282 AHC
For date 680131
282 AHC was a US Army unit
Primary service involved, US Army
Incident reference: 68013188.BAT This information is available on CD-ROM.
Thua Thien Province, I Corps, South Vietnam
Location, Hue
Description: The 282nd AHC unit history reported shortly after 0300H, several regiments of NVA overran the city of Hue and surrounded the MACV compound. While defending the perimeter in the Aussie bunker, CWO Thomas R. Pullen, WO Dwight A. Dedrick, WO Mark J. Skulborstad, WO John R. Aye III and WO Richard Gilmore were severly wounded, leaving LT Bob Ford the only operational pilot in the detachment. Desi F. Ford, an Australian Advisor, provided covering fire with a machine gun while the pilots were being evacuated and the bunker was reinforced with MACV troops. His devastatingly accurate fire prevented the enemy from entering the compound and saved many lives that morning. SP4 Lowell Truscott radioed other aviators and talked them into flying into the LCM Ramp north of Hue University to medevac the wounded BLACK CAT pilots. Truscott, along with James Payne, Robert Brown and PVT Gray then made three trips through the NVA held city to transport the wounded pilots to the LCM Ramp. WO Dedrick, the 'Dangerous Duck' died later that day in Phu Bai from wounds he received at Hue. The other Hue aviators were evaced to CONUS.
Comments: LT Ford, Bob; pilot; ;
CWO Pullen, Thomas R.; pilot; WIA;
WO Aye, John R. III; pilot; WIA;
WO Dedrick, Dwight A.; pilot; KIA;
WO Gilmore, Richard; pilot; WIA;
WO Skulborstad, Mark J.; pilot; WIA;
SP4 Truscott, Lowell; ; ;
PVT Gray; ; ;
*** Brown, Robert; ; ;
*** Payne, James; ; ;
*** Ford, Desi F.; Australian Advisor; ;
The source for this information was 282 AHC History 1 Jan - 31 Dec 68 by 1LT Thomas Prince
Additional information is available on CD-ROM.
Please send additions or corrections to: Gary Roush Email address: webmaster@vhpa.org
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Date posted on this site:
05/13/2023