unit history information
for 155 AHC

For date 690523


155 AHC was a US Army unit
Primary service involved, US Army
Incident reference: 69052333.KIA This information is available on CD-ROM.
Cambodia
Description: As I stated we had just inserted a SOG team and had returned to Duc Lap. Green and McGinnity's aircraft had already refueled when we got the call from the FAC that another team had captured a POW and wanted to be extracted. Since I was still refueling they stated they would make the pick up and I should stay with the back up set of Air Force Gunships. A short time later we received word that an aircraft was down and we scrambled. As we were climbing out and heading toward the border, we could hear Stephen's on the radio. The AC's helmet cord had been shot in two. Stephens indicated that the aircraft had been hit in the transmission and they were loosing transmission oil pressure. At one point the oil pressure dropped to zero. They were trying to make it out of the area before they went down. I also heard that their CE had gone down a rope ladder to help get any survivors out. I still think Plummer should have gotten the CMH. We arrived in the area of Green's aircraft. I approached and had to hover over the crash site due to 75-100 ft tall trees. I could see some movement on the ground. As I brought the aircraft to a hover we started to take really heavy automatic weapons fire. The bad guys really lit the place up and the aircraft took a large number of hits. It was at this time that our crew chief SP4 Dan Weidner was hit bad in the left arm. At that time I pulled out of the area and headed back toward Duc Lap to drop Weidner off at the SF camp to be medevaced. While we were at Duc Lap I had my door gunner check the aircraft while we put some fuel in the aircraft. His statement was: 'Sir there are bullet holes all over the place, but I don't see anything leaking.' I was getting good instrument indications, so we put an SF guy, SP4 Veron Winters, behind the CE's gun and headed back to the downed aircraft. While we were at Duc Lap I called for additional support from the 155th Operations. A Falcon team responded. I think the lead was CPT Medows and trail may have been Jeff Schader. They would arrive in the area of the downed aircraft later. While we had been gone, the Air Force gunships had been working the area over before we went in again. A word about the Air Force Green Hornets - they did a really good job of covering me that day. I remember one had taken hits to the weapons electrical system to the point their mini guns would not fire and they were out of rockets. As I remember, they started making passes with their M-16's. We went in a second time, and again really heavy auto weapons fire, more hits. I pulled out and asked the guns to work the area again. The fire was heavy enough I believe if I had tried to stay I would have been shot down. At that time I was the only slick in the area, so getting short down would not have helped anyone. I pulled off to the west, to wait for the guns to work the area again. I could hear the Falcon lead talking to the FAC and could see them making runs of some bad guys that had spotted. It was about that time we spotted the dink on a farm tractor heading for the crash site. We shot up the tractor and took care of the driver. On our third try for a pick up, the survivors had move to a small clearing about 50-100 meters from the downed aircraft. We were able to get into the LZ for the pick up. Again were taking heavy fire. We got out and then flew back to BMT. En route I learned that the CE and door gunner of Green's aircraft had killed in the crash and had been pinned in the aircraft. Their bodies were never recovered. I still feel sad we were not able to bring them back. Looking back on the whole thing 30 year later my feeling are somewhat mixed. I feel bad that we could not bring Rameriz and Quintina home. I got a DFC that day but never really considered myself a hero. For me there was never a choice not to do what we did that day, to leave or not do everything possible to get our guys out was never an option, for me, nor do I believe for anyone there that day. I think the big thing that let us do what we did on a daily basis was no matter what happened, we always knew our buddies would never leave us. It's what let us do great things in really crazy situations. It's also a feeling I have not experienced since my days in the 155th. I hope this helps. A word of caution-this is only part of the story of what happened that day. There are other 155th guys that helped out. If at all possible I would urge you to get their stories. Submitted to the VHPA by Ken Donovan "Stage Coach 28" on 30 Oct 2001.
Comments: WO1 Donovan, Ken; 155 AHC pilot; ; SP4 Weidner, Dan; 155 AHC CE; WIA; SP4 Winters, Veron; SF; ;

The source for this information was email from Ken Donovan


Additional information is available on CD-ROM.

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Last updated 10/31/2001

Date posted on this site: 05/13/2023