Introduction

This account is written by Gary N. Willis, a forward air controller in Vietnam using the call sign Red
Marker 18. The Red Marker FACs worked exclusively for the Vietnamese Airborne Division and its
American advisors, members of MACV Advisory Team 162 known as Red Hats. The Red Hats and
Red Markers adopted the uniform of the Airborne -- camouflage fatigues with the Airborne's unit
insignia and a distinctive red beret. That red headgear gave rise to the American call signs.

The South Vietnamese Joint General Staff used the Vietnamese Airborne as a tactical reserve. The
JGS ordered Airborne troops into every major battle in the country, and the Red Hats and Red
Markers went with them. In May and June 1970, the Airborne 3rd Brigade helicopter assaulted into
the Fishhook of Cambodia as part of Task Force Shoemaker. After a few weeks, the Airborne 1st
Brigade joined them. "Medevac Meadow" was one engagement that arose during that incursion.
(Comments or questions can be directed to Mr. Willis at redmarker181969@yahoo.com. He intends
to use this description in a follow-on book to his published history Red Markers, Close Air Support for
the Vietnamese Airborne, 1962 – 1975.)

Medevac Meadow1

The Vietnamese 6th Airborne Infantry Battalion moved with the rest of the 1st Brigade from Song Be
during early May, reinforcing the three battalions already engaged in the Fishhook. The battalion
headquartered at Fire Support Base (FSB) Oklahoma while its troopers maneuvered in the region.
FSB Oklahoma was about ten miles inside Cambodia off Highway 7 on the eastern edge of the Memot
Rubber Plantation.2 The fire base was the operational home of the 1st Brigade’s Artillery Battalion of
105 mm howitzers and the long range 8-inch howitzers of A Battery of the 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field
Artillery Regiment, the “Proud Americans.”

On 23 May, a task force of the 61st and 63rd Companies of the 6th Battalion encountered NVA troops
during a ground sweep about eight miles southeast of FSB Oklahoma. After a brief fight, the NVA
withdrew to the west side of a clearing oriented southeast to northwest, and the Airborne retired to
the east. The battalion senior advisor, Red Hat Captain Jesse Myers overhead in a command-andcontrol helicopter called for artillery fire from FSB Oklahoma and asked Red Marker Control to divert
some airstrikes to the enemy’s possible routes of withdrawal.

1 The description of the following event is based on numerous sources, some of which contain conflicting detail: Dust Off: Army
Aeromedical Evacuation in Vietnam by Peter Dorland and James Nanney; magazine article by then Captain Stephen F. Modica, U.S. Army
Aviation Digest, June 1975; letter written by former Red Hat Major Jesse W. Myers in response to that article; emails among various
surviving participants including Jerry Granberg and Ralph Jones (artillerymen), Patrick Martin (Medevac crew chief), Major (R) Jesse
Myers, Monty Halcomb (Medevac pilot), Major (R) George Alexander, former CW2 Paul Garrity, and CW3 (R) Mac Cookson (Cobra
pilots); Oral History and other statements by Warrant Officer Rocco; mission statements by Alexander and Garrity, by Henry Tuell
(Medevac pilot); various reports of awards and citations/orders related to same; and other sources as individually footnoted.
2 Grid Coordinates XU425098, per the History of the “Proud Americans” at
https://proudamericans.homestead.com/VIETNAM_1963-1971-1.pdf

The artillery fire mission required extra caution. Only eighty meters separated the NVA on the west
side of the clearing from the Airborne troopers on the east side. The standard safe distance from an
8-inch round with its 200 pounds of explosive was 100 meters for unsheltered personnel. A
miscalculation could prove fatal. The howitzers’ alignment, elevation, and propellant charge had to be
just right. The fire control center made its calculations and then double checked them. Then A Battery
Commander, Captain Lee Hayden, double checked the “double check” by hand.3 Myers watched the
first shots land on target and gave the okay to fire for effect.

A Red Marker FAC arrived on scene and orbited to the east awaiting a set of fighters scrambled from
Bien Hoa. Myers briefed the FAC and shut down the artillery when the fighters arrived. They bombed
and napalmed the western tree line as darkness fell. The Airborne dug in for the night. Overnight,
FSB Oklahoma stood ready if needed, but only sporadic small arms fire came from the opposite side
of the clearing.

