Pacific Stars and Stripes information
for D/1/10 CAV

For date 680521


D/1/10 CAV was a US Army unit
Primary service involved, US Army
Pleiku Province, II Corps, South Vietnam
Location, Camp Enari
Description: The following is an edited version of an article titled "Copter Crew Chief Leads Rout of VC." Camp Enari - A 4th Inf. Div. helicopter crew chief recently jumped from his ship, overcame the enemy's fire superiority and began an action which cost the enemy 12 dead and an arsenal. The arsenal included 20 122mm rockets, seven AK47s and three 75mm recoilless rifles in addition to assorted automatic and small arms ammunition. On a reconnaissance mission 10 miles west of Camp Enari, a helicopter from D/1/10th Cavalry, spotted a large thicket and descended to investigate. As the helicopter touched down, SP5 Thomas J. Ewing of Nashville, Tenn., the ship's crew chief, his door gunner and a Chieu Hoi interpreter dismounted from the aircraft and set out to catch what they thought was a single foe. Moments later the three men located and took under fire a much larger number of enemy soldiers than they had expected. The three men were all wounded by the initial barrage. But it didn't stop Ewing. He let loose with a steady stream of M16 fire, and after expending his last shell returned to the ship to get more. The crewchief then made his way toward the wounded Chieu Hoi. Ignoring his own wounds and safety, he carried the wounded Vietnamese back to the helicopter, dodging heavy enemy fire. Ewing then grabbed an M60 machine gun from the helicopter and went back to rescue the wounded door gunner. His friend, however, had died from his wounds. Soon thereafter the cavalry's Aero-Rifle Platoon, led by 1LT Robert J. Young, of Breckenridge, Mich., made contact and completed the rout of the enemy. When the platoon later swept through the area. It uncovered the arsenal of rockets.
Comments: SP5 Ewing, Thomas J.; D/1/10 Cav CE; ; 1LT Young, Robert J.; D/1/10 Cav Blue Platoon Ldr; ;

The source for this information was 6805pss.avn supplied by Les Hines


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Date posted on this site: 05/13/2023