Rescue Stories

Capt Jeff Feinstein (left) and Lt.Col. Carl Baily (right) after their rescue from North Vietnamese waters.
Baily.gif (126554 bytes)
August 25, 1972; 37th ARRS

If you have a real life rescue story you would like to have posted here send it to me for review.

A Letter from Norm Lockard to Wendell Driskell

Ashcan 01 - The Craziest SAR I've Ever Seen from the TLC Brotherhood Association

Video Explorers owned by Gary Bain, a former 37th ARRS customer, has several stories and videos on their website.
War Stories page
Rescue in Nam page

For pilots shot down over North Vietnam, the way home was jolly and green. by Robert A. Hanson

Another Day at the Office by Wolf FAC, Bob Hipps

The Rescue of Dallas 03 by Lee Maples

The Loss of HH-3E 66-13289 by Bruce Ware

The rescue of Gen. Charles Lindbergh by Bruce Ware

A-1 participation in the Son Tay raid, 21 November 1970 from Sandy pilot John Waresh.

The 1979 MacKay Trophy Read about Maj. James McArdle's award winning rescue mission.

First Flight across the Fence! From Jolly Flight Engineer Berkley Naugle. The story behind the first combat loss of a Jolly Green in SEA.

The Rescue of Specter 22 from King pilot Dave Preston.

31 Year Celebration a Thud rescue story from Bill Sparks, Marlin Lead

Tullo and the Giant a story on the first Vietnam combat "Jolly Green Giant" rescue from the Simthsonian's Air and Space Magazine.

"A Wet Hell" cronicles the loss of an HH-60 "Jolly Green Giant" from the 106th RQS (NYANG), Suffolk Co., NY during the 1991 "Halloween Storm" off the North East coast. A documentary of this mission will air on August 23, 1998 at 9:00 PM (EST) on The Learning Channel. You can read the entire story in Sebastian Junger's book "The Perfect Storm".

Jerry Jennings sent this bit of history on the orgins of the name "Jolly Green Giants".

Rescue Force an ode by Maj. Alan Hassell (thanks to Larry Wielgosz for sending it in.)

Chuck Germeck's story of their rescue from Happy Valley.

These two stories appeared in recent Mig Sweeps from the Red River Rats. Special thanks to the authors and the Rats for allowing its inclusion here. NOTE: The names, locations and other certain items have been changed in these articles to protect the families involved.

That's Right Bob. Part 1
That's Right Bob. Part II

USAF Museums RealVideo presentation of the rescue of Vampire 26. This is in two parts. The links below take you to the Museums Web page.
(Note: You will need Real Audio installed on you machine to view these.)
Vampire 26, part 1
Vampire 26, part 2

Dana Beach's Mission Breifing on the Merchant Patriot rescue.

A Drone Rescue gone bad. Submitted by PJ Chuck McGrath

The Night Charley Brown was Shot Down Over Laos (From the Air Commando Web Site)

PACAF USAF 50th Anniversary stories about Sandy's and Spad's

Bat 21 accounts
Mike Austin's account of the Bat-21 mission from the Army perspective.
Brave Jolly Green by Darrell Whitcomb (From The History Net)

News clippings from Sandy pilot Don Dineen.

Byron Hukee's stories from his time as a Sandy driver is SEA
Read Byron's full article from the Oct. 98 issue of Flight Journal on the Skyraider in Vietnam.
    Nokaten 402
    Icebag 01A/B
    Bowleg 02
    Blue Ghost 10
    Sandy 07/Nickel 102 Day 1
    Sandy 07/Nickel 102 Day 2
    Valent 03
    Volunteer 538 Day 1
    Volunteer 538 Day 2
    Nail 60
    Crow 01
    Nail 31
    Jolly Green 61

Rescue stories and SAR tapes from the Skyraider Web Site
    Roman 02
    Helborn 02
    Master 01
    Scotch 03
    Jolly Green 71
    Gunfighter 82A/B
   Icebag 01B

The Toss of a Coin by Larry R. Johnson from the OV-1 Mohawk Web Site

Red River Rats Mig Sweep

Son Tay Raid accounts
The Son Tay Raid, November 21, 1970 (From the Special Ops Web Site)
Son Tay Raid story by Al Hemingway from the Canadian POW/MIA Information Center

The Rescue of Saber 6 (From the Americal Web Site)

Rescue stories from the All Weather Attack Web Site.
Armorplate - A Friend in Need
That Others May Live