At dawn on the 24th, the NVA attacked in strength. The Airborne drove them back while suffering
several killed and eight seriously wounded. Myers again called on the artillery at FSB Oklahoma and
requested Red Markers direct some airstrikes on the NVA positions. Red Marker 16, Lieutenant David
G. Blair, already in the air, diverted to the site to control immediate airstrikes aimed at possible routes
of retreat. After the two Airborne companies secured the area, the Red Hats on the ground, Staff
Sergeants Louis Clason and Michael Philhower, requested Medevac. Myers relayed the request to
Brigade HQ and asked for gunship cover. The request went out to the 1st Air Cavalry’s Medevac and
Blue Max gunship units at about 1100 hours.4

A Medevac helicopter piloted by “The Wild Deuce” (official call sign Medevac 2), First Lieutenant
Stephen F. Modica, and a pair of Cobra gunships, Precise Swords 12 and 12A, received the requests
for the evacuation mission. Modica was en route from Phuoc Vinh to Katum when he got the call.
Red Hat Sergeant First Class Louis Richard Rocco, happened to be on board hitching a ride to Katum.
Rocco, a qualified medic and advisor to the Airborne’s Medical Battalion, sometimes volunteered to
fly on Medevac missions. When Rocco heard Medevac 2 was going to pick up wounded paratroopers,
he asked to stay on board and help. Modica landed at Katum, offloaded some supplies, and picked up
a ceramic chest protector for Rocco. The Wild Deuce departed Katum toward the task force location.

Blue Max aircraft commanders First Lieutenant George Alexander Jr., Precise Sword 12, and Chief
Warrant Officer–2 (CW2) Paul Garrity, Precise Sword 12A, were on Hot Alert at Quan Loi. They
scrambled within the requisite two minutes from the time the alert horn sounded. Quan Loi Tower
clear the flight of two to take off to the south. As Alexander and Garrity smoothly nosed over and
headed down the runway, CW2 James “Bugs” Moran in the front seat of the lead ship radioed Blue Max operations on VHF for mission information.

3 Emails July 2021, former Lieutenant Jerry Granberg, second in command, A Battery, 2nd of the 32nd Field Artillery.
4 Medevac Platoon, 15th Medical Battalion, 1st Air Cavalry Division, and C Battery, 2nd Battalion Aerial Rocket Artillery, 20th Artillery
Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Division.

“Blue Max ops, this is Precise Sword One Two airborne on scramble. Mission brief. Over.”

“Roger, Precise Sword Twelve. Mission is Medevac escort for pickup at XU5101 in a hot LZ. Depart Quan Loi heading 290 degrees, about seventeen klicks. Rendezvous with Medevac Two coming out of Katum.”

“Roger, Blue Max. Copy all. Heading 290.”

Precise Sword flight tuned in Medevac’s standard frequency 33.00 FM and met The Wild Deuce on
the way to the LZ. Meanwhile, Blair returned to Quan Loi for fuel and rockets while another FAC,
most likely Lieutenant Byron Mayberry, Red Marker 19, arrived on scene with a flight of diverted
fighter aircraft. Myers again shut down the artillery while the Red Marker directed more bombs into
the western tree line. A few minutes after the airstrike finished, the trio of helicopters was several miles
from the clearing. The Red Hats monitored the Medevac frequency awaiting contact. When Medevac
2 called in, Myers briefed them on the situation and suggested a run in from the south. Precise Sword
12 and the Wild Deuce descended to the deck two miles out. Precise Sword 12 A remained high to
cover them both and give directions to the LZ.

“Medevac 2, hold this heading. I’ve got the clearing in sight about one klick. I’ve got green smoke on the eastern tree line.”

“Roger, Twelve Alpha. Got it.”

All Hell Broke Loose

The Wild Deuce and Precise Sword 12 came in low and fast just above the treetops. Modica wanted
to give any North Vietnamese gunners only the briefest glimpse of the helicopter before setting down,
loading wounded, and speeding away.

Red Hat Clason, advisor to the Vietnamese 63rd Airborne Infantry Company Lieutenant Hwang, stood
in the clearing and watched green colored smoke spew from the smoke grenade he had popped.
Behind the tree line, Philhower, advisor to 61st Company commander Captain Nguyen Van Nghiem,
manned the FM radio. They all heard the distinctive whup-whup-whup of the Huey’s blades well
before it entered the clearing.

Lieutenant Hwang had stretcher bearers waiting outside the tree line with the seriously wounded
troopers. Hwang and Clason waited tensely, hoping they could load the men without any trouble.
Modica brought the ship into the clearing, lined up on Clason, and expertly flared for touchdown.

