By LORI YOUNT
The Beaufort Gazette

BEAUFORT - It was just another mission when Marine Col. Walt Ledbetter and his crew rescued troops trapped in a minefield in Vietnam. Now, 37 years later, he's still searching for the survivors.

Ledbetter, a Lady's Island resident, hadn't formally met anyone rescued on that mission until he reunited last year with Ed West in Charlotte, where volunteers are restoring the helicopter Ledbetter piloted on Jan. 31, 1970.

"He said, 'If you hadn't landed when you did,'?" said Ledbetter, trailing off and leaving the obvious unstated while recounting the first phone conversation with West. "It was sort of like stabbing you in the heart. ... You talk about an emotional experience."

http://www.charleston.net/assets/webPages/departmental/news/Stories.aspx?section=localnews&tableId=130378&pubDate=2/14/2007

The CH-46D Sea Knight helicopter and the death of the Marine who won the Medal of Honor that day brought together the 77-year-old Ledbetter, the seasoned commander of the mission, and the 55-year-old West, who lost both his legs in his first brief brush with combat.

Both are now joined in a search for all the men who experienced the terror and witnessed the courage of that day and other missions like it in Vietnam.

They want to reunite the members of Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment or any others involved in "Kingfisher" missions to share memories and the dedication of the helicopter "Blood, Sweat and Tears" on Oct. 6 in Charlotte.

Little more than a week ago, Paul Parker picked up the phone at his home in Quantico, Va., and heard a voice he hadn't heard in quite a while - it was his former commanding officer.

"Really, it was a very pleasant surprise," said Parker, Ledbetter's lieutenant co-pilot that day in Vietnam. "There's been a lot of years between now and then. I think a lot more about it."

Ledbetter has found a few men from the mission by scouring old rosters and enlisting the help of veterans organizations to provide addresses and phone numbers. He had kept up with most members of his helicopter squadron but had lost touch with Parker as he went on to fly fixed-wing aircraft.

Parker especially enjoyed hearing the stories of the wounded, like West, who have successful lives after suffering such tremendous loss.

He said he plans on attending the helicopter's dedication Oct. 6 and is excited about sharing experiences with men who were there and understand things no one else can.

"A lot of people have become friends because of this helicopter," said Steve Fresina, who volunteered his free time to head up the restoration of the aircraft at the Carolinas Aviation Museum in Charlotte.

The retired sergeant major said he ran across the helicopter when it was given to the museum to restore after its back end was taken off in a bad landing in Iraq in 2004. Now all it needs is a fresh coat of Vietnam jungle green paint.

"We're looking at a thing bigger than me," he said. "It's a symbol of the sacrifice of Vietnam. A lot of people feel they were not respected. ... This is a final sort of closure."