evacuation report information
for 37 ARRS
40 ARRS

For date 691024


37 ARRS was a US Air Force unit
40 ARRS was a US Air Force unit
Primary service involved, US Air Force
Laos
Description: Two HH-3s assigned to the 37th ARRS were scrambled from Quang Tri to rescue two downed F-100 aircrewmen in Laos. One of the HH-3s arrived on scene and lowered Technical Sergeant Donald G. Smith to the ground. Enemy fire erupted, and it appeared evident that enemy forces had used the downed F-100 crewman as a "flak trap". Sergeant Smith found one of the survivors and secured him to the hoist, but enemy fire made the hoist inoperative, and the airborne flight engineer was forced to cut the cable. Subsequently the first H-3 was forced down, but its crew was rescued by another ARRS helicopter. Enemy opposition continued and after four more attempts by and HH-53 from the 40th ARRS, Sergeant Smith and the two F-100 pilots were successfully rescued.
Comments: TSG Smith, Donald G.; ; ;

The source for this information was ARRS History


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Date posted on this site: 05/13/2023