Remembering the men of Peach 24 and Team Rush Act, 1^st Recon

 

Team Rush Act – 53nd Anniversary

 

53 years ago, on a dark and stormy night, EG-24 launched on an emergency Recon extraction mission in the Que Son Mountains south of DaNang.

Their story is written below.

 

The men of Team Rush Act:

"Not for fame or reward, not for place or rank, Not lured by ambition, or goaded by necessity. But in simple obedience to duty as they understood it. These men suffered all, dared all and died"

God Bless Team Rush Act - Never Forget.

53 years ago today, 15 Marines were killed during a rescue attempt in the Que Son mountains of Vietnam. These Marines will never be forgotten by their buddies who served with them. Many of us will raise a toast to them at 1800 on 18 November as we do every year. Here is their story:

Reconnaissance Company, Headquarters Battalion (Reinf.), First Marine Division (Reinf.) Fleet Marine Force Pacific

Issue #25 1 December 2010

1st Reconnaissance Battalion Operation Order

#1187-70 of 12 November, 1970 ordered the insertion of

1st Recon Team “Rush Act” from the Battalion’s Bravo

Company into a haven in the Que Son Mountains, some

22 miles or so south of their base at Da Nang. The patrol

was ordered to Conduct reconnaissance and surveillance

operations within an assigned haven to detect possible

VC/NVA troop movements or arms infiltration and

to be prepared to call and adjust Air and/or Artillery on

all targets of opportunity. [See the complete order on page

two.]

Team Rush Act, consisting of: Cpl John Frank Stockman,

the Patrol Leader; HM2 Russell Glen “Doc” Daniels,

the team’s Navy Medical Corpsman; LCpl David Vincent

Delozier; Cpl Randall Paul Manela; LCpl Charles Alfred

Pope Jr.; LCpl Robert Eugene Tucker and Cpl Fernando

Villasana was inserted by HMM-263 on 10 November,

1970.

While executing their mission at least two of the

Team members became debilitated by the notorious Vietnam

FUO (Fever of Unknown Origin) and were being

doctored by HM2 Daniels. As fate would have it, Doc

Daniels suffered a broken leg as he slipped on a wet

mountain slope during one of the Teams movements.

The Patrol’s orders called for an extraction on 19

November but Doc Daniel’s condition became a major

concern of the Team and they requested an early extraction..

The urgency of their request prompted two attempts

to extract. Both attempts were cancelled due to

heavy rain and fog in the Team’s haven area.

Rain and fog notwithstanding the Thunder Chickens

of HMM-263 were determined to extract their brothers

and mounted a third extraction attempt on 18 November.

The short account which follows is a narrative from

HMM-263 regarding the third extraction mission:

Three days overdue for extraction from their monsoon-soaked haven in the

Que Son mountains, 1st Recon Battalion Team “Rush Act” had monitored two aborted

previous attempts to lift them out. They had sick and injured Marines and

they were out of food and water.

The “Thunder Chickens” of HMM-263, would try,

once again, to penetrate the fog.

Editor’s Note: Reflections is grateful to Charlie Kershaw

and Dave Snider, President and Historian respectively, of the

1st Reconnaissance Battalion Association, for suggesting the

theme of this issue and for providing valuable resources. We

all do well when we reflect, even with remorse, upon the

legacy which the brave men of Team Rush Act, the 1st Reconnaissance

Battalion, the pilots, crewmen and gunners of

Medium Helicopter Squadron HMM-263 and MAG-16 have

left us. We consider it an honor to aid in the preservation of

that legacy. God Bless The United States Marine Corps.

Danger gleams like sunshine to a brave man's eyes— Euripides

A recon team from the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion call

sign, "Rush Act" was 3 day overdue from extraction and

was out of food and water with several Marines injured. They

were located on a high peak in the Que Son mountains (AT

967407) on a difficult slope. Many attempts were made to

extract them in the days prior to November 18th but were

thwarted by monsoon rains and clouds. On November 18th

Major Ted Tobin set out from the recon helo pad with Lt Curt

Rogers flying his wing. Tobin's aircraft carried the CO of the

1st Marine Reconnaissance Battalion, Lt Col William

1. Leftwich, his operations officer and several other

extract certified Marines. While flying to the location of

Team Rush Act, Tobin's CH-46 experienced RPM surges that

required it to land at LZ Baldy, several clicks south of their

intended mission. At LZ Baldy it was determined that the

"SPIE" rig would be transferred to Lt Curt Rogers CH-46

(Bureau# 154837). Once the transfer was complete the section

departed for the pickup. LT Rogers flew over the team in

bad weather but was able to spot them and began the extraction.

During the extraction the weather deteriorated quickly

resulting in extremely poor visibility. Lt Rogers reported he

had the team and was departing the area. He was not heard

from again. During the retrograde operation the following day

it was clear that the CH-46 carrying Team Rush Act and all

their command staff made a turn in IFR conditions and flew

into the side of the mountain killing all 15 Marines.

USMC/COMBAT HELICOPTER ASSOCIATION popasmoke.com

Recon Reflections Issue #25 - 1 December 2011- Page 2

TEAM RUSH ACT

Daniels, Russell Glen HM2 Corpsman1stReconBn 1stMarDiv

Delozier, David Vincent LCpl 1stReconBn 1stMarDiv

Hudson, Gary Duane LCpl Passenger 1stMarDiv

Pope Jr., Charles Alfred LCpl 1stReconBn 1stMarDiv

Stockman, John Frank Cpl 1stReconBn 1stMarDiv

Tucker, Robert Eugene LCpl 1stReconBn 1stMarDiv

Villasana, Fernando Cpl 1stReconBn 1stMarDiv

HELICOPTER PASSENGERS

Leftwich Jr., William Groom LtCol CO/1stReconBn 1stMarDiv

Harvey, Cleveland Ray 1stLt 1stReconBn 1stMarDiv

Manela, Randall Paul Cpl 1stReconBn 1stMarDiv

HELICOPTER CREW

Donnell II, Robert A Sgt Crew Chief HMM-263 MAG-16

Rogers Jr., Orville Curtis 1stLt Pilot HMM-263 MAG-16

Stolz Jr., James Edward 1stLt Co-Pilot HMM-263 MAG-16

Bajin, Enver Cpl Gunner H&MS-16 MAG-16

Buttry, Richard Russell LCpl Gunner H&MS-16 MAG-16

 

My Thanks to Hubert "HU" Campbell, 1st Recon Battalion for permission to use his narrative.

 

https://1streconbn.org/rush-act-tribute.html

P.S.
Two years around this time we lost Rick “Troop” Burkmier to the ravages of Agent Orange exposure, shortly after a reunion of HMM-263. Troop was a highly decorated Crew Chief who volunteered that night 53 yeas ago to fly another attempt to rescue Team Rush Act. Semper Fidelis Troop, you completed your final mission and returned to base. We haven’t forgot you.

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