Just then, all hell broke loose. AK-47 and .51 caliber machine gun fire ripped into the cabin from the
western tree line. The Cobra gunships responded immediately. They returned fire with 2.75-inch high
explosive and flechette rockets, miniguns, and 40 mm grenade launchers, hoping to suppress the
enemy fire long enough for Medevac 2 to complete its mission. The low bird turned hard to the left
in front of The Wild Deuce to get lined up on the source of the fire. The high bird dove straight at
the NVA positions unleashing a salvo of rockets. The Medevac’s door gunners opened up with their
M-60 machine guns. Rocco fired his M-16 out the left door into the trees. Modica felt two enemy
slugs glance off his “chicken plate” chest protector. At the same time, a third round shattered his left
knee. The Medevac pancaked into the clearing. Copilot Lieutenant Leroy (Lee) G. Caubarreaux
swiveled his head to give Modica some shit for such a bad landing before realizing Steve was hit. Lee
immediately grabbed the controls. “I’ve got the ship!” he shouted over the intercom. As he pulled
pitch and poured on full power, Caubarreaux jabbed the FM key, shouting now to the two Cobra
gunships, “Precise Swords One Two and One Two Alpha, we are outta here! Cover us!”

Sergeant Clason hot-footed it out of the clearing as Medevac 2 spooled up and climbed toward safety.
But safety was a long way off. Coming in hot and low to the clearing made the bird harder to hit.
Liftoff was a different matter. The UH-1H helicopter took time to get back up to speed and out of
the clearing. The NVA gunners got a clear view of the slow-moving Huey and unleashed everything
they had. The entire western tree line lit up. From the left seat, Modica saw the RPM sliding past
normal minimum and knew they were in trouble. He switched to VHF Guard channel and broadcast,
“The Wild Deuce is going down! XU5101! MAYDAY! MAYDAY! XU5101!”5

At about 50 feet in the air, gunfire and aerodynamic stress ripped the tail boom from the ship.6 The
Huey spun out of control, crashing to the ground on its right side. Smoke billowed from the chopper
as the fuel tanks burst into flame. In his C&C chopper, Myers watched in horror as the Medevac
seemed to land, then shot almost straight up and fell to the ground on its side thrashing briefly like a
wounded insect. He thought at first it had fallen on Clason.

In fact, Clason was not hurt -- unlike the Medevac crew. Sergeant Gary L. Taylor, right side door
gunner, died on impact, crushed by the aircraft. Medic SP5 Terry T. Burdette was badly burned and
suffered multiple fractures. Crew chief and left door gunner, Sergeant Patrick Martin, was thrown
clear and knocked unconscious. Rocco was also thrown clear, breaking a wrist and hip. Modica’s leg
was shattered, and Caubarreaux suffered a crushed right shoulder, broken arm, and back injuries. He
was trapped beneath Modica as the ship caught fire.
Precise Sword 12 lined up at low level to attack the tree line point blank with flechette rockets.

5 The grid coordinates Modica screamed into the mike designated a one-kilometer square of territory about five miles inside the Fishhook
north of Tay Ninh Province, South Vietnam. In an article Modica wrote for the magazine U.S. Army Aviation Digest, he incorrectly stated
the coordinates as XU5606, which is right on the border of Cambodia and Vietnam rather than five miles inside. Chalk that up to the
“Fog of War” and frailty of human memory. Interestingly, “5606” is the designation of the hydraulic fluid used in the Huey, which
might explain why the number came to Modica’s mind while writing from memory about five years later. According to the Vietnam
Helicopter Pilots’ Association, XU507010 is the six digit grid coordinate for the downed Medevac, tail number 69-15121.
6 Precise Sword 12, Lt Alexander did not see the tail boom break away, but did notice that the tail rotor was not operating as te Wild
Deuce tried to climb

Even before Alexander got lined up, Bugs Moran in the front seat swiveled the minigun under the Cobra’s
chin, spraying the tree line. Meanwhile, Garrity with his copilot Warrant Officer (WO) James Nabours
rolled in from above and plastered the tree line with rockets, minigun fire, and 40 mm grenades.7 Both
ships took numerous hits, but the Cobras pressed the attack. At one point, Moran asked George on
the intercom, “Are we gonna die here?” Ignoring the tracers flying past, they made repeated head on
passes into the NVA positions.8

