POW evac from Khe Sahn

During the late week of January '67 and through Feb 7th and 8th, '68 we were at KCB too. I recall one single Purple Fox HMM 364 and quite new in country, pulling a "John Wayne" Med Evac all by itself from KCB. This inspired my pilots to have a hissy fit as these fellows supposedly acted impetuously, by themselves when we were the ready birds in our little hooch’s but they the newby's were inexplicability sleeping or hanging out in the in the targeted parking revetments in their bird. I was with HMM 164 and we had two planes at KCB plus the one 364 Purple Fox "D" model. Our division of two birds sometimes flew to Quang Tri to spend the nights except for the 7th. That was the night Lang Vei was over run and for a time, we were in the Command Bunker waiting for a mission that never was called.

Initially as we flew into KCB and the ammo dump was cooking off one Sunday morning, I remember Jim Littler the co-pilot remarking from about 8 miles out of KCB. "What the hell is that?" The end of the runway at KCB was engulfed in fire and smoke. I recall seeing large shells scattered all the far end of the runway. That is my only time reference to the next event. I recall picking up a POW from "Charlie Med" under fire and a squad of Marine MP's who exposed themselves by placing the stretcher with an NVA officer wearing only a diaper on my plane. I had him placed directly in the isle behind my gunner’s position behind the cockpit. It was cold and I covered his almost naked body with my horse blanket and started to receive scorn from the rest of my passengers, and the walking wounded Med Evacs that appeared to have nothing more than spider bites etc. It was a full load of Marines and the one POW. When we arrived at Alpha Med at Phu Bai, there was a platoon of Marines waiting for our arrival and they surrounded the turn around area by the Air America revetment. These MP’s took custody of which ever this poor sucker was. He must have been some body special for all that attention.

I was flying my inherited bird, YT-1 with John Berg as gunner. Doug Lanford and Jimmy Nylander had just gotten a new “D” model and were flying as our cover. As I recall, in February, HMM 262 had gotten hit pretty hard in the revetments at Quang Tri and 46's were for a short time in short supply up North. On the 8th, I recall flying and being warned that a MIG was rumored to have crossed the "Z". That made me feel really vulnerable as we were skirting that same "Z" all day. On The 8th of Feb., we returned to Phu Bai.

The photo was taken on our successful return to Phu Bai and just prior to us hitting the rack for a so called rest. Direct order by Col. Rick the Squadron C.O. and pilot for the last combat mission of YT-1 She went with me to DaNang to get ready for PAR a day or so later.