Rescue of Bat 21 Bravo
Encyclopedia
The rescue of Bat 21 Bravo, the call sign
for Iceal "Gene" Hambleton
, from behind enemy lines
was the "largest, longest, and most complex search-and-rescue
" operation during the entire Vietnam War
. On April 2, 1972, the third day of the Easter Offensive, Hambleton was a navigator
aboard one of two United States Air Force
EB-66 aircraft escorting a cell of three B-52s. Bat 21 was configured to gather signals intelligence including identifying the enemy anti-aircraft radar installations to enable jamming
. Bat 21 was destroyed by a SA-2 surface-to-air missile
and Hambleton was the only survivor, parachuting behind enemy lines into a battlefield filled with thousands of North Vietnamese Army
soldiers.
Hambleton had Top Secret
access to Strategic Air Command
operations and was an expert in surface-to-air missile
countermeasures. The North Vietnamese Army
may have gained intelligence about him and his capture could have meant a huge bonanza for the Soviet Union.
To prevent friendly fire
incidents, the Americans imposed a standard no-fire zone within a 27 kilometres (16.8 mi) radius of Hambleton and diverted aircraft to aid in his rescue. It is likely that additional South Vietnamese soldiers died as a result. Hambleton along with 1st Lt. Mark Clark, who was shot down during rescue operations, were finally recovered from behind enemy lines on two different nights in daring, covert, night-time rescues carried out by U.S. Navy SEAL
Thomas R. Norris
and VNN
commando Nguyen Van Kiet
. Norris was awarded the Medal of Honor
and Nguyen was recognized with the Navy Cross
for their actions. Nguyen was the only South Vietnamese naval officer given that award during the war.
The direct and indirect cost of rescuing Hambleton was enormous and became a watershed event in Air Force search and rescue. The Air Force did not put limits on what it took to rescue a downed airman. Five additional aircraft were shot down resulting in the deaths of 11 airmen, the capture of two others, and another air man trying to evade capture. As a result, the USAF altered the way search and rescue missions were planned and developed new techniques and equipment to improve their ability to rescue downed air men.
At the time of Bat 21's mission, American combat forces had been vastly reduced in South Vietnam
under President Richard Nixon
's Vietnamization
policy. The North Vietnamese Army
(NVA) launched the Nguyen Hue Offensive against the South Vietnamese Army
and U.S. military on Friday, March 30, 1972. It was their largest attack of the war and was timed to take full advantage of the bad weather typical during monsoon season
, offering low clouds and poor visibility. About 30,000 heavily-equipped NVA
troops from the 304th and 308th Divisions
and three separate infantry regiments of the B5 Front crossed the DMZ
into I Corps
zone across the five northernmost provinces of South Vietnam.
In the 8 kilometres (5 mi) area between the Cam Lo Bridge and Đông Hà
Bridge, they were supported by two tank regiments of 150 of the latest Soviet T-54 and PT-76
tanks, 75 tracked anti-aircraft vehicles
, an artillery regiment of 47 towed 130mm guns
, and the largest concentration of anti-aircraft weaponry of the entire war, including the advanced SA-2 surface-to-air missile. Their main line of advance was along the axis of the north-south national highway QL-1.
When General Creighton Abrams
' headquarters in Saigon learned of large enemy movement south of the DMZ
, a number of B-52s had been sent on "Arc Light
" missions without escort, but were experiencing significantly increased SAM activity. The 42nd Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron
(42 TEWS) was tapped for assistance. The draw down of troops had left the unit shorthanded and Hambleton was the senior officer among a group of senior navigators. He assigned himself as navigator on the older EB-66C which was configured to gather signals intelligence. The newer EB-66E was tasked with jamming surface-to-air missile
(SAM) radar guidance systems so their missiles could not accurately target the aircraft. The EB-66's mission was to troll for missiles, let them lock on to their aircraft, and then execute a SAM break, a violent turn and dive designed to throw off the pursuing missile. The SA-2 was the size of a telephone pole and carried a proximity fused warhead that was lethal within about 150 feet (45.7 m), but their guidance systems failed at about 2 Gs
, while the A-1E could achieve 5 Gs in its avoidance maneuver. The crew had successfully pulled a SAM break more than 100 times. The presence of North Vietnamese surface to air missiles south of the DMZ had been tracked by Hambleton but not everyone agreed they were present that far south.
s Bat 21 and Bat 22) were flying pathfinder escort for a cell of three B-52 which were given assignments to bomb Mu Gia
or the Ban Karai Pass, the two primary access routes to the Ho Chi Minh Trail
through Laos.
Hambleton was aboard Bat 21, EB-66C serial number 54-0466, over Quảng Trị Province
, Vietnam, just south of the Demilitarized Zone
between North and South Vietnam. The airmen were surprised by the intensity of the anti-aircraft fire and SAM missile activity. The NVA 365th Air Defense Division fired two volleys of SA-2 surface-to-air missile
at the U.S. planes. The EB-66s successfully thwarted the first volley, but the NVA pointed their Fan Song
radar at the B-52s, targeting them unsuccessfully with both missiles and radar guided anti-aircraft fire. When those missed, the NVA fired two more SAMS optically, only turning on the guidance and radar system after the missiles were launched, which delayed the aircraft's ability to detect and avoid them. When the missiles were spotted, the pilot assumed they had as usual been fired from north of the DMZ. He began a SAM break to the south until one of the EWOs
called "Negative! Negative!", and the pilot flipped the plane over on its other wing. This time the pilot was unable to evade the missiles. The first missile exploded immediately beneath the aircraft striking it at 29000 feet (8,839.2 m).
Hambleton, whose call sign
was Bat 21 Bravo, was positioned immediately behind the pilot, who signaled for him to eject. Hambleton pulled the ejection seat handles and had a moment to make eye contact with the pilot as his seat rocketed out of the dying plane. A moment later the aircraft exploded, struck by the second SA-2. The remainder of his aircraft's six-man crew—Maj. Wayne L. Bolte, pilot; 1st Lt..
Robin F. Gatwood, co-pilot; and EWOs
Lt. Col.
Anthony R. Giannangeli, Lt. Col.
Charles A. Levis, and Maj. Henry M. Serex—were unable to eject and remain Missing In Action to this day.
At a lower altitude, 1st Lt. Bill Jankowski and Capt. Lyle Wilson in an O-2 (Bilk 34) forward air controller (FAC) aircraft saw Hambleton's plane explode. When Hambleton's URC-64 rescue radio
beeped, Jankowski responded, and was surprised to learn that Hambleton was above him descending in his parachute.
Jankowski followed Hambleton down. Hambleton was concealed by a low fog bank as he landed, unseen by the NVA troops. As Jankowski observed Hambleton land in a dry rice paddy, his aircraft came under heavy antiaircraft fire. He was astonished at the huge number of NVA troops, equipment, and heavy weapons in the area. Hambleton found refuge in a group of bushes in the middle of the rice paddy. NVA troops were less than 100 metres (328.1 ft) away. Jankowski fixed Hambleton's location 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) north of the Cam Lo Bridge and just north of TL-88, a major secondary road.
Kempton and Jankowski relayed Hambleton's coordinates to King 22, a HC-130 search and rescue (SAR) aircraft operating just south of Quảng Trị. Recovering Hambelton quickly was essential, as the odds of recovering downed airmen dropped below twenty percent if the aircrew member was on the ground after four hours. But their efforts would be severely hampered by huge number of troops and large quantity of anti-aircraft fire in the area, some of it supporting the NVA's efforts to capture and protect the Cam Lo Bridge near Hambleton's position.
At about the same time that Hambleton was shot down, Capt. John Ripley
, adviser to the 3rd Vietnamese Marine Battalion
, blew up the key Highway QL-1 bridge over the Cue Viet River at Đông Hà
. The NVA re-routed thousands of troops, dozens of tanks and other equipment along TL-88, immediately in front of Hambleton's position, to the Cam Lo River bridge 8 kilometres (5 mi) to the west.
Iceal Hambleton
had 29 years of military service. He had served in the Army Air Force as a radio operator during World War II, though not in combat. After World War II, he was recalled to active service by the USAF in the early 1950s. During the Korean War
he flew 43 combat missions as a navigator in a B-29 bomber
. He then worked during the 1960s on various USAF ballistic missile
projects including the PGM-19 Jupiter
, Titan I ICBM
and Titan II ICBM. He had been the deputy chief of operations for the USAF Strategic Air Command
390th Strategic Missile Wing
before the Vietnam War
.
In April, 1972 he was reassigned from the SAC
to TAC
and to the 42nd Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron
(42 TEWS), 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, at Korat
, Thailand
. He was familiar with targeting both SAC missiles and SAC airplanes, was one of the most knowledgeable missile and electronic counter-measures experts in Vietnam, and it is likely that his situation was quickly reported to U.S. intelligence services. Very few Americans remained on the ground in Vietnam, and the NVA made it a point to track particularly valuable personnel, even in Thailand. The North Vietnamese were probably supported by the Russians with decrypting American message traffic and they likely knew exactly who had parachuted into their midst. This ability was likely enabled by the then unknown American spy CWO
John Anthony Walker
, who had given the Soviets a radio cipher card and other high-value intelligence. Hambleton's capture would be a terrific blow to American airpower around the world and a huge prize for the North Vietnamese and indirectly, the Soviets. Hambleton said after the war that he felt sure if he were captured that he would never have been taken to Hanoi.