When Medevac 2 hit the ground, Sergeant Philhower dropped the radio handset and sprinted toward
the clearing, leaving Captain Myers overhead in the dark. Even without radio communication, Myers
knew the paratroopers and Red Hats would try to get any survivors out of the downed bird. Lieutenant
Hwang immediately sent a skirmish line of 63rd Company troopers forward to provide covering fire
while Clason and Philhower approached the wreck and the Vietnamese got their injured away from
the landing area and back in the tree line. The Blue Max gunships kept attacking the NVA positions
as the Red Hats pulled survivors from the burning wreckage and helped them to the friendly tree line.
Lieutenant Alexander noticed that one person getting people out of the burning Medevac “was not
wearing Nomex – very odd for an aircrew.”9 Myers informed FSB Oklahoma about the crisis in the
clearing and asked for more artillery fire. The 8-inchers stepped up their fire on the western tree line,
keeping the NVA’s head down. At one point each weapon had several rounds in the air at the same
time. The enemy did not venture into the clearing in force.

Failed Rescue Attempts10

Modica’s Mayday call attracted numerous helicopters wanting to immediately pick up the injured crew
and the wounded troopers. Precise Sword 12 escorted the first ship, call sign Killer Spade, as it
approached the field. Intense ground fire erupted, repeatedly hitting the Huey, and Killer Spade
aborted the attempt.11 Meanwhile, back at Quan Loi, Captain Henry (“Hank”) O. Tuell, III, aircraft
commander of Medevac 1, learned that the Wild Deuce was down. He shouted to his pilot Lieutenant
Howard Elliott, who was in the shower at the time, “Get your butt in gear! We gotta go get Modica and his
crew!” Elliott scrambled into his Nomex flight suit and boots.

7 Another Cobra pilot, WO Brian Russ, claims to have been flying Precise Sword 12 with Alexander in the front seat. Aircraft
commander Alexander disputes that claim. Cobra commanders Garrity and Cookson also believe that Russ was not involved in the
mission.
8 Rocco’s oral history recorded in 1987 testifies to the volume of fire. The crew does not believe they would have gotten safely to the
tree line without the protection of the Blue Max Cobras. The damage inflicted on the helicopters speaks for itself.
9 Statement by George Alexander, in possession of the author. That person could have been Red Hat Rocco, Clason, or Philhower,
who all wore camouflage fatigues. Modica and Caubbareaux wrote that Rocco pulled then from the wreckage.
10 Details of the failed rescue attempts are primarily from several sources:
• Undated document titled “MEDEVAC MEADOW MISSION FLOWN BY LT. GEORGE ALEXANDER AND CW2 PAUL
GARRITY,” copy in possession of the author,
• https://15thmedbnassociation.org/war-stories/medevac-warstories10.aspx#Medevac%20Meadows%20The%20Whole%20Story , and
• Peter Dorland and James Nanney, Dust Off: Army Aeromedical Evacuation in Vietnam, Center of Military History, United States
Army: Washington, DC, 2008, pp 101-106
• Statement of Monty Halcomb, copy in possession of the author.
11 Killer Spade was the unit call sign used by B Company, 229th Aviation Battalion (Assault Helicopter), part of the 1st Cavalry
Division

Tuell had the Huey cranked when Elliott arrived at the revetment still dripping soapy water. Medevac 1 approached the clearing from the south,
again escorted by Precise Sword 12, and took ground fire that wounded Tuell. Elliott took control and
flew back to Quan Loi where Hank got medical attention. Meanwhile, Garrity notified Quan Loi they
needed to launch the Cobra section sitting Blue Alert because this situation was not going to be
resolved any time soon.

Lieutenant Thomas Read, Medevac 12, and his copilot Lieutenant Monty Halcomb were in the air 40
miles away northwest of Song Be when they heard the Mayday call. They sped toward the Fishhook
and soon spotted the smoke rising from Medevac Meadow. They arrived just as Medevac 1 was taking
hits and struggling to get out of the clearing.12 At this point, Precise Swords 12 and 12A were low on
fuel and completely out of ammo. The relief section of gunships led by CW2 Maurice A. “Mac”
Cookson came on station to support subsequent rescue attempts. Cookson asked Alexander to mark
the enemy position for him. Alexander replied, “No can do. I’m Winchester.13 Just lower your nose toward that
western tree line. The enemy will mark his position for you.” 14 Mac did as suggested, and a stream of tracers
erupted toward his ship, precisely identifying the NVA locations. Mac responded with flechette
rockets trailing their telltale red smoke. The Precise Sword flight limped their dinged Cobras to Quan
Loi where maintenance grounded Alexander’s bird until they could install a new set of blades.
Alexander pulled a slug from Garrity’s seat and presented it to him some years later preserved in an
epoxy pyramid.

