Army Reporter information
for B/3/17 CAV
1 INF DIV
For date 680518
B/3/17 CAV was a US Army unit
1 INF DIV was a US Army unit
Primary service involved, US Army
Binh Long Province, III Corps, South Vietnam
Location, Loc Ninh
Description: The following is an edited version of an article titled "B Troop Gunships Zap 20" that appeared in the 18 May 1968 issue.
Gunship helicopters of the 1st Avn Bde were credited with killing 20 Communist troops near the northern edge of the 1st Inf Div's AO recently. At approximately 6:30 p.m., a FAC operating 12 miles north of Loc Ninh sighed a battalion-sized complement of NVA troops. After marking the site, he called for helicopter fire teams. B/3/17th Cavalry scrambled two gunships under the command of CPT Gregory Patulea and CWO William Kane. After the gunships first pass the enemy force could be seen moving out of the area. Two more passes were made and both ships expended their entire ammunition load from miniguns, rockets, machineguns and personal M16 rifles. In an after-action reconnaissance of the engagement site, the FAC counted 20 enemy bodies killed in the firefight which had ended by 7:10 p.m.
Comments: CPT Patulea, Gregory; B/3/17 CAV AC; ;
CWO Kane, William; B/3/17 CAV AC; ;
The source for this information was 6805AR.AVN 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