Hambleton had received water survival training at Turkey Run, Florida, and escape and evasion training and survival basics at the Pacific Air Command Jungle Survival School in the Philippines.
He had shrapnel wounds from his aircraft exploding, a ripped finger, and four compressed vertebra from the force of the ejection. Hidden in a clump of trees in his hole, surrounded by enemy less than 100 metres (328.1 ft) away, Hambleton decided that with only nine months to go until his retirement, he was going to survive and return home.
1st Lt. Richard Abbot flying a FAC O-2 had been shot down offshore shortly before Hambleton, and when Abbot was picked up by the USS Hamner
, two Air Force search and rescue
Douglas A-1 Skyraiders (Sandy 07 and Sandy 08) from the 1st Special Operations Squadron
remained in Hambleton's vicinity. The Sandys immediately scrambled to cover Hambleton's position. When Capt. Don Morse, flying Sandy 07, first got the call, he thought that because the aircraft had gone down in South Vietnam, the SAR effort could be accomplished fairly quickly. When he got over Hambelton's position, he was shocked at the amount of ground fire he received. It was more intense than anything he had seen in the war. Some pilots reported that the intensity of the antiaircraft fire was equal to that around Hanoi
. Although the U.S. and ARVN forces did not know it yet, the offensive was the largest combined-arms attack conducted by the North Vietnamese during the war.
Hambleton coolly called in the coordinates of the enemy around him, watched the ordnance explode, and called in corrections to the FAC above who relayed the information to the A-1s and the fast movers, F-4 Phantom fighter-bombers. FAC pilots after the event were universally amazed at Hambleton's ability to remain calm and call in accurate fire around his position.
Morse called for emergency support which was picked up by a UH-1H slick (Blueghost 39) near Hue, piloted by 1st Lt. Byron Kulland from F Troop, 8th Cavalry, 196th Brigade
. Normally based at Marble Mountain Air Facility
near Da Nang, Kulland was in the area showing a photographer the developing battle. He had onboard with him Capt. Thomas White, the Troop operations office. After depositing the photographer and White at Phu Bai airfield near Huế
, White directed Kulland to proceed north and contact the FAC (Jankowski) for information on arrival. White also sent two Cobra gunships, Blueghost 28 and 24, and then added Blueghost 30, a second Huey.
Blueghost 39 proceeded across the Song Meiu Giang 50 feet (15.2 m) above the ground towards Hambleton's position with the well-armed Blueghost 28 Cobra gunship following about 3000 feet (914.4 m) behind and 300 feet (91.4 m) above. Blueghost 24 waited at the south side of the Song Meiu Giang for Blueghost 30 to catch up. As soon as Blueghost 39 and 28 crossed the Song Meiu Giang, Kulland and Rosebeary's aircraft were met by an immediate curtain of enemy fire from every direction, hurled against them with an intensity that defied belief. Rosebeary in his Cobra Blueghost 28 responded with rockets and 40mm fire but both helicopters were struck multiple times.
Kulland flying Blueghost 39 tried to turn back south but only managed to crash-land his stricken aircraft, about 6.7 kilometres (4.2 mi) east of Hambleton and 0.9 miles (1.4 km) north of the river in an area full of NVA. When the helicopter smashed into the ground, the only mobile crew member was SPC5 Jose Astorga, the door gunner, who had been wounded. He tried but was unable to extract other hurt crew members. Paschall was pinned in the wreckage. Frink, who was seriously wounded, urged Astorga to get out and away from the aircraft. A few moments later advancing North Vietnamese soldiers fired on the wreckage with automatic weapons and the aircraft's fuel cell exploded with the remainder of the crew inside. Astorga was captured but pilots 1st Lt. Byron Kulland and WO
John Frink along with Sp5c
Ronald Paschall were killed.
Rosebeary flying Cobra Blueghost 28 called a Mayday
but was able to safely exit the area and landed his severely damaged helicopter. His aircraft was totaled. He and Gunner Warrant Officer Charles Gorski were picked up by a HH-53C helicopter (Jolly Green 67), without incident. Rosebeary warned other aircraft against crossing the river. When Morse in Sandy 07 learned that the quick-snatch had failed, he and his wingman
Sandy 08 broke off engaging the enemy and returned to Da Nang. Both Sandys were found to be so damaged they would take several days to repair. At 9:00 p.m., Nail 59, piloted by Gary Ferentchak who was flying a new version of the OV-10A aircraft equipped with the Pave Nail LORAN
radar, took over FAC duties. The SAR efforts were suspended for the night and the U.S. and ARVN forces remained unaware of the true strength of the NVA offensive. Advised by FAC to remain in place, Hambleton moved to a safer spot in the jungle and dug a hole to hide in until morning. During the night, Nail 59 and King 27, an HC-130 commanded by Maj. Dennis Constant, stayed. They suddenly found themselves painted by Fan Song
radar and narrowly missed getting shot down as well. At 53 years old, Hambleton was not a prime candidate to survive the cold, wet weather conditions.
(FAC) coverage around Hambleton's position to watch over him and soften up the enemy positions around him. To protect the downed airmen and the search and rescue forces, Muirhead also ordered the 7th Air Force
to establish a standard 27 kilometres (16.8 mi) no-fire zone around Hambleton. It prohibited friendly artillery, naval gunfire, or aircraft from engaging any target in the zone without JSARC approval. Three enemy divisions were attacking and the 3rd ARVN could not reply for several hours with artillery or request tactical air strikes in the area.
forces attempted a first light rescue which can successfully achieve surprise with minimal force. A search and rescue crew took off from the 37th AARS
based at Nakhon Phanom, Thailand. It consisted of two HH-53 rescue helicopters, Jolly Green 65 and 67, and two A-1 Skyraiders, Sandy 07 and 08. Sandy 05 and 06 joined them on the scene. The area was covered in a solid overcast, preventing visual control of air strikes by the on-scene OV-10A FAC, Nail 25. Capt. Rocky Smith and Capt. Rick Atchison coordinated the work of several F-4s who were directed to drop CBU-42 anti-personnel cluster bomb
s around Hambleton to help protect his position. When Nail 25 ran low on fuel, it was replaced by an OV-10 (Nail 38) from the 23rd TASS flown by Capt. William J. Henderson (Nail 38 Alpha) and 1st Lt. Mark Clark (Nail 38 Bravo, and grandson of World War II General Mark Clark ).
The NVA were very familiar with American SAR tactics and on the second day they may have begun to use the downed flyer as bait. They positioned a number of anti-aircraft and surface-to-air missiles in the area near Hambleton. One pilot reported that "SAM calls were driving us into the small arms threat. Ground fire was accurate and well disciplined... The NVA were very definitely monitoring and jamming our communications."
Henderson obtained LORAN
fixes on Hambleton's position. Coast Guard Lt. Commander Jay Crowe, an exchange pilot on assignment to the 37th ARRS
at Da Nang, was piloting Jolly Green 65. The helicopter broke through the clouds and rapidly dropped into the area where Hambleton was hidden. The aircraft was immediately struck by a wall of enemy gunfire. Enemy rounds tore through the aircraft, destroying the instrument panel. He struggled to get the aircraft out of the fire zone. With his instruments shot up, he had to rely on external visual cues to fly the aircraft. He nursed the helicopter south and was able to get to the Phu Bai airfield. Jolly Green 66 flown by Lt. Colonel Bill Harris followed, only to break through the low ceiling to face ten enemy tanks and a withering onslaught of ground fire. He fought the controls to bring his rescue helicopter within 100 yards (91.4 m) of Hambleton, his gunners firing the airship's three GAU-2
/A 7.62 mm (.308 in) six-barreled miniguns, engaging the enemy on every side. A pilot flying support, looking for targets to engage, asked, "Where's the enemy fire coming from?" Harris replied, "From EVERYWHERE!" Somehow Harris managed to get his badly damaged aircraft to gain altitude, then limp back to safety.
Forced to fly in and out of cloud cover at perilously low altitudes, FAC Nail 38,FACs from Da Nang Air Force Based used the call sign
s Covey and Bilk, while aircraft from Nakhon Phanom used Nail. piloted by Henderson was hit by enemy fire and shot down. Henderson landed on the north side of the Song Meiu Giang, about 500 metres (1,640.4 ft) from Hambleton. He hid in a bamboo patch until local villagers came looking for him and cut it down. He was taken north and became a POW. Clark parachuted to the ground safely on the south side of river and eluded capture. Later that same day, another UH-1H slick, unrelated to the rescue operation, was shot down in the same area carrying a crew of four.
After pinpointing Hambleton's location, the Air Force bombarded the area around him for the next three days. On April 4, a flight of ten Douglas A-1 Skyraiders, half the total available in all of South Vietnam, attempted to pave the way for a SAR team, and it was badly shot up. Eight of the ten aircraft were damaged, two severely. The damage significantly affected the availability of the Skyraiders.
On April 5, bad weather prevented any SAR activity.