Cookson and his wingman continued the attack on the NVA while Medevac 12 assessed their options.
Read and Halcomb decided to approach over the friendlies in the eastern tree line instead of coming
in from the south.15 They came in just over the trees, made a right hand U-turn, and started down fast
with their tail pointed at the NVA tree line. The NVA opened fire from the west and the north as
Medevac 12 reached about 100 feet. The crew heard and felt the ship taking hits. The Huey began a
severe vertical vibration at about fifty feet from the ground. Read aborted the descent, slowly climbed
above the trees, and called, “Mayday.” He set the wounded bird down in a clearing to the east and
shut down the engine as CWO Raymond Zepp, Medevac 21, arrived on scene. Monty Halcomb
jumped out of the Huey to assess the damage to their plane as Zepp landed close by to pick up the
crew, if needed. Although there were numerous bullet holes in their ship and major damage to one
rotor blade, Read and Halcomb decided to try to get it back to Quan Loi. They were successful, just
barely. The ship went to the scrap heap a few days later, slung out under a Chinook.16

Medevac 21 took off from the clearing and flew back to the Meadow to make a fourth rescue attempt.
However, Lieutenant Caubarreaux ordered him not to try.

12 Emails and telecon, Jan 2022, with Cecil M. (Monty) Halcomb, former Captain, USA pilot on Medevac 12, later aircraft commander
of Medevac 8.
13 Winchester – flyers slang for “out of ammo.”
14 A basic rule of modern warfare - “Tracers work both ways.” Tracers help a gunner see how close the gunfire is to the target, but
they reveal the gunner’s exact position.
15 Jesse Myers recalls advising Medevac 12 to make such an approach. Monty Halcomb does not remember that communication.
16 Halcomb telecom. Also, Joe Baugher’s Serial Number website lists UH-1H tail number 69-15139 as written off on 26 May 1970.
That may have been Medevac 12. http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1969.html

He said the LZ was too hot and there wasno sense possibly losing another ship and another crew.17 As the day ended, Medevac had lost three ships, one still smoldering in the Meadow and two heavily damaged – one that had to be scrapped.
The crews of the two damaged birds had made it back to safety. But the injured crew of Medevac 2
and the wounded paratroopers would spend the night on the ground with no medical care except first
aid.

Clason and Philhower were awarded the Silver Star for their actions. Vice President Agnew presented
the awards at a ceremony shortly afterwards. Sergeant First Class Rocco was recognized several years
later for rescuing survivors from the chopper and administering first aid before he became
immobilized from his injuries.18 He was awarded the Medal of Honor presented by President Gerald
Ford in February 1974. The Medevac pilot and crew also received awards for bravery. Modica received
a Silver Star and Caubarreaux, Taylor (posthumously), Burdette, and Martin each a Distinguished
Flying Cross. Those were not the only awards conferred, for this engagement was far from over, but
unbelievably, despite braving intense enemy fire in repeated head-on attacks, the gunship crews
received no such awards.19

Jesse Myers knew what needed to happen next. The two Airborne companies had run into a buzz saw.
But they had given better than they had gotten in return. They had a good defensive position and
overwhelming artillery and air support. The only thing they did not have was mobility. Ideally, they
would pull back and bring in a B-52 Arc Light mission to pound the enemy. But with the number of
injured on hand, the paratroopers could not easily withdraw. They would not abandon their wounded,
and they could not easily move them. They needed to hold their position until after a successful
evacuation of casualties. Some of the enemy fire now came from the north and south sides of the
clearing. The NVA may have been attempting to flank the two companies or at least be in position to
score more hits on helicopters they knew would be coming. Myers adjusted the artillery to compensate.

