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Reprinted from Pacific Stars and Stripes--date approx. April 3, 1972
TAN SON NHUT AB--"Happiness is Air Rescue at its best. Beautiful! Fantastic! Thanks from the SPECS," was the message received by the 3d Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Group commander, Col. Cecil N. Muirhead, on behalf of his units' performance in the rescue of 15 downed AC-130 gunshipmen.
All 15 crewmembers of a downed Spectre gunship were rescued March 31 from Laos in one of the most successful recovery efforts in the Vietnam war.
The gunship, hit by communist AAA fire on an interdiction mission over the lower panhandle of Laos, was seriously damaged. The gunship pilot managed to keep the plane airborne long enough for all airmen to bail out.
The 15 men successfully parachuted to the ground, and FACs estab- lished radio contact with all the men. Each airman's location was pin- pointed and rescue aircraft remained overhead throughout the night to assure the safety of the downed men.
At first light,the rescue forces began actual recovery operations. The first man was picked up at 8:30 a.m.(by)an HH-53 Super Jolly Green Giant helicopter commanded by Maj. Kenneth E. Ernest.
Other rescues were made by choppers commanded by Majors Frederick C. Hartstein and David G. Daus, and Capt. Dale E. Stovall recovered eight of the downed airmen,the first saves for the captain as a chopper commander.
Sgt. Charles D. McGrath and SSgt. Charles D. Morrow descended on jungle penetrators to aid injured men onto the rescue helicopters.
The last crewman was hoisted aboard at 10:30 a.m. Several men ex- perienced minor injuries during bail out. One sustained a leg fracture and another a wound in the neck. None were listed as serious.
The Jolly Green crews experienced no ground fire in the rescue op- erations. The four rescue helicopters belonged to the 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron.
The rescued airmen brought the total of combat saves by the 40th to over 150 men. SEA saves by all the 3d ARRG units now total more than 3,450.
accompanied by photo of crewmember being greeted by large crowd on flight line at Ubon. (Photo not currently available.)
caption: A rescued crewman steps down from a Super Jolly Green helicopter after being pulled to safety from the jungles of Southern Laos. He was one of 15 airmen who bailed out of an AC-130 gunship and was rescued by members of the 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron.
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