On April 6 at 3:15 p.m., a third attempt was made to pick Hambleton and now Clark up. Four Douglas A-1 Skyraiders (Sandys 01, 02, 05, and 06) prepared the area around the survivors with extensive bombing and strafing. They were assisted by two HH53C helicopters (Jolly Green 67 and Jolly Green 60) from the 37th Air Rescue Squadron
.
Capt. Peter Chapman volunteered to pilot Jolly Green 67, despite the fact he was "short", due to return home very soon. Capt. Boli in Sandy 01 decided they would pick up Bat 21 Bravo (Hambleton) first and Nail 38 Bravo (Clark) immediately after. At 5:10 p.m., Sandy 03 joined the group with a full load of white phosphorus that could be used to lay down a smoke screen. Sandy 01 called in additional strikes on targets around Hambleton's position and re-checked the area. Enemy response was limited. Aware it could be a trap, he nonetheless gave the go-ahead. As Jolly Green 67 crossed the Song Meiu Giang with Jolly Green 60 high and above guarding their approach, Jolly Green 67 began taking fire from all sides. As it approached Hambleton's position, they called for him to pop his smoke and reveal his position. The aircraft was pummeled with automatic weapons and anti-aircraft fire from all quarters. Hambleton hesitated, and the Jolly Green tried to pull away. Despite the best efforts of the remaining aircraft, Jolly Green 67 was critically damaged.
Jolly Green 67 flew east at first, further into enemy territory, before it turned southeast for a few kilometers, when a fire broke out in the left engine. Pieces of the tail rotor struck the main rotor, and the aircraft rolled and crashed on its left side, burning ferociously. No rescue beepers were heard. The entire crew was listed as MIA
and presumed killed: Capt. Peter Hayden Chapman II (pilot), Capt. John Henry Call III (co-pilot), TSgt.
William Roy Pearson, TSgt. Allen J. Avery (para-rescuemen), TSgt. Roy D. Prater (Crew Chief), and Sgt.
James Harold Alley (combat photographer). The fire consuming the helicopter was so hot it melted parts of the aircraft and continued to burn for three more days.
Hambleton's and Clark's spirits sank when they realized that six men died while attempting to rescue them. After a stern sermon from the FAC, Hambleton decided, "Hell, I'm going to get out of this, regardless." He camouflaged his hole, hiding there for seven nights and six days. He left the hole twice to scavenge for food and was almost caught the second time when he was spotted by a boy and his dog. NVA soldiers searching for him passed within 20 feet (6.1 m) of his hole twice.
The SAR task force mission leader, Capt. Fred Boli in Sandy 01, called the rescue off for now because it was too dangerous. The remaining aircraft exited to the south across the Song Meiu Giang. The area was just too hot. Hambleton and Clark would have to spend another night behind enemy lines. The North Vietnamese, alerted by the American's intense efforts to find the navigator, increased their efforts to find Hambleton.
", but the airmen were shocked by the quantity and intensity of the ground and anti-aircraft fire they had faced since the rescue attempt began. This included not only small arms fire and the previously used 23mm
, 37mm and 57mm
towed guns, but the 85mm and 100mm
towed guns, along with the self-propelled, radar-guided 57mm
AAA gun
. Most surprising to the Americans were the large presence of SA-2 SAMs, and for the first time the use of the Soviet SA-7 Grail
shoulder-fired, heat-seeking SAM. During April 6, 80 SAMs were launched by the NVA in the area around Hambleton. It was estimated that Hambleton and Clark were in the midst of five or six NVA battalions. The NVA air defense seriously challenged American air superiority and seriously blunted the success of close air support
in the area.
Helicopter Squadron commander Lt. Col. Bill Harris was very upset. He concluded the air rescue could not be attempted at that time due to the heavy concentration of enemy forces in the immediate area around Clark and Hambleton. He called Col. Muirhead and told them they had to find another way. Hambleton was told to sit tight while they worked up an alternative plan. Hambleton had two survival radios, a first aid kit, an empty water bottle, two kinds of flares, a knife and a .38 caliber revolver, a compass and a map, but no food.
On the morning of April 7 1st Lt. Bruce C. Walker accompanied by naval artillery spotter Marine Lt. Larry F. Potts were flying USAF OV10A (Covey 282) from 20th Tactical Air Support Squadron
. Potts was directing naval gunfire from the destroyer USS Buchanan
(DDG-14) against Soviet-supplied enemy tanks to protect Hambleton. At 11:05 a.m., an O2 Birddog pilot observed a SAM launch and Covey 282 was shot down 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Highway 1 and 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Highway 9. Radio contact was established with both Potts and Walker, and both reported that they were uninjured, but each man was too close to the enemy to attempt a rescue.
Clark hid on the south side of the Song Meiu Giang, while Walker was about 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) north of Hambleton, who was on the north side of the river about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from the town of Cam Lo. Clark evaded capture for a number of days and was in contact with SAR personnel when he warned them away due to the proximity of enemy forces. In January 1992, members of the Joint Task Force for Full Accounting
examined war artifacts in the Hanoi military museum and found Bruce Walker's ID card. The disposition and location of Potts, Walker's backseat spotter, are unknown. It was Potts' 25th birthday. Conflicting accounts report that Potts was either captured while trying to escape or that he had been wounded, captured alive, but later died in Quang Binh prison
.
, and two were behind enemy lines also waiting to be rescued. On April 8, Gen. Creighton Abrams
was briefed on the high losses in the several failed attempts to rescue Hambleton and Clark. He ordered that no further air CSAR would be attempted, but that given Hambleton's Top Secret clearance and knowledge of missiles and counter-measure technology, that every effort should be made to bring him out.
USMC Col. Al Gray suggested a covert, land-based rescue operation. and Lt. Col. Andy Anderson, commander of the Joint Search and Rescue Command, ordered a ground rescue. In Saigon, Navy SEAL
Lt. j.g. Thomas R. Norris
, one of just three SEAL officers and nine enlisted men remaining in Vietnam, had just completed an assignment in the Mekong Delta
. He was waiting for orders when the call came in for a commando operation to get Hambleton out. Norris was immediately dispatched to lead an operation to rescue Hambleton. He joined a five Vietnamese frog-men (Lien Doc Nguoi Nhia – LDNN) Naval Advisory Detachment, Sea Commando team from Da Nang.
ARVN
Brigadier General Vu Van Giai gave Anderson a Ranger platoon of about 20 men and three M-48
tanks that they used to set up a forward operating base along Highway QL-9 within observation range of the strategic Cam Lo Bridge. But Giai thought the mission was insane and refused to take responsibility for the mission once they crossed the Song Meiu Giang. Anderson, who spoke Vietnamese, obtained additional intelligence from the headquarters of the 1st Armor Brigade near Đông Hà
.
, make like Esther Williams
and float to Boston." In other words, get to the river and swim east.
Hambleton had to bypass enemy-occupied villages and gun emplacements. His rescuers learned that he was one of the best golfers in the Air Force and retained a detailed memory of the golf courses he had played. They came up with a code using a series of specific golf-course holes to guide him through the mine fields sown to protect him and to get him to the Song Meiu Giang. They radioed him, "You´re going to play 18 holes and you´re going to get in the Swanee
and make like Esther Williams
and Charlie the Tuna
. The round starts on No. 1 at Tucson National."
Hambleton initially replied, "What have you been smoking?" But he broke the code. "It took me a half-hour to figure out they were giving me distance and direction," Hambleton says. "No. 1 at Tucson National is 408 yards running southeast. They wanted me to move southeast 400 yards. The `course´ would lead me to water."
Using the golf course code, he was directed towards the Song Meiu Giang. To save time, Hambleton passed through the abandoned village that concealed the guns which shot down his would-be rescuers. Although the village had been bombed, he was confronted by a North Vietnamese soldier. Hambleton killed him using a knife in hand-to-hand combat. At one point he was given directions to a "refreshment stand" where he would have to "tap his own keg." Physically exhausted, hungry and dehydrated, Hambleton found a banana plantation where he could tap the tree for drinking water. He got lost briefly, and then fell off a cliff, breaking his arm.
The U.S. command in Saigon ordered special high-altitude B-52 bombing raids on nearby targets to divert the Vietnamese from searching for the two men, who were several miles apart.
that struck the team’s position. Lt. Col. Anderson, the senior American commander, and Lt. Tho Ngoc Vu, the senior Vietnamese commando, and all of the Vietnamese officers were hurt and had to be evacuated. One commando was killed. Norris was left with five Vietnamese commandos who spoke little English.
On April 9, Hambleton's eighth day of evading the enemy forces all around him, FAC Harold Icke on Bilk 11 kept in constant contact with Hambleton. Icke directed Sandy 01 to drop a Madden survival pack containing food, water, ammunition and extra radios to Hambleton, but it fell 50 metres (164 ft) away, slightly above him, and he was too weak to climb up to it. Icke and the pilots of two A-1 Skyraiders were shocked to see Hambleton come out his hiding place and stand in the open on a sandbar in the river, waving a white flag at them above. Icke knew Hambleton's mental and physical health were precarious. Unknown to him, Hambleton was considerably weakened, having lost 40 pounds (18.1 kg) in the 10 days since his jet had been shot down.
