I am hopefully trying to find anyone in the Phu Bai TAOR who has any recall of an emergency extraction of a team called Petrify where the Marines were stuck on a rocky outcrop with no where to set the bird down so it backed in a hover and loaded the team and their junk under fire. The Date and Time is unknown but it was 1 Bttn Recon (Rein) out of Phu Bai, dates between Jan. '68 and April '68.

The team Petrify may have been led by a Lt. Nichols.

On this mission,the recon mission his team's location was compromised and they started coming under fire. They managed to climb to some rocky ridge where they were going to be extracted (by a CH-46). L/CPL J.L. Lynn's job during extractions was to be the last on and to count all team members as they boarded. The helicopter managed to back into the ledge, close enough so the team could board. Still, they needed assistance by the crew chief to jump from the ledge on to the rear ramp of the chopper. When Lynn's turn finally came, he threw his rifle on and attempted to jump from the end of the rock cropping into the helicopter. Lynn still had his (ass) pack on which included two pockets of ammo in the front. The crew chief caught him by the arms and tried to pull him in, but the pack became caught on the ledge preventing the crew chief from pulling Lynn up and into the bird. They were coming under heavier fire at this point and since Lynn was hanging off the edge they couldn't back back into the ledge and the crew chief couldn't pull him in. At that point my Lynn told the Crew Chief to let him go, and he did. Lynnl through some trees and lost consciousness (at least briefly). Then Lynn amazingly managed to climb back to same ridge, the pilot spotted him, and returned to pick him up. He took off his pack, threw it in the chopper, and managed to jump in. Lynn still to this day can't believe the pilot waited for him and came back to pick him up.

Anyone having any recollection of a similar mission or hearing of one like it, I'd like to talk to you. Possibly HMM-164? Twern't me!

Lynn is looking for the crews of that plane on that mission and wants to personally give his thanks if possible.