Pacific Stars and Stripes information
for 2/501 ABN

For date 680524


2/501 ABN was a US Army unit
Primary service involved, US Army
Thua Thien Province, I Corps, South Vietnam
Location, Hue
Description: The following is an edited version of an article titled "Medic Under Fire Saves Wounded GI." Hue (IO) - a 101st Airborne Div. medic recently rushed into a downed American helicopter north of here to aid a wounded paratrooper while the chopper was under heavy enemy fire. "In our job we do what we can and whatever's necessary to save lives," said SP4 Larry Mize, of Baltimore, a medic with the 2/501st Inf. The paratrooper was aboard a CH47 helicopter with 30 other men when the enemy ground fire shot it down. "We received fire in one engine," Mize said, "and we began falling like a rock." As the pilot fought for control of his craft, Mize saw that one of the paratroopers had been hit. "He was at the front of the chopper near the door gunner," the medic said "I tried to force my way past flailing arms and equipment toward the man when we hit the ground very hard." The pilot managed to make a forced landing in a rice paddy. The paratroopers rushed out to set up a perimeter defense. "He's dead someone yelled at me from up front," Mize said. "I knew he was talking about the wounded man and then someone told me to get out of the chopper."The Communist force was encircling the downed Chinook and the paratroopers cut down two of them as they tried to tighten their noose. "I had to see if that fellow was really dead," Mize said, "I would've felt rotten if he were suffering in there and I hadn't helped him." The medic picked up his aid kit and ran back into the smoking chopper. He found the man still alive. "I bandaged him up and an evacuation helicopter was called in," the medic said. Gunships appeared after the medevac chopper and the enemy force was driven back with fire support from the air. Soon another Chinook landed and picked up the paratroopers who were grateful to the medic for saving their buddy's life.

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


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Date posted on this site: 05/13/2023