OV-10 pilot Clark was closest to the team' s position and would be rescued first. Clark was relayed instructions to get in the water and float downstream where Norris and his team would intercept him. Anderson ordered Norris to take his team no more than 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) forward and wait for the survivors to come to them, but Norris defied the order, turned off his radio and avoiding numerous enemy patrols, went twice that distance. Anderson, Norris, and five Vietnamese commandos set up an overwatch position near the Mieu Giang River, which ran near the positions of both downed airmen.
Clark was seriously weakened by five days hiding from the enemy with little to eat. He floated down the cold river and at about 2-3:00 a.m., just as Norris was about to break his cover to pull Clark to shore, a six-man NVA
patrol walked between them. Norris refrained from opening fire, recognizing this would compromise the covert mission and that they were outgunned. When the patrol was gone, so was Clark. Norris radioed Clark and instructed him to get out of the river on the south bank. On his own initiative, Norris left his team and searched the river for Clark for several hours before finally finding Clark hiding behind a sampan on the riverbank. Norris was able to re-link up with the rest of his team and safely deliver Clark to Anderson at the forward operating base. Clark was transported to Đông Hà
by an ARVN M113 armored personnel carrier
and then flown to Da Nang.
On April 11, Hambleton was too weak to move any farther. Norris could only follow parts of Hambleton's weak transmissions but knew he would have to go to him. Norris was already well past the 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) limit Anderson had imposed on him, but Norris weighed the risks and decided to try again. During their search for Hambleton that night, two of the commandos refused to press the mission further, saying they "refused to follow an American just to rescue an American." Norris was left with only three Vietnamese commandos who spoke little English. Approaching dawn, Norris was going to proceed alone when Petty Officer Third Class Nguyen Van Kiet
volunteered to stay with him. They took an abandoned sampan
and, disguised as fishermen, cautiously searched the river shore for two more hours without success. They reluctantly returned to their forward operating base to rest and hope they would be more successful the next night. Icke fixed Hambleton's position during the day so Norris could find him that night.
On the night of April 12, Norris and Nguyen found a deserted village and clothing which they used to disguise themselves as fishermen. They took advantage of the abandoned sampan
to row quietly up the river. Even in the pitch dark and dense fog, they could see large numbers of North Vietnamese soldiers and tanks on the shoreline. Stopping to check his map at one point, Norris suddenly realized that two enemy soldiers were sitting about 10 metres (32.8 ft) away. Fortunately, they were asleep. Traveling upriver in the sampam, they broke out of the heavy fog and found themselves under the Cam Lo bridge. They had passed Hambleton’s position more than 30 minutes ago. Turning around, they finally found Hambleton sitting in a clump of bushes, alive but partly delirious. Sunrise was coming, and although Norris thought it best to wait until dark to return downriver, Hambleton needed to be evacuated immediately. Despite the risk, they hid Hambleton in the bottom of the sampan, covered him with bamboo, and started downriver.
killed a number of enemy troops and provided cover for his final escape. Two A-1 Skyraiders also assisted, dropping both explosives and MK47 smoke bombs, providing a smokescreen. Returning to the river, the three men were soon able to receive support from South Vietnamese forces. Landing on the river bank, they met some ARVN soldiers who carried Hambleton back to their bunker. There, an M113 armored personnel carrier
carried Hambleton, Norris and Nguyen back to Brigade Headquarters in Đông Hà
.
News reporters were very aware of the intense rescue efforts to bring Hambleton home. When the rescue team and Hambleton arrived at Đông Hà, a reporter commented to Norris, “It must have been tough out there. I bet you wouldn’t do that again.” Norris replied, “An American was down in enemy territory. Of course I’d do it again."
From Đông Hà Hambleton was transported via helicopter to Da Nang
. He was shortly afterward evacuated to the hospital at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines where he recuperated for a month.
Norris began to plan for the rescue of Walker, still behind enemy lines. Walker managed to evade capture for almost 11 days when on the night of April 18, without FAC coverage, he moved on his own accord and ran into a local villager who alerted the North Vietnamese. They began tracking him and the next morning the FAC saw the enemy very near his position. Walker radioed the FAC that rescue should not be attempted because enemy forces were closing in and he was under fire. Bilk 36, a OV-10A flown by FAC 1st Lt. Mickey Fain, reported that Walker was surrounded by more than 20 enemy soldiers and shortly afterward saw his body lying in the grass. Walker's body was never recovered.
, commander of the 7th Air Force
, sent in a huge task force of 119 aircraft to rescue Capt. Roger Locher
, a F-4 weapons officer who during Operation Linebacker
had been shot down only 64 kilometres (39.8 mi) from Hanoi. When he was picked up by a HH-53 from the 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron
, he was within 5 miles (8 km) of the heavily defended MiG
Yên Bái
Airfield and had eluded capture while covering 19 kilometres (11.8 mi) in enemy territory for 23 days.
There were also political overtones to Hambleton's rescue. "U.S. personnel held as prisoners of war constituted a serious political liability to the U.S. government."
As many as 90 sorties a day were called in to suppress the enemy around Hambleton. In contrast, prior to the Easter Offensive, the number of daily sorties was about 10, and during the action, peaked at about 300. During the multi-day effort to rescue the men, the Americans hit the North Vietnamese with over 800 air strikes in direct support of the rescue. Search and rescue took priority over almost all strike targets.
to establish a standard 27 kilometres (16.8 mi) no-fire zone around Hambletona shortly after he went down. it remained in effect until 10:00 p.m., and while in force it prohibited friendly artillery, naval gunfire, or aircraft from engaging any target within without JSARC approval. The no-fire zone encompassed nearly the entire combat zone of the ARVN 3rd Division
including the crucial Cam Lo Bridge. As a result, the South Vietnamese Army in the area was severely hampered in its efforts to stem the NVA offensive against Đông Hà
and Quảng Trị City. During this six-hour period, thousands of NVA troops pushed into the region, designated Military Region 1
.
When it was seen that enemy forces were pouring through the gap unimpeded, it was reduced at 10:00 p.m. that night, but not before the action generated considerable debate. One ranking adviser commented, "When viewed in relation to all the events of the day, a worse decision could not have been made." The 3rd ARVN had lost most of its artillery in the first two days of the offensive, and in fact had surrendered two of their batteries intact to the enemy. Hambleton commented after the war, "If the taxpayers and my neighbors knew what it cost me to pull me out of there, they'd probably shoot me."
Maj. David A. Brookbank, a U.S. Air Force liaison with the 3rd Division, reported, "The operation cost the 3rd ARVN dearly." He concluded that the restriction gave the enemy "an opportunity unprecedented in the annals of warfare to advance at will." He stated, "It seems logical to assume that many South Vietnamese troops died because air and artillery support were not available." He warned his superiors that the 3rd Division's officers resented the fact that the 7th Air Force would put thousands of South Vietnamese soldiers' lives at risk to rescue one of their own.
American response to the NVA operation virtually ground to a halt as air resources were diverted to support the recovery, and for a few days defense of the northern border area was second in priority to rescuing Hambleton.
, "the biggest U.S. air rescue
effort of the war
."
During the entire Vietnam War, search and rescue forces saved 3,883 lives at the cost of 71 rescuers and 45 aircraft.
, the Air Force introduced the A-7 Corsair. The military also improved the night capability of helicopters and area denial munitions.
Hambleton received the Silver Star
, the Distinguished Flying Cross
, the Air Medal
, the Meritorious Service Medal
and a Purple Heart
for his actions during this mission. For their heroic actions in rescuing Hambleton behind enemy lines, Lt. Thomas R. Norris
was recommended for and later received the Medal of Honor
, although he initially declined to submit the paperwork. In 1975, Clark's and Hambleton's rescue was declassified. Navy investigators reviewed the action, interviewed participants, and recommended Norris for the Medal of Honor. He received it from President Richard Nixon
in a White House ceremony on October 15, 1973 attended by Micheal Thornton, another Navy SEAL who had saved Norris' life on October 31, 1972.
Norris readily supported nomination of Petty Officer Third Class Nguyen Van Kiet
for the Navy Cross
, the highest award the navy can give to a foreign national. Nguyen was the only South Vietnamese Naval member awarded the Navy Cross during the Vietnam War, and one of only two South Vietnamese to receive the award.
Hundred of individuals from dozens of units assisted in Hambleton's rescue, and participants in the operation received a total of 234 individual medals.
Astorga and Henderson were released in March 1973 after the war ended. The remains of the rest of the crew of Bat 21, Hambleton's EB-66E Destroyer— Bolte, Gatwood, Giannangeli, Levis, and Serex—were never recovered. Gatwood left behind a 13 week old son he had never seen, Robin F. Gatwood III. The remains of Kulland, Frink and Paschall were recovered and returned to the United States in 1995, where they were buried at Arlington National Cemetery
. The bodies of Potts and Walker were never recovered.
The remains of the crew members of HH-53C Jolly Roger 67—Chapman, Call, Avery, Prater, and Pearson, and Alley—were returned to the United States on October 1, 1997. The six were honored on November 19, 1997 in a full military funeral at Arlington National Cemetery
and a headstone commemorating all six airmen was placed at the site. Prater's remains were buried with full military honors on June 19, 2010 by his family. Alley had two weeks remaining on his tour of duty before returning home. He was buried with full military honors in Florida.
