Army Reporter information
for 195 AHC
6 PSYOP BN

For date 690113


195 AHC was a US Army unit
6 PSYOP BN was a US Army unit
Primary service involved, US Army
South Vietnam
Location, Bien Hoa
Description: The following is an edited version of an article titled "Chopper support cited Psywarriors aid pilot" dated 13 Jan 1969. "We need a rope to get this pilot out of here," heard helicopter pilots working on a psyop mission. The radio call continued, "The way the plane crashed the wings have the pilot pinned inside. He's slumped over and we've got to get him out of there soon!" The message was sent by a rescue team working at the crash site of a O-1 Birddog, forward observer plane in Phuoc Long Province. Monitoring the radio traffic was a UH-1D helicopter crew of the 195th AHC conducting aerial psyop missions with a 6th Psyop Bn field team. WO Conrnelle, the chopper pilot, radioed the rescue team that they were in the immediate area and had a rope aboard. "Maybe we'll be able to help," he said. The team radioed back their location in the heavily VC infested area and the chopper altered its course from its planned mission and sped to the call for help. During the 10-minute flight to the downed Birddog, SSG Ray Fowler, psyop team leader, and the chopper door gunner began rigging the 250-foot rope to be used in the rescue. Psy-warrior SP4 Dennis Leach manned the chopper's M60 machine gun as the two prepared for the rescue. Hovering above the downed plane Fowler worked from the chopper skids feeding the rope to ground crews below. "We tried pulling the wings off to enable the men on the ground to get the trapped pilot out, but that didn't work, so we next attached the rope to the cockpit bar and created an opening for the rescue team," Fowler explained. In the midst of a VC light arms attack the wounded pilot was then med-evac'd by the rescue team. "This is one of many unplanned missions our chopper teams run into during the course of a normal duty day," pointed out Co. B 1SG David K.H. Lee. The psyop heliborne team operating out of the Bien Hoa headquarters averages six-hours of flight time each day. A minimum of two-hours of loudspeaker broadcasts are logged each day. "The helicopter fills several vital roles in our field operation at the 6th Bn," said Lee. "We use it for quick reaction psyop mission, planned missions, delivery of psyop supplies to line units and liaison with psyop personnel located throughout III Corps. We support U.S., ARVN, and other Allied units. He added, "Probably the most outstanding attribute is the increased versatility in all of our PSYOP missions which is afforced by the Huey." In carrying out its missions in the entire area of III Corps, the psyop helicopter may cover several provinces each day. Recent missions have been concentrated near the Cambodian border. According to Lee current emphasis has been placed on night psyop delivery and the UH-1D has again proven it [sic] merit. The recently acquired helicopter began its duties in an exciting atmosphere with the 6th when it took three .50-caliber rounds on its second mission. Bn SMG Stanley Chromi who was working with the chopper team that day commented, "When the average person thinks of psyop he frequently thinks of leisurely dropping leaflets. Our chopper missions have been anything but leisure. From the very first our chopper team has seen action on virtually every mission." Earlier in November the chopper came across a tank that had been demolished by a land mine. Its badly burned driver was medevaced by the chopper crew and psyop personnel - SP5 Clarence Spawr and SP4 James Axelrod. Lee concluded, "The chopper has given our psyop support capabilities a tremendous boost. We've used it everyday since it's been assigned to support our operations. Several ralliers have been directly credited to our aerial psyop team's efforts."
Comments: WO Conrnelle; 195 AHC pilot; ;

The source for this information was 6901AR.AVN supplied by Les Hines


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Date posted on this site: 05/13/2023