Airstrikes

That afternoon, the Red Markers diverted more strike aircraft to Medevac Meadow, where Myers
informed them of the expanded targets. For several hours, fighter aircraft bombed and strafed the
enemy-held tree lines on the north, south, and west sides of the clearing. Red Marker 26, Lieutenant
Lloyd L. Prevett, piloting an O-2A from Phuoc Vinh, flew 4.8 hours, his longest mission of the war.
The twin engine O-2A had a rocket pod of seven rockets under each wing. During his mission, Prevett
expended all fourteen smoke rockets, one at a time, marking different strike locations around the perimeter of Medevac Meadow. After running out of Willie Pete, he marked targets with smoke grenades tossed out of the pilot-side window.
17 From Halcomb. Lee used Modica’s survival radio to communicate with Zepp.
18 From the Citation to accompany the Congressional Medal of Honor awarded to Warrant Officer (then Sergeant First Class) Louis
Richard Rocco.
19 The Blue Max aircraft commanders, Lt. Alexander and CW2 Garrity were recommended for the Silver Star, but that paperwork was
lost. To date, each has been awarded an Air Medal with V device for Valor. Attempts to upgrade the awards to Silver Stars have been
denied.

Prevett remembers controlling mostly F-100’s, with atleast one flight of A-37’s, and a few Vietnamese A-1E’s. Prevett recalled:

“One interesting note is I requested a flight with wall-to-wall nape and 20 mm, figuring it would be a
standard load of snake and nape.20 I was shocked when a flight of two F -100’s showed up with just
nape and 20mm. When I put them in, the nape uncovered a fortified bunker and of course, no snake
to employ. Took care of that on the next flight. My hat is off to all the fighter pilots that showed up
that day. They put their asses on the line to ensure each and every drop was right where it was needed.
Gives me shivers today thinking about what everyone did to try and protect the guys on the ground.”21

Lloyd did not record the number of strikes he directed, but remembers being amazed on his way back
to Phouc Vinh at the amount of grease pencil writing on the side window. He had scribbled on the
Plexiglas the standard info for each flight -- mission number, call sign, number of fighters in the flight,
ordnance load, expected time of arrival on scene, and bomb damage assessment. Given the number
of strikes Prevett controlled, it is a wonder he saw anything through that window.

The O-2A could fly for more than six hours if conserving fuel with a lean mixture at cruise power
setting. But directing airstrikes with the mixture rich and power often “balls to the wall” for almost
five hours, Prevett’s O-2 was near minimum fuel when he landed at Phuoc Vinh. The crew chief
refueled and rearmed the Skymaster, cleaned the inside of the window, and the detailed record of
those strike missions was lost to history.

Radio operator Sergeant Jim Yeonopolus manned Red Marker Control outside the Airborne Tactical
Operations Center at Quan Loi. He remembers the firefight became more hectic about 1500, when
the FACs called for additional airstrikes. As daylight faded, the fighting became more intense. Earlier,
Red Hat Sergeants John A. Brubaker and James H. Collier asked Yeonopolus if he would accompany
them to the Meadow and stay on the ground overnight to call in air support if needed. Jim told them
he would be more effective with his full set of radios at Quan Loi. Brubaker and Collier did not make
it into Medevac Meadow.

Until nightfall, Red Markers continued to direct airstrikes into the enemy positions. Lieutenant Gary
Willis, Red Marker 18, in his Bird Dog controlled two more F-100 flights just before dark. According
to Captain Myers, the Red Markers directed 36 tactical air sorties during two days at Medevac
Meadow.22 Myers saw one FAC make low passes to drop canisters of water to the Red Beret troopers
who had not been resupplied for two days. Most of the containers missed the mark or burst upon
landing, but some made it into the perimeter intact.23 Early the next morning, the Medevac crew chief and copilot retrieved from the destroyed Huey a few glass bottles of saline solution that survived the wreck and fire.24

20 Snake and Nape – Air Force slang for High-drag bombs (“Snake”) and Napalm (Nape”), a standard ordinance load for situations
with troops in contact.
21 Emails with Colonel Lloyd Prevett, USAF (Ret), Dec 2020.
22 Most of those strikes were controlled by Red Markers Dave Blair and Byron Mayberry (both now deceased) and Lloyd Prevett.
23 The FAC who made these drops is unknown. None of the surviving Red Markers or crew chiefs remember such a mission.
Medevac pilot Monty Halcomb recalls a sector FAC, call sign Rod 15, who flew from Quan Loi as being the one involved. The Rod
FACs supported the 5th Vietnamese Infantry Division, a unit not involved in the Fishhook operation. However, if Rod 15 were in the
air, he would have heard the Mayday call and could have learned of the plight of the men on the ground. The author continues the
search for Rod 15.