The Lt. Thomas R. Norris building at Naval Special Warfare Group Two in Little Creek, Virginia was named for Norris.
The film Bat*21 starring Gene Hackman
as Hambleton was a highly dramatized depiction of Hambleton's rescue.
Call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
for Iceal "Gene" Hambleton
Iceal Hambleton
Lieutenant Colonel Iceal E. "Gene" Hambleton was an officer of the United States Air Force, famous for being the subject of a long and costly search and rescue mission during the Vietnam War. During the rescue, he used the callsign "Bat 21 Bravo"...
, from behind enemy lines
Line (formation)
The line formation is a standard tactical formation which has been used in Early modern warfare.It continues the phalanx formation or shield wall of infantry armed with polearms in use during antiquity and the Middle Ages....
was the "largest, longest, and most complex search-and-rescue
Combat search and rescue
Combat search and rescue are search and rescue operations that are carried out during war that are within or near combat zones.A CSAR mission may be carried out by a task force of helicopters, ground-attack aircraft, tankers and an airborne command post...
" operation during the entire Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. On April 2, 1972, the third day of the Easter Offensive, Hambleton was a navigator
Navigator
A navigator is the person on board a ship or aircraft responsible for its navigation. The navigator's primary responsibility is to be aware of ship or aircraft position at all times. Responsibilities include planning the journey, advising the Captain or aircraft Commander of estimated timing to...
aboard one of two United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
EB-66 aircraft escorting a cell of three B-52s. Bat 21 was configured to gather signals intelligence including identifying the enemy anti-aircraft radar installations to enable jamming
Radar jamming and deception
Radar jamming and deception is the intentional emission of radio frequency signals to interfere with the operation of a radar by saturating its receiver with noise or false information...
. Bat 21 was destroyed by a SA-2 surface-to-air missile
Surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...
and Hambleton was the only survivor, parachuting behind enemy lines into a battlefield filled with thousands of North Vietnamese Army
Vietnam People's Army
The Vietnam People's Army is the armed forces of Vietnam. The VPA includes: the Vietnamese People's Ground Forces , the Vietnam People's Navy , the Vietnam People's Air Force, and the Vietnam Marine Police.During the French Indochina War , the VPA was often referred to as the Việt...
soldiers.
Hambleton had Top Secret
Classified information
Classified information is sensitive information to which access is restricted by law or regulation to particular groups of persons. A formal security clearance is required to handle classified documents or access classified data. The clearance process requires a satisfactory background investigation...
access to Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
operations and was an expert in surface-to-air missile
Surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...
countermeasures. The North Vietnamese Army
Vietnam People's Army
The Vietnam People's Army is the armed forces of Vietnam. The VPA includes: the Vietnamese People's Ground Forces , the Vietnam People's Navy , the Vietnam People's Air Force, and the Vietnam Marine Police.During the French Indochina War , the VPA was often referred to as the Việt...
may have gained intelligence about him and his capture could have meant a huge bonanza for the Soviet Union.
To prevent friendly fire
Friendly fire
Friendly fire is inadvertent firing towards one's own or otherwise friendly forces while attempting to engage enemy forces, particularly where this results in injury or death. A death resulting from a negligent discharge is not considered friendly fire...
incidents, the Americans imposed a standard no-fire zone within a 27 kilometres (16.8 mi) radius of Hambleton and diverted aircraft to aid in his rescue. It is likely that additional South Vietnamese soldiers died as a result. Hambleton along with 1st Lt. Mark Clark, who was shot down during rescue operations, were finally recovered from behind enemy lines on two different nights in daring, covert, night-time rescues carried out by U.S. Navy SEAL
United States Navy SEALs
The United States Navy's Sea, Air and Land Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's principal special operations force and a part of the Naval Special Warfare Command as well as the maritime component of the United States Special Operations Command.The acronym is derived from their...
Thomas R. Norris
Thomas R. Norris
Thomas Rolland Norris is a retired United States Navy SEAL who received the Medal of Honor for his ground rescue with the assistance of Petty Officer Third Class Nguyen Van Kiet of two downed pilots in Quang Tri Province, Vietnam on April 10, 1972 – April 13, 1972...
and VNN
Republic of Vietnam Navy
The Republic of Vietnam Navy was the naval force of the former Republic of Vietnam from 1955 to 1975. The early fleet consisted of boats from France. After 1955 and the transfer of the armed forces to Vietnamese control, the fleet was supplied from the United States...
commando Nguyen Van Kiet
Nguyen Van Kiet
Nguyen Van Kiet was a Petty Officer Third Class in the Republic of Vietnam Navy and is one of only two South Vietnamese, and the only South Vietnamese Navy member, to receive the Navy Cross for actions during the Vietnam War. The other recipient was ARVN PFC Tran Van Bay).In April 1972, United...
. Norris was awarded the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
and Nguyen was recognized with the Navy Cross
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...
for their actions. Nguyen was the only South Vietnamese naval officer given that award during the war.
The direct and indirect cost of rescuing Hambleton was enormous and became a watershed event in Air Force search and rescue. The Air Force did not put limits on what it took to rescue a downed airman. Five additional aircraft were shot down resulting in the deaths of 11 airmen, the capture of two others, and another air man trying to evade capture. As a result, the USAF altered the way search and rescue missions were planned and developed new techniques and equipment to improve their ability to rescue downed air men.
Operational background
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
under President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
's Vietnamization
Vietnamization
Vietnamization was a policy of the Richard M. Nixon administration during the Vietnam War, as a result of the Viet Cong's Tet Offensive, to "expand, equip, and train South Vietnam's forces and assign to them an ever-increasing combat role, at the same time steadily reducing the number of U.S....
policy. The North Vietnamese Army
Vietnam People's Army
The Vietnam People's Army is the armed forces of Vietnam. The VPA includes: the Vietnamese People's Ground Forces , the Vietnam People's Navy , the Vietnam People's Air Force, and the Vietnam Marine Police.During the French Indochina War , the VPA was often referred to as the Việt...
(NVA) launched the Nguyen Hue Offensive against the South Vietnamese Army
Army of the Republic of Vietnam
The Army of the Republic of Viet Nam , sometimes parsimoniously referred to as the South Vietnamese Army , was the land-based military forces of the Republic of Vietnam , which existed from October 26, 1955 until the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975...
and U.S. military on Friday, March 30, 1972. It was their largest attack of the war and was timed to take full advantage of the bad weather typical during monsoon season
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
, offering low clouds and poor visibility. About 30,000 heavily-equipped NVA
Vietnam People's Army
The Vietnam People's Army is the armed forces of Vietnam. The VPA includes: the Vietnamese People's Ground Forces , the Vietnam People's Navy , the Vietnam People's Air Force, and the Vietnam Marine Police.During the French Indochina War , the VPA was often referred to as the Việt...
troops from the 304th and 308th Divisions
308 Division (Vietnam)
The 308th Division is an infantry division of the People's Army of Vietnam, first formed in 1948-49.As early as January 1947, the first regiment of the PAVN, the 308 'Capital' Regiment, was created for operations around Hanoi...
and three separate infantry regiments of the B5 Front crossed the DMZ
Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone
The Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone was established as a dividing line between North and South Vietnam as a result of the First Indochina War.During the Second Indochina War , it became important as the battleground demarcation separating North Vietnamese territory from South Vietnamese territory.-...
into I Corps
I Corps (South Vietnam)
The I Corps Tactical Zone was a corps of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam , the army of the nation state of South Vietnam that existed from 1955 to 1975. It was one of four corps which the ARVN oversaw. This was the northernmost region of South Vietnam, bordering North Vietnam...
zone across the five northernmost provinces of South Vietnam.
In the 8 kilometres (5 mi) area between the Cam Lo Bridge and Đông Hà
Dong Ha
Đông Hà is the capital town of Quang Tri province, Vietnam. It is located at around . Dong Ha is situated at the crossroads of National Highway 1A and Route 9, part of the East-West Economic Corridor . It lies on the Reunification Express Railway and is served by Dong Ha Railway Station...
Bridge, they were supported by two tank regiments of 150 of the latest Soviet T-54 and PT-76
PT-76
The PT-76 is a Soviet amphibious light tank which was introduced in the early 1950s and soon became the standard reconnaissance tank of the Soviet Army and the other Warsaw Pact armed forces. It was widely exported to other friendly states, like India, Iraq, North Korea and North Vietnam. Overall,...
tanks, 75 tracked anti-aircraft vehicles
ZSU-57-2
The ZSU-57-2 is a Soviet self-propelled anti-aircraft gun , armed with two 57 mm autocannons. 'ZSU' stands for Zenitnaya Samokhodnaya Ustanovka , meaning "anti-aircraft self-propelled mount", '57' stands for the bore of the armament in millimetres and '2' stands for the number of gun barrels....
, an artillery regiment of 47 towed 130mm guns
130 mm towed field gun M1954 (M-46)
The 130 mm towed field gun M-46 M1954 is a manually loaded, towed 130 mm artillery piece, manufactured in the Soviet Union in the 1950s. It was first observed by the west in 1954...
, and the largest concentration of anti-aircraft weaponry of the entire war, including the advanced SA-2 surface-to-air missile. Their main line of advance was along the axis of the north-south national highway QL-1.
