Raid on Son Tay Prison information
for ARRS
For date 701120
ARRS was a US Air Force unit
Primary service involved, US Air Force
North Vietnam
Location, Son Tay
Description: Forty-two men assigned to ARRS, manning one HH-3, five HH-53s, and two HC-130Ps, participated in the daring raid on POW compound at Son Tay, about 23 miles west of Hanoi, Vietnam. These men trained intensively with other Army and Air Force personnel at Eglin AFB, Florida, between August and November 1970. On 20 and 21 November 1970 the raid was carried out as planned, but no POWs were found. One HH-3 was lost due to impact with a tree at the prison, and Technical Sergeant Leroy Wright broke his foot. All personnel returned safely to Udorn AB, Thailand. However, the HH-53s stopped briefly in Laos to pick up two F-105 crewman whose plane had been shot down by the enemy. Late five of the ARRS participants received the Air Force Cross: Lieutenant Colonels Warner A. Britton and John V. Allison, Majors Herbert D. Kalen and Frederic M. Donohue, and Technical Sergeant Leroy M. Wright. The other 32 helicopter crewman received the Silver Star.
The source for this information was ARRS History
Additional information is available on CD-ROM.
Please send additions or corrections to: Gary Roush Email address: webmaster@vhpa.org
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Date posted on this site:
05/13/2023