Overnight, artillery support from Oklahoma became even more important. The NVA attacked the
Airborne position three times during the night and were repulsed each time. The Proud Americans at
Oklahoma responded with precise artillery fire, sometimes extremely close to the eastern tree line.
Many of those gunners had not slept much during the last 48 hours. The Red Hats also called on flare
ships and Air Force gunships to help defend the Airborne position.

A Rescue Plan

Myers returned to the 6th Battalion’s command post at FSB Oklahoma, monitoring the situation on
the ground via the radio net. At the firebase, he received a surprise visit from Lieutenant General
Michael S. Davison, II Field Force Commander, who asked simply, “What do you need, Captain?” Myers
replied, “Sir, I need a B-52 strike.” Davison said, “You’ve got it.” The general left and ordered an Arc
Light mission for 1500 hours the next day.

Brigadier General Robert M. Shoemaker flew in later to be briefed on the situation. Shoemaker was a
principal architect of airmobile warfare concepts and an experienced helicopter pilot. He flew his own
command and control chopper throughout his tour.25 Shoemaker listened to all the information about
the condition of the wounded (there were now about 40 casualties), the resupply situation, and the
ability of the troopers to hold on. He vowed to round up additional resources and return in the
morning with a plan.

Overnight at Quan Loi, the 15th Med and Blue Max created a plan that met Shoemaker’s approval.
The 15th lost so many aircraft damaged or destroyed the first day, it borrowed several Dust Off Hueys
for non-combat missions.26 That freed up enough Medevac birds to send four on the rescue – three
as primary and one as backup. Blue Max committed six gunships to the mission, half the entire C
Battery fleet.

Early the next day, Shoemaker flew into FSB Oklahoma to brief the Airborne and the artillery
commanders on the plan. Also attending the briefing were the commander of the Medevac birds and
a major representing Blue Max command, each in his own helicopter. After a fifteen minute briefing,
the three left to rendezvous at Medevac Meadow with the Hueys and Cobras coming from Quan Loi.
An additional command and control helicopter carried Lieutenant Colonel Truong Vinh Phuoc,
Vietnamese 6th Battalion commander; Battalion Senior Advisor Captain Myers; Captain Hayden,
commander of A Battery, 2nd of the 32nd Field Artillery at FSB Oklahoma; and the Vietnamese artillery
commander. General Shoemaker flew his own Huey in overall control.27

24 Emails, Jan-Jul 2021, former Sergeant Patrick Martin, crew chief on Medevac 2, Medevac Platoon, 15th Medical Battalion.
25 Lieutenant General (R ) H.G. “Pete” Taylor, telephone interviews, January 2021.
26 The borrowed helicopters were from the 45th Medical Company, Air Ambulance, out of Long Binh.
27 Shoemaker logged 14.3 hours flying time on 25 May 1970 per Individual Flight Record, DA Form 759-1, Archives Texas A & M

Beginning at 0930, Red Markers directed a series of strikes into the perimeter of Medevac Meadow
controlled by the well-bunkered NVA. As the airstrikes ended at 1100, the fleet of fourteen helicopters
arrived on station. According to Myers’s description:28

“The plan was for the LZ to be ringed by Arty fire, friendly troops, and gunship suppressive fire. After
we were airborne, we first adjusted the Arty. There were two ARVN 105mm How batteries, an ARVN
155 mm How battery, and the American 8-inch battery.29 The prep was fired and the wood line was
smoked30 and then the extraction was started. Arty fires were not shut down, but shifted to form a
corridor through which the Medevac ships were to fly. The gunships formed a continuous “daisy
chain” whereby suppressive fire was kept on the area of greatest enemy concentration.”