When General Creighton Abrams
Creighton Abrams
Creighton Williams Abrams Jr. was a general in the United States Army who commanded military operations in the Vietnam War from 1968–72 which saw U.S. troop strength in Vietnam fall from a peak of 543,000 to 49,000. He served as Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1972 until shortly...
' headquarters in Saigon learned of large enemy movement south of the DMZ
Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone
The Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone was established as a dividing line between North and South Vietnam as a result of the First Indochina War.During the Second Indochina War , it became important as the battleground demarcation separating North Vietnamese territory from South Vietnamese territory.-...
, a number of B-52s had been sent on "Arc Light
Operation Arc Light
Operation Arc Light was the 1965 deployment of B-52D Stratofortresses as conventional bombers from bases in the US to Guam to support ground combat operations in Vietnam...
" missions without escort, but were experiencing significantly increased SAM activity. The 42nd Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron
42d Electronic Combat Squadron
The 42d Electronic Combat Squadron a United States Air Force unit. Its current assignment is with the 55th Electronic Combat Group, based at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona.-Mission:...
(42 TEWS) was tapped for assistance. The draw down of troops had left the unit shorthanded and Hambleton was the senior officer among a group of senior navigators. He assigned himself as navigator on the older EB-66C which was configured to gather signals intelligence. The newer EB-66E was tasked with jamming surface-to-air missile
Surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...
(SAM) radar guidance systems so their missiles could not accurately target the aircraft. The EB-66's mission was to troll for missiles, let them lock on to their aircraft, and then execute a SAM break, a violent turn and dive designed to throw off the pursuing missile. The SA-2 was the size of a telephone pole and carried a proximity fused warhead that was lethal within about 150 feet (45.7 m), but their guidance systems failed at about 2 Gs
G-force
The g-force associated with an object is its acceleration relative to free-fall. This acceleration experienced by an object is due to the vector sum of non-gravitational forces acting on an object free to move. The accelerations that are not produced by gravity are termed proper accelerations, and...
, while the A-1E could achieve 5 Gs in its avoidance maneuver. The crew had successfully pulled a SAM break more than 100 times. The presence of North Vietnamese surface to air missiles south of the DMZ had been tracked by Hambleton but not everyone agreed they were present that far south.
Aircraft shot down
On Easter Sunday, April 2, 1972, two EB-66s (call signCall sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
s Bat 21 and Bat 22) were flying pathfinder escort for a cell of three B-52 which were given assignments to bomb Mu Gia
Mu Gia Pass
The Mu Gia Pass is a mountain pass in the Annamite Range between northern Vietnam and Laos, located 90 km northwest of Đồng Hới, Vietnam. The pass is 418 m above sea level and connects Route 15 from Tân Ấp in Vietnam to Route 12 in Khammouane Province in Laos....
or the Ban Karai Pass, the two primary access routes to the Ho Chi Minh Trail
Ho Chi Minh trail
The Ho Chi Minh trail was a logistical system that ran from the Democratic Republic of Vietnam to the Republic of Vietnam through the neighboring kingdoms of Laos and Cambodia...
through Laos.
Hambleton was aboard Bat 21, EB-66C serial number 54-0466, over Quảng Trị Province
Quang Tri Province
Quảng Trị is a province on the North Central Coast of Vietnam, north of the former imperial capital of Huế.-Geography:Located in North Central Vietnam, Quang Tri Province is surrounded by Quang Binh Province on the north, Thua Thien-Hue Province on the south, Savannakhet Province of Laos on the...
, Vietnam, just south of the Demilitarized Zone
Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone
The Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone was established as a dividing line between North and South Vietnam as a result of the First Indochina War.During the Second Indochina War , it became important as the battleground demarcation separating North Vietnamese territory from South Vietnamese territory.-...
between North and South Vietnam. The airmen were surprised by the intensity of the anti-aircraft fire and SAM missile activity. The NVA 365th Air Defense Division fired two volleys of SA-2 surface-to-air missile
Surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...
at the U.S. planes. The EB-66s successfully thwarted the first volley, but the NVA pointed their Fan Song
Fan Song
The Fan Song is the NATO reporting name for a series of trailer-mounted E band/F band and G band fire control and tracking radars for use with the Soviet SA-2 Guideline surface-to-air missile system.- Description :...
radar at the B-52s, targeting them unsuccessfully with both missiles and radar guided anti-aircraft fire. When those missed, the NVA fired two more SAMS optically, only turning on the guidance and radar system after the missiles were launched, which delayed the aircraft's ability to detect and avoid them. When the missiles were spotted, the pilot assumed they had as usual been fired from north of the DMZ. He began a SAM break to the south until one of the EWOs
Electronic Warfare Officer
In the U.S. Air Force, an Electronic Warfare Officer is a trained aerial navigator in the Air Force who has received training in enemy threat systems, electronic warfare principles and overcoming enemy air defense systems...
called "Negative! Negative!", and the pilot flipped the plane over on its other wing. This time the pilot was unable to evade the missiles. The first missile exploded immediately beneath the aircraft striking it at 29000 feet (8,839.2 m).
Hambleton, whose call sign
Call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
was Bat 21 Bravo, was positioned immediately behind the pilot, who signaled for him to eject. Hambleton pulled the ejection seat handles and had a moment to make eye contact with the pilot as his seat rocketed out of the dying plane. A moment later the aircraft exploded, struck by the second SA-2. The remainder of his aircraft's six-man crew—Maj. Wayne L. Bolte, pilot; 1st Lt..
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
Robin F. Gatwood, co-pilot; and EWOs
Electronic Warfare Officer
In the U.S. Air Force, an Electronic Warfare Officer is a trained aerial navigator in the Air Force who has received training in enemy threat systems, electronic warfare principles and overcoming enemy air defense systems...
Lt. Col.
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
Anthony R. Giannangeli, Lt. Col.
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
Charles A. Levis, and Maj. Henry M. Serex—were unable to eject and remain Missing In Action to this day.
Surrounded by enemy
Hambleton parachuted into the middle of more than 30,000 troops pouring across the border into South Vietnam. Maj. Jimmie D. Kempton from the 390th Tactical Fighter Squadron was leading a flight of four F-4 on a bombing mission when he got SAM warnings. He saw four SA-2 missiles emerge out of the clouds about 2 miles (3.2 km) ahead of him and saw one strike an aircraft.At a lower altitude, 1st Lt. Bill Jankowski and Capt. Lyle Wilson in an O-2 (Bilk 34) forward air controller (FAC) aircraft saw Hambleton's plane explode. When Hambleton's URC-64 rescue radio
Survival radio
Survival radios are carried by ships and aircraft to facilitate rescue in an emergency. They are generally designed to transmit on international distress frequencies...
beeped, Jankowski responded, and was surprised to learn that Hambleton was above him descending in his parachute.
Jankowski followed Hambleton down. Hambleton was concealed by a low fog bank as he landed, unseen by the NVA troops. As Jankowski observed Hambleton land in a dry rice paddy, his aircraft came under heavy antiaircraft fire. He was astonished at the huge number of NVA troops, equipment, and heavy weapons in the area. Hambleton found refuge in a group of bushes in the middle of the rice paddy. NVA troops were less than 100 metres (328.1 ft) away. Jankowski fixed Hambleton's location 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) north of the Cam Lo Bridge and just north of TL-88, a major secondary road.
Kempton and Jankowski relayed Hambleton's coordinates to King 22, a HC-130 search and rescue (SAR) aircraft operating just south of Quảng Trị. Recovering Hambelton quickly was essential, as the odds of recovering downed airmen dropped below twenty percent if the aircrew member was on the ground after four hours. But their efforts would be severely hampered by huge number of troops and large quantity of anti-aircraft fire in the area, some of it supporting the NVA's efforts to capture and protect the Cam Lo Bridge near Hambleton's position.
At about the same time that Hambleton was shot down, Capt. John Ripley
John Ripley (USMC)
John Walter Ripley was a United States Marine Corps officer who received the Navy Cross for his actions in combat during the Vietnam War. On Easter morning 1972, Captain Ripley, repeatedly exposed himself to intense enemy fire over a three hour period as he prepared to blow up an essential...
, adviser to the 3rd Vietnamese Marine Battalion
Republic of Vietnam Marine Corps
The Republic of Vietnam Marine Corps ) was part of the armed forces of the Republic of Vietnam . It was established by Ngo Dinh Diem in 1954 when he was Prime Minister of the State of Vietnam, which became the Republic of Vietnam in 1955. The longest-serving commander was Lieutenant General Le...
, blew up the key Highway QL-1 bridge over the Cue Viet River at Đông Hà
Dong Ha
Đông Hà is the capital town of Quang Tri province, Vietnam. It is located at around . Dong Ha is situated at the crossroads of National Highway 1A and Route 9, part of the East-West Economic Corridor . It lies on the Reunification Express Railway and is served by Dong Ha Railway Station...
. The NVA re-routed thousands of troops, dozens of tanks and other equipment along TL-88, immediately in front of Hambleton's position, to the Cam Lo River bridge 8 kilometres (5 mi) to the west.
