Pacific Stars and Stripes information
for 11 CAG

For date 700422


11 CAG was a US Army unit
Primary service involved, US Army
Tay Ninh Province, III Corps, South Vietnam
Location, FSB Jay
Description: The following is an edited version of an article titled "GI's Light Is Savior For Base." Tay Ninh (Special) - PFC Frank Matnez may not have the best light show in the world but his ratings are high. Matnez is a pathfinder with the 11th Aviation Group at Tay Ninh. He was acting as an air controller of Fire Support Base (FSB) Jay when the NVA hit it with a barrage of rockets and mortars. "It was about four a.m. when the incoming started," began Matnez. "At first, I wasn't sure whether it was incoming or outgoing, but it wasn't long before I knew. It got king of rough. I could hear someone yelling for a medic and when I tried to crawl over to help, the incoming was so heavy that I had to get back in my bunker and wait." Matnez then received word from the Tactical Operations Center (TOC) that there were several injured soldiers who had to be Medevaced. He was told to find a spot for the chopper and guide it down. Armed with only a flashlight he crawled out of his bunker to find a place that could serve as a small landing zone. "I went to the northwest part of the base and found a suitable LZ for the bird to land. The rounds were still coming in. I couldn't think about anything except the wounded guys lying there and I knew there was no other way to help but bring in the Medevac bird. "When the bird came in the pilot spotted my flashlight and I guided him down. I stayed there the rest of the morning and part of the day until all the casualties were evacuated." Matnez says that he wasn't afraid when it was all happening but concede that "when I thought about it the next day and realized what it was like, I was plenty scared. I guess I had plenty of good reasons, though."
Comments: PFC Matnez, Frank; 11 CAG pathfinder; ;

The source for this information was 7004pss.avn supplied by Les Hines 02/02/2000


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Last updated 02/03/2000

Date posted on this site: 05/13/2023