unit history information
for HMM-165
SOG
VMO-6
For date 670603
HMM-165 was a US Marine Corps unit
SOG was a US Army unit
VMO-6 was a US Marine Corps unit
Primary service involved, US Marine Corps
Quang Tin Province, I Corps, South Vietnam
Location, Ky Ha
Description: The Command Chronology for June, 1967 during the monthly summary section for maintenance, average daily availability and total flight hours states that two aircraft were lost during operations, but fails to provide details in any of the daily narratives. In the section that provides statistics by individual operation, we read: "In support of SOG, BUFFALO CITY logged 42.9 flight hours, lifted 128 troops and passengers and 1.3 tons of cargo. A total of 84 sorties were flown in support of this operation." In the Casualties section, "During this reporting period CPT S.P. Hanson, 1LT J.G. Gardner, SGT T.R. Bodden, and LCPL F.E. Cius Jr. were declared missing in action when their aircraft crashed while working with SOG on 3 June. On 3 June GSGT P.L. O'Donnell was wounded." This is all there is about the SOG related activities.
The daily details for 3 June reads: MAJ T.P. Lougheed departed Ky Ha on the emergency retraction of an 8 man Marine recon team from BT183039. The section was escorted by 4 VMO-6 gunships, 2 MAG-11 F-8's and an F-9 throughout the mission. Once in the area the KLONDIKERS began a relentless attack on the enemy positions utilizing their fixed wing and their own firepower to the maximum of their effectiveness. The besieged recon team did not have a LZ and MAJ Lougheed would have to hover and hoist out the recon team through the 150 foot trees that abounded in the area. MAJ Lougheed hovered for 40 minutes until he had hoisted out all the Marines, which included 1 KIA and 3 seriously wounded. Enemy fire was constantly received throughout the retraction but the KLONDIKER's savage attack spoiled the VC's aim at MAJ Lougheed's aircraft and the aircraft was not hit by enemy fire. MAJ Lougheed delivered the med-evacs to the 1st Hospital Company and the remaining Marines to QUAIL before returning to Ky Ha after another professional emergency retraction by BUFFALO CITY.
Comments: CPT HANSON S P ; BNR; ;
1LT GARDNER ; BNR; ;
SGT BODDEN ; BNR; ;
LCP CIUS F ; POW; ;
GST O'Donnell, P.L.; WIA; ;
MAJ Lougheed, T.P.; AC; ;
The source for this information was HMM-165 Command Chronology dated 4 July
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