Pacific Stars and Stripes information
for 37 ARRS

For date 680122


37 ARRS was a US Air Force unit
Primary service involved, US Air Force
Quang Nam Province, I Corps, South Vietnam
Location, Da Nang
Description: The following is an edited version of an article titled "3 Pilots Saved in Daring Rescues Over N. Viet." Saigon (UPI) - For MAJ Charles E. Lewis, of Dennison, Texas and 1LT Jack L. Kelly, 27, of Pawnee, Okla., it was a short wait after being downed over North Vietnam before being rescued. But for CPT Scott B. Stovin, 29, of Milwaukee, Wis., it was a long wait. The three were aboard two F4 Phantom jets downed by unknown causes over the Southern Panhandle of North Vietnam earlier this week. "I didn't think they'd make it to us in time," said Lewis. "There was heavy overcast when we went down and it was getting late. We had to wait just a little more than an hour before they found us." The helicopter rescue of Lewis was swift and without complications. But his fellow pilot was hanging in a tree, unable to free himself of the parachute harness. SGT Peter S. Harding, 21, of Foxboro, Mass., was lowered from the hovering chopper, 45 miles west northwest of Dong Hoi to cut Kelly loose. The pilot of the Jolly Green Giant helicopter, CPT Robert S. Greer, 35, Enid, Okla., said, "both of the pilots were downed in dense jungle. We were lucky there were both on a ridge-like section of a hill." The other pilot wasn't found so quickly. The following day the helicopters, and the planes that fly cover for them, "Sandys," were back scouting the panhandle for him and his copilot. The copilot still is missing but probably dead or captured. It wasn't until the third day they found the third man, in hazardous terrain, 60 miles northwest of Dong Hoi. The lead Sandy pilot, COL Ralph S. Hoggart, 43, Mount Pleasant, Penn., made a pass over Stovin. Automatic weapons fire opened up on his propeller driven ship. "The gun emplacement fired a little early and gave away its position before it could cause the mission real trouble," said CPT Donald Miles, 28, Cleburne, Tex., a second Sandy pilot. When the guns were silenced, the Jolly Green Giants moved in. The jungle penetrator was lowered by S. Sgt. Don E. Cole, 29, Union City, Tenn., as CPT Henry C. Conant, 27, Luckey, Okla., held the chopper over Stovin's position. "The undergrowth was heavy and there was elephant grass all around," said Sgt. Patrick F. Allaire, 21, Mason, Mich. When Stovin was hoisted up, the North Vietnamese opened up on the chopper. "I was looking out the door when I saw a tracer passing right over us," the pararescue man said, "I also saw a couple of puffs of smoke coming from what I took to be a gunner's position and I opened up on it. I don't know if I hit him or just scared him, but we didn't get any more fire from that direction."
Comments: MAJ Lewis, Charles E.; jet pilot; ; 1LT Kelley, Jack L.; jet pilot; ; CPT Stovin, Scott B.; jet pilot; ; SGT Harding, Peter S.; pararescue; ; CPT Greer, Robert S.; pilot; ; COL Hoggart, Ralph S.; Sandy pilot; ; CPT Miles, Donald; Sandy pilot; ; SSG Cole, Don E.; pararescue; ; CPT Conant, Henry C.; pilot; ; SGT Allaire, Patrick F.; gunner; ;

The source for this information was 6801pss.avn & paper source documents supplied by Les Hines


Additional information is available on CD-ROM.

Please send additions or corrections to: Gary Roush Email address: webmaster@vhpa.org


Return to panel index

Return to Helicopter Pilot KIA index

Return to VHPA Home Page

Copyright © 1998 - 2023 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association

Date posted on this site: 05/13/2023