After the artillery adjustment, Shoemaker flew his chopper at low level the length of the field to check
the safety of the corridor before clearing the gunships and Medevac birds to proceed.31 The plan
worked almost to perfection. CW2 Mac Cookson led the flight of six Blue Max Cobras spaced out to
keep continuous fire on the NVA. The three primary Medevacs came in, loaded up and took off in
sequence. The first two made it out of the clearing without any damage. CW2 Richard Tanner,
Medevac 24, came in first and picked up the surviving crew of Medevac 2 at about 1115. Captain Jack
Roden, Medevac 7, landed second and took off with most of the wounded paratroopers. The third
ship, Medevac 25 commanded by CW2 William Salinger picked up the last few wounded paratroopers
but was hit heavily taking off. His ship sank back to the ground and caught fire. Before the backup
bird flown by CW2 Denny Schmidt, Medevac 23, and his copilot Monty Halcomb could react, another
Huey dropped into Medevac Meadow beside the burning ship. Salinger and his crew shuttled the
wounded Vietnamese aboard the rescue bird, and they safely exited the hot LZ. No one knows for
sure who flew that unidentified Huey.32
Several days later, General Shoemaker presented “impact” awards to some of the rescue participants
in a ceremony at Bien Hoa Air Base.33 One recipient was Cobra aircraft commander CW2 Mac
Cookson. Mac received a Silver Star for his contribution to the fight. Nineteen days later, General
Shoemaker received the same award. At FSB Oklahoma, commander of the Vietnamese Airborne
Division General Dong presented a Cross of Gallantry to Captain Hayden and to Lieutenant Granberg
University - Central Texas
28 From Myers’s letter to U.S. Army Aviation Digest, undated but shortly after June 1975.
29 Myers does not know the location of the Vietnamese batteries engaged in this effort. The Vietnamese had their own forward
observers and controlled their own batteries.
30 With white phosphorous shells to screen the evacuation flight path
31 Per General Order Number 2605, Award of the Silver Star Medal (First Oak Leaf Cluster) to Brigadier General Robert M.
Shoemaker, 13 June 1970. The first award of the Silver Star and of a Distinguished Flying Cross to then Colonel Shoemaker came in
1965 as a Battalion Commander with the 12th Cavalry Regiment.
32 No one to date has been able to identify the Huey that picked up the people from Medevac 25. Participants agree it was not the
Medevac commander’s Huey. They also agree it was not C Battery commander Major Donald Eugene “Gene” Wilson, because C
Battery has no aircraft except Cobras. It might have been the Huey that carried the Bule Max command representative – someone
from battalion headquarters at Phuoc Vinh. It might have been one of the ships from the 1st Cavalry Division’s Assault Helicopter
Company, call sign Killer Spade. It is a mystery.
33 A so-called impact award did not go through the normal steps requiring recommendation, review and approval. An appropriate
authority could grant such an award to give immediate recognition for actions that had a significant impact on a battle or mission.
for the excellent work by their 8-inch battery. Red Marker Radio Operator Jim Yeonopolus was also
awarded a Cross of Gallantry recognizing his work coordinating strike aircraft for the Red Marker
FACs during the engagement.34
Back in the Fight
Relieved of their serious casualties, the Airborne companies withdrew a couple of klicks to the
southeast. Resupply choppers soon arrived with food, water, ammo, and medical supplies. At 1500
hours, the promised Arc Light mission hit the west side of Medevac Meadow. A light helicopter flew
over later to assess the damage. Surviving NVA drove it off with ground fire but not before the pilot
saw numerous dead and a lot of destroyed concrete bunkers. While there is no official estimate of
enemy casualties, the NVA must have suffered tremendous losses given the facts. They made four
frontal assaults across the open meadow into the dug-in Airborne position. The artillery units at FSB
Oklahoma poured extremely accurate fire into the NVA tree line. Air Force fighters bombed and
strafed the NVA bunkers with 36 sorties during the two days. Blue Max Cobras flew at least 30 sorties
expending rockets, minigun, and 40 mm grenades into the NVA position. The B-52 Arc Light mission
dropped 81 tons of explosives.
The 61st and 63rd Airborne Companies swept the area the next day capturing weapons, signal
equipment, and some wounded combatants. Some of those were in a hospital complex. The two
companies continued to battle in the Fishhook until withdrawn with the rest of 6th Battalion on 25
June. At that point, each company had about 40 effectives remaining of their original 100 troopers.
The engagement at Medevac Meadow impressed Myers in a number of ways, as he wrote in his letter
to U.S. Army Aviation Digest:
“I saw time and again the courage and concern of one pilot on behalf of another. I saw outstanding
teamwork between ARVN and American forces, between air and ground forces, and between combat
and combat support forces. I saw magnificent employment of air/ground coordination to provide
massed fires. I saw commanders all the way up to the three-star level who were vitally interested and
concerned for the welfare of their men and who were willing to get personally involved to remedy a
bad situation. And finally, I saw raw courage and heroism displayed time and time again by U.S. and
ARVN soldiers alike.”35
34 Peter Dorland and James Nanney wrote at page 106 in Dust Off: Army Aeromedical Evacuation in Vietnam that nine Silver stars were
awarded to pilots and crewmembers involved in the rescue. I have not been able to confirm that number. Dorland and Janney did not
cite to a record. Unfortunately, both those men are now deceased.
35 Myers letter.

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