OFFICE OF INFORMATION, USAF ACADEMY, COLORADO
l0 Oct 68/706/RLM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AIR FORCE ACADEMY, COLO .... Capt. John B. McTasney, 1963 Air Force Academy graduate cited for heroism in Vietnam, is a nominee for this year's "Ten Outstanding Young Men of America" award. Three members of the Air Force have been nominated by Gen John P. McConnell, Air Force Chief of Staff, for the Jaycee sponsored competition.
Captain McTasney holds the Air Force Cross for heroism, this nation's second highest combat decoration. He received the award for action in Vietnam on November 8, 1967.
That afternoon U.S. Army troops had attempted to rescue a ground reconnaissance team from hostile territory. The team had been discovered by enemy forces and was under fire from heavy automatic weapons and grenades.
Two rescue efforts failed and resulted in the loss of two helicopters to ground fire. At dusk only five members remained in the besieged group and two of these were seriously wounded. At 11 p.m. that night when it appeared that capture of the team was imminent, two rescue helicopters were dispatched from Danang Air Base to try again. An aircraft in the area dropped flares and three gunships strafed and rocketed Viet Cong positions.
Enemy troops had completely surrounded the ground team and set up numerous automatic weapons positions. The team was on the side of a steep slope at an elevation of approximately 2800 feet.
Captain McTasney, Rescue Crew Commander of the first helicopter, had been informed that two aircraft were enroute to the scene but Capt. Jerry D. Clearman, co-pilot, was unable to make radio contact. Captain McTasney elected to attempt the rescue, despite the darkness and enemy fire, as the gunships were running low on fuel. The second helicopter held a position as cover for him.
Escorted by the gunships, Captain McTasney and crew approached the position. Sgt Alvin A. Malone, Flight Engineer, spotted the team's beacon light and directed Captain McTasney during the final approach. The Captain elected to land to reduce the exposure time to enemy fire. However, the slope was so steep that only the nose gear and the left main gear touched the ground, and Captain McTasney held the aircraft in a hover against the slope. Because of the difficult terrain, touchdown was made with the survivors directly in front of the helicopter.
As soon as the helicopter touched down, Capt Clearman, Sgt. Malone, and Sgt John H. Stemple, Rescue Specialist, reported heavy ground fire and hits on the aircraft. Stemple and Malone returned the enemy fire with their M-60 machine guns. Capt Clearman reported enemy firing positions to the gunships which attempted to suppress their fire. Despite instructions by radio and visual signals, the survivors went around the left side of the helicopter. The area was illuminated by flare light and Sgt Stemple exposed himself to the intense fire to direct the survivors to the cargo door. It was several minutes before he could make the survivors understand they had to go to the right side of the aircraft. During this period the automatic weapons fire intensified and both interphone cords between the cockpit and cabin were shot out.
Unable to communicate with the cabin to report the intense fire, with numerous hits going through the helicopter, Capt Clearman and Capt McTasney held their position while Sgt Malone and Sgt Stemple assisted the survivors into the aircraft. The helicopter started to slide down the slope from the hover as Capt Clearman reported numerous emergency warning lights, fuel fumes in the cockpit and flashes visible inside the cabin.
Captain McTasney pulled away from the slope.
The aircraft had received approximately 30 hits and was leaking fuel, oil and hydraulic fluid.. The generators were inoperative, fuel flow on number one engine was excessive, the forward fuel tank was empty, and only 800 pounds remained in the aft tank. The radios were damaged and the engine instruments were fluctuating erratically.
Sgt Stemple changed interphone cords and reported three men had been picked up and one had been shot while coming through the door of the aircraft. The rescue forces were advised that the aircraft was heavily damaged and could not pick up the remaining two wounded survivors.
Capt Clearman got the generators back on the line but the wiring to the cabin lights had been cut by enemy fire.
The cabin was flooded with fuel and oil and fuel was pouring from broken lines on the right side of the aircraft. Using flashlights for illumination, Sgts Stemple and Malone bent the lines and wrapped them to reduce leakage.
Capt Clearman determined that the nearest safe area that could be reached with the fuel remaining was Khe Sahn, and immediately gave the heading change to Captain McTasney. Contact could not be established with Khe Sahn and Capt Clearman requested that Khe Sahn be contacted by landline and advised of their intentions. Enroute to Khe Sahn Sgt Stemple administered medical aid to the wounded survivors. Capt Clearman carefully monitored the engine instruments which continued to fluctuate. When the helicopter was two miles out, Khe Sahn tower established radio contact and advised that the only lights in operation on the field were two runway repair lights and that only 200 feet of runway was usable.
The lights were spotted and a slow descent begun. The absence of lights made a let-down in the mountainous terrain extremely hazardous. Neither Capt McTasney nor Capt Clearman were familiar with the terrain features or location of field facilities. The right main gear indicated unsafe and was checked down visually.
In a descending turn 200 feet above the ground at final approach speed, the number two engine flamed out.
Tower made visual contact and advised the helicopter to climb. Capt Clearman advised the tower the loss of the engine made it impossible to maintain altitude and that with the power of only one engine they could only partially control the rate of descent. At this time Capt Clearman turned on the landing lights and advised the crew to be prepared for a hard landing.
Both pilots saw radio and observation towers above the aircraft, and tents and bunkers below.
Capt Clearman spotted a road and Captain McTasney used the remaining power available to slow the forward speed and rate of descent. Visibility during the last part of the descent was zero because of flying dust. The aircraft landed on the road, short of the ramp.
Crew and survivors immediately evacuated the aircraft because of the danger of fire.
The helicopter suffered extensive damage from approximately 30 hits, and required extensive repairs before it was flown again.