Pacific Stars and Stripes information
for 1 BDE 9 INF
2/39 INF
For date 680628
1 BDE 9 INF was a US Army unit
2/39 INF was a US Army unit
Primary service involved, US Army
An Giang Province, IV Corps, South Vietnam
Location, Cai Lay
Description: 28-Jun68-Bullet-Ripped Pilot, Copter Land Safely
CAI LAY, Vietnam (Special) - It was well into the night as two OH23 "Bubble" helicopters sped over Vietnam's desolate Plain of Reeds toward the night position of the 9th Inf. Div.'s 2nd Bn., 39th Inf. Assigned to the 1st Brigade, the two choppers were speeding a doctor and two medics to the battalion. After dropping off the medical people, the two choppers were airborne again when Lt. Col. William T. Leggett, battalion commander, requested an immediate dust-off (medical evacuation). The bubbles turned and hurried to the landing zone. The first to approach was a chopper flown by WO William M. Cosgrove of Oklahoma City. He was hovering over the pad when Viet Cong fire ripped into the area. Cosgrove radioed to the other pilot, Capt. William Damon, of Boston, alerting him to the hostile fire. Damon decided to go in anyway. Just before he hit the landing zone, the VC opened up again, hitting Damon and putting 15 rounds into the ship. "Right after he got hit, his craft went momentarily out of control as his feet were apparently knocked off the pedals," Cosgrove said. "He regained control of the ship a moment later but he seemed to be in shock. As he flew in lazy circles I told him to get behind me and I would lead him back to the Special Forces camp we had started from." The two helicopters headed west above the Plain of Reeds. Damon's right leg was temporarily paralyzed. His instruments had been blown out and his fuel tank leaked badly. "He could have landed and let me evacuate him but he wanted to keep going and get the craft back," Cosgrove said. Both ships made it over the camp but the tricky part still remained - landing without using the crucial rudder pedals, only hand controls. Painfully, Damon settled the chopper onto the pad. He was evacuated to the 3d Surgical Hospital at Dong Tam where doctors found a bullet lodged behind his spine. He is expected to fully recover. "It took an outstanding pilot to make that landing," Cosgrove said, "and with the pain he must have been suffering it also took a lot of guts."
Comments: LTC Leggett, William T.; 2/39 INF CO; ;
WO Cosgrove, William M.; 1 BDE 9 INF pilot; ;
CPT Damon, William; 1 BDE 9 INF pilot; ;
The source for this information was 6806PSS.AVN supplied by Les Hines 3/97
Additional information is available on CD-ROM.
Please send additions or corrections to: Gary Roush Email address: webmaster@vhpa.org
Return to panel index
Return to Helicopter Pilot KIA index
Return to VHPA Home Page
Copyright © 1998 - 2023 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association
Date posted on this site:
05/13/2023