Intelligence value
Lt. Col.Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
Iceal Hambleton
Iceal Hambleton
Lieutenant Colonel Iceal E. "Gene" Hambleton was an officer of the United States Air Force, famous for being the subject of a long and costly search and rescue mission during the Vietnam War. During the rescue, he used the callsign "Bat 21 Bravo"...
had 29 years of military service. He had served in the Army Air Force as a radio operator during World War II, though not in combat. After World War II, he was recalled to active service by the USAF in the early 1950s. During the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
he flew 43 combat missions as a navigator in a B-29 bomber
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
. He then worked during the 1960s on various USAF ballistic missile
Ballistic missile
A ballistic missile is a missile that follows a sub-orbital ballistic flightpath with the objective of delivering one or more warheads to a predetermined target. The missile is only guided during the relatively brief initial powered phase of flight and its course is subsequently governed by the...
projects including the PGM-19 Jupiter
Jupiter (missile)
The PGM-19 Jupiter was the first medium-range ballistic missile of the United States Air Force . It was a liquid-fueled rocket using RP-1 fuel and LOX oxidizer, with a single Rocketdyne LR70-NA rocket engine producing 667 kN of thrust...
, Titan I ICBM
Titan I
The Martin Marietta SM-68A/HGM-25A Titan I was the United States' first multistage ICBM . Incorporating the latest design technology when designed and manufactured, the Titan I provided an additional nuclear deterrent to complement the U.S. Air Force's SM-65 Atlas missile...
and Titan II ICBM. He had been the deputy chief of operations for the USAF Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
390th Strategic Missile Wing
390th Strategic Missile Wing
The 390th Strategic Missile Wing was a United States Air Force Strategic Air Command organization. Its mission was to maintain and operationally control intercontinental ballistic missiles ....
before the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
.
In April, 1972 he was reassigned from the SAC
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
to TAC
Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
and to the 42nd Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron
42d Electronic Combat Squadron
The 42d Electronic Combat Squadron a United States Air Force unit. Its current assignment is with the 55th Electronic Combat Group, based at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona.-Mission:...
(42 TEWS), 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, at Korat
Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base
Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base is a base of the Royal Thai Air Force. It is located in northeast Thailand, located approximately 157 miles northeast of Bangkok and about 5 miles south of Nakhon Ratchasima , the second largest city in Thailand.During the Vietnam War, Korat RTAFB was the...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. He was familiar with targeting both SAC missiles and SAC airplanes, was one of the most knowledgeable missile and electronic counter-measures experts in Vietnam, and it is likely that his situation was quickly reported to U.S. intelligence services. Very few Americans remained on the ground in Vietnam, and the NVA made it a point to track particularly valuable personnel, even in Thailand. The North Vietnamese were probably supported by the Russians with decrypting American message traffic and they likely knew exactly who had parachuted into their midst. This ability was likely enabled by the then unknown American spy CWO
Chief Warrant Officer
Chief warrant officer is a military rank used by the Canadian Forces and the Israel Defence Forces.-Canada:In the Canadian Forces, a chief warrant officer or CWO is the most senior non-commissioned member rank in the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force...
John Anthony Walker
John Anthony Walker
John Anthony Walker, Jr. is a former United States Navy Chief Warrant Officer and communications specialist convicted of spying for the Soviet Union from 1968 to 1985, at the height of the Cold War...
, who had given the Soviets a radio cipher card and other high-value intelligence. Hambleton's capture would be a terrific blow to American airpower around the world and a huge prize for the North Vietnamese and indirectly, the Soviets. Hambleton said after the war that he felt sure if he were captured that he would never have been taken to Hanoi.
Air rescue attempts
He had shrapnel wounds from his aircraft exploding, a ripped finger, and four compressed vertebra from the force of the ejection. Hidden in a clump of trees in his hole, surrounded by enemy less than 100 metres (328.1 ft) away, Hambleton decided that with only nine months to go until his retirement, he was going to survive and return home.
1st Lt. Richard Abbot flying a FAC O-2 had been shot down offshore shortly before Hambleton, and when Abbot was picked up by the USS Hamner
USS Hamner (DD-718)
USS Hamner was a in the United States Navy during the Korean War and the Vietnam War. She was named for Henry Rawlings Hamner.Hamner was launched on 24 November 1945 by the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Port Newark, New Jersey; sponsored by Mrs. Henry Rawlings Hamner, wife of Lt....
, two Air Force search and rescue
Combat search and rescue
Combat search and rescue are search and rescue operations that are carried out during war that are within or near combat zones.A CSAR mission may be carried out by a task force of helicopters, ground-attack aircraft, tankers and an airborne command post...
Douglas A-1 Skyraiders (Sandy 07 and Sandy 08) from the 1st Special Operations Squadron
1st Special Operations Squadron
The 1st Special Operations Squadron is part of the 353d Special Operations Group at Kadena Air Base, Japan. It operates MC-130 Combat Talon II aircraft providing special operations capability...
remained in Hambleton's vicinity. The Sandys immediately scrambled to cover Hambleton's position. When Capt. Don Morse, flying Sandy 07, first got the call, he thought that because the aircraft had gone down in South Vietnam, the SAR effort could be accomplished fairly quickly. When he got over Hambelton's position, he was shocked at the amount of ground fire he received. It was more intense than anything he had seen in the war. Some pilots reported that the intensity of the antiaircraft fire was equal to that around Hanoi
Hanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
. Although the U.S. and ARVN forces did not know it yet, the offensive was the largest combined-arms attack conducted by the North Vietnamese during the war.
Hambleton coolly called in the coordinates of the enemy around him, watched the ordnance explode, and called in corrections to the FAC above who relayed the information to the A-1s and the fast movers, F-4 Phantom fighter-bombers. FAC pilots after the event were universally amazed at Hambleton's ability to remain calm and call in accurate fire around his position.
Morse called for emergency support which was picked up by a UH-1H slick (Blueghost 39) near Hue, piloted by 1st Lt. Byron Kulland from F Troop, 8th Cavalry, 196th Brigade
196th Infantry Brigade (United States)
The 196th Infantry Brigade , also known as the Charger Brigade was first formed on 24 June 1921 as part of the United States Army Reserve's 98th Division with the responsibility of training soldiers.-World War II:...
. Normally based at Marble Mountain Air Facility
Marble Mountain Air Facility
Marble Mountain Air Facility was an aviation facility used primarily by the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. It was a helicopter facility that was constructed in August 1965 and served as home to Marine Aircraft Group 16, the 5th Special Forces Group and an assortment of other...
near Da Nang, Kulland was in the area showing a photographer the developing battle. He had onboard with him Capt. Thomas White, the Troop operations office. After depositing the photographer and White at Phu Bai airfield near Huế
Hue
Hue is one of the main properties of a color, defined technically , as "the degree to which a stimulus can be describedas similar to or different from stimuli that are described as red, green, blue, and yellow,"...
, White directed Kulland to proceed north and contact the FAC (Jankowski) for information on arrival. White also sent two Cobra gunships, Blueghost 28 and 24, and then added Blueghost 30, a second Huey.
Blueghost 39 proceeded across the Song Meiu Giang 50 feet (15.2 m) above the ground towards Hambleton's position with the well-armed Blueghost 28 Cobra gunship following about 3000 feet (914.4 m) behind and 300 feet (91.4 m) above. Blueghost 24 waited at the south side of the Song Meiu Giang for Blueghost 30 to catch up. As soon as Blueghost 39 and 28 crossed the Song Meiu Giang, Kulland and Rosebeary's aircraft were met by an immediate curtain of enemy fire from every direction, hurled against them with an intensity that defied belief. Rosebeary in his Cobra Blueghost 28 responded with rockets and 40mm fire but both helicopters were struck multiple times.
Kulland flying Blueghost 39 tried to turn back south but only managed to crash-land his stricken aircraft, about 6.7 kilometres (4.2 mi) east of Hambleton and 0.9 miles (1.4 km) north of the river in an area full of NVA. When the helicopter smashed into the ground, the only mobile crew member was SPC5 Jose Astorga, the door gunner, who had been wounded. He tried but was unable to extract other hurt crew members. Paschall was pinned in the wreckage. Frink, who was seriously wounded, urged Astorga to get out and away from the aircraft. A few moments later advancing North Vietnamese soldiers fired on the wreckage with automatic weapons and the aircraft's fuel cell exploded with the remainder of the crew inside. Astorga was captured but pilots 1st Lt. Byron Kulland and WO
Warrant Officer
A warrant officer is an officer in a military organization who is designated an officer by a warrant, as distinguished from a commissioned officer who is designated an officer by a commission, or from non-commissioned officer who is designated an officer by virtue of seniority.The rank was first...
John Frink along with Sp5c
Specialist (rank)
Specialist is one of the four junior enlisted ranks in the U.S. Army, just above Private First Class and equivalent in pay grade to Corporal. Unlike Corporals, Specialists are not considered junior non-commissioned officers...
Ronald Paschall were killed.
Rosebeary flying Cobra Blueghost 28 called a Mayday
Mayday (distress signal)
Mayday is an emergency procedure word used internationally as a distress signal in voice procedure radio communications. It derives from the French venez m'aider, meaning "come help me"....
but was able to safely exit the area and landed his severely damaged helicopter. His aircraft was totaled. He and Gunner Warrant Officer Charles Gorski were picked up by a HH-53C helicopter (Jolly Green 67), without incident. Rosebeary warned other aircraft against crossing the river. When Morse in Sandy 07 learned that the quick-snatch had failed, he and his wingman
Wingman
A wingman is a pilot who supports another in a potentially dangerous flying environment. Wingman was originally a term referring to the plane flying beside and slightly behind the lead plane in an aircraft formation....
Sandy 08 broke off engaging the enemy and returned to Da Nang. Both Sandys were found to be so damaged they would take several days to repair. At 9:00 p.m., Nail 59, piloted by Gary Ferentchak who was flying a new version of the OV-10A aircraft equipped with the Pave Nail LORAN
LORAN
LORAN is a terrestrial radio navigation system using low frequency radio transmitters in multiple deployment to determine the location and speed of the receiver....
radar, took over FAC duties. The SAR efforts were suspended for the night and the U.S. and ARVN forces remained unaware of the true strength of the NVA offensive. Advised by FAC to remain in place, Hambleton moved to a safer spot in the jungle and dug a hole to hide in until morning. During the night, Nail 59 and King 27, an HC-130 commanded by Maj. Dennis Constant, stayed. They suddenly found themselves painted by Fan Song
Fan Song
The Fan Song is the NATO reporting name for a series of trailer-mounted E band/F band and G band fire control and tracking radars for use with the Soviet SA-2 Guideline surface-to-air missile system.- Description :...
radar and narrowly missed getting shot down as well. At 53 years old, Hambleton was not a prime candidate to survive the cold, wet weather conditions.
No fire zone
The Joint Search and Rescue Command (JSARC) was under the direction of the director of aerospace rescue, Col. Cecil Muirhead, who could restrict airspace activity for the use of search and rescue forces. He also commanded all the dedicated assets needed to assist with SAR. Muirhead ordered 24 hour forward air controlForward air control
Forward air control is the provision of guidance to Close Air Support aircraft intended to ensure that their attack hits the intended target and does not injure friendly troops. This task is carried out by a forward air controller . For NATO forces the qualifications and experience required to be...
(FAC) coverage around Hambleton's position to watch over him and soften up the enemy positions around him. To protect the downed airmen and the search and rescue forces, Muirhead also ordered the 7th Air Force
Seventh Air Force
The Seventh Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea....
to establish a standard 27 kilometres (16.8 mi) no-fire zone around Hambleton. It prohibited friendly artillery, naval gunfire, or aircraft from engaging any target in the zone without JSARC approval. Three enemy divisions were attacking and the 3rd ARVN could not reply for several hours with artillery or request tactical air strikes in the area.
More aircraft lost
On April 3, air search and rescueCombat search and rescue
Combat search and rescue are search and rescue operations that are carried out during war that are within or near combat zones.A CSAR mission may be carried out by a task force of helicopters, ground-attack aircraft, tankers and an airborne command post...
forces attempted a first light rescue which can successfully achieve surprise with minimal force. A search and rescue crew took off from the 37th AARS
37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron
37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron was a rescue squadron of the USAF active during the Vietnam War.-History:On 8 January 1966, the 37th ARRS was activated at Danang Air Base operating 5 HU-16s on loan from the 31st ARRS and the 33rd ARRS and with a Detachment at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force...
based at Nakhon Phanom, Thailand. It consisted of two HH-53 rescue helicopters, Jolly Green 65 and 67, and two A-1 Skyraiders, Sandy 07 and 08. Sandy 05 and 06 joined them on the scene. The area was covered in a solid overcast, preventing visual control of air strikes by the on-scene OV-10A FAC, Nail 25. Capt. Rocky Smith and Capt. Rick Atchison coordinated the work of several F-4s who were directed to drop CBU-42 anti-personnel cluster bomb
Cluster bomb
A cluster munition is a form of air-dropped or ground-launched explosive weapon that releases or ejects smaller sub-munitions. Commonly, this is a cluster bomb that ejects explosive bomblets that are designed to kill enemy personnel and destroy vehicles...
s around Hambleton to help protect his position. When Nail 25 ran low on fuel, it was replaced by an OV-10 (Nail 38) from the 23rd TASS flown by Capt. William J. Henderson (Nail 38 Alpha) and 1st Lt. Mark Clark (Nail 38 Bravo, and grandson of World War II General Mark Clark ).
The NVA were very familiar with American SAR tactics and on the second day they may have begun to use the downed flyer as bait. They positioned a number of anti-aircraft and surface-to-air missiles in the area near Hambleton. One pilot reported that "SAM calls were driving us into the small arms threat. Ground fire was accurate and well disciplined... The NVA were very definitely monitoring and jamming our communications."
LORAN
LORAN is a terrestrial radio navigation system using low frequency radio transmitters in multiple deployment to determine the location and speed of the receiver....
fixes on Hambleton's position. Coast Guard Lt. Commander Jay Crowe, an exchange pilot on assignment to the 37th ARRS
37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron
37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron was a rescue squadron of the USAF active during the Vietnam War.-History:On 8 January 1966, the 37th ARRS was activated at Danang Air Base operating 5 HU-16s on loan from the 31st ARRS and the 33rd ARRS and with a Detachment at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force...
at Da Nang, was piloting Jolly Green 65. The helicopter broke through the clouds and rapidly dropped into the area where Hambleton was hidden. The aircraft was immediately struck by a wall of enemy gunfire. Enemy rounds tore through the aircraft, destroying the instrument panel. He struggled to get the aircraft out of the fire zone. With his instruments shot up, he had to rely on external visual cues to fly the aircraft. He nursed the helicopter south and was able to get to the Phu Bai airfield. Jolly Green 66 flown by Lt. Colonel Bill Harris followed, only to break through the low ceiling to face ten enemy tanks and a withering onslaught of ground fire. He fought the controls to bring his rescue helicopter within 100 yards (91.4 m) of Hambleton, his gunners firing the airship's three GAU-2
Minigun
The Minigun is a 7.62 mm, multi-barrel heavy machine gun with a high rate of fire , employing Gatling-style rotating barrels with an external power source...
/A 7.62 mm (.308 in) six-barreled miniguns, engaging the enemy on every side. A pilot flying support, looking for targets to engage, asked, "Where's the enemy fire coming from?" Harris replied, "From EVERYWHERE!" Somehow Harris managed to get his badly damaged aircraft to gain altitude, then limp back to safety.
Forced to fly in and out of cloud cover at perilously low altitudes, FAC Nail 38,FACs from Da Nang Air Force Based used the call sign
Call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
s Covey and Bilk, while aircraft from Nakhon Phanom used Nail. piloted by Henderson was hit by enemy fire and shot down. Henderson landed on the north side of the Song Meiu Giang, about 500 metres (1,640.4 ft) from Hambleton. He hid in a bamboo patch until local villagers came looking for him and cut it down. He was taken north and became a POW. Clark parachuted to the ground safely on the south side of river and eluded capture. Later that same day, another UH-1H slick, unrelated to the rescue operation, was shot down in the same area carrying a crew of four.
After pinpointing Hambleton's location, the Air Force bombarded the area around him for the next three days. On April 4, a flight of ten Douglas A-1 Skyraiders, half the total available in all of South Vietnam, attempted to pave the way for a SAR team, and it was badly shot up. Eight of the ten aircraft were damaged, two severely. The damage significantly affected the availability of the Skyraiders.
On April 5, bad weather prevented any SAR activity.
On April 6 at 3:15 p.m., a third attempt was made to pick Hambleton and now Clark up. Four Douglas A-1 Skyraiders (Sandys 01, 02, 05, and 06) prepared the area around the survivors with extensive bombing and strafing. They were assisted by two HH53C helicopters (Jolly Green 67 and Jolly Green 60) from the 37th Air Rescue Squadron
37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron
37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron was a rescue squadron of the USAF active during the Vietnam War.-History:On 8 January 1966, the 37th ARRS was activated at Danang Air Base operating 5 HU-16s on loan from the 31st ARRS and the 33rd ARRS and with a Detachment at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force...
.
Capt. Peter Chapman volunteered to pilot Jolly Green 67, despite the fact he was "short", due to return home very soon. Capt. Boli in Sandy 01 decided they would pick up Bat 21 Bravo (Hambleton) first and Nail 38 Bravo (Clark) immediately after. At 5:10 p.m., Sandy 03 joined the group with a full load of white phosphorus that could be used to lay down a smoke screen. Sandy 01 called in additional strikes on targets around Hambleton's position and re-checked the area. Enemy response was limited. Aware it could be a trap, he nonetheless gave the go-ahead. As Jolly Green 67 crossed the Song Meiu Giang with Jolly Green 60 high and above guarding their approach, Jolly Green 67 began taking fire from all sides. As it approached Hambleton's position, they called for him to pop his smoke and reveal his position. The aircraft was pummeled with automatic weapons and anti-aircraft fire from all quarters. Hambleton hesitated, and the Jolly Green tried to pull away. Despite the best efforts of the remaining aircraft, Jolly Green 67 was critically damaged.
Jolly Green 67 flew east at first, further into enemy territory, before it turned southeast for a few kilometers, when a fire broke out in the left engine. Pieces of the tail rotor struck the main rotor, and the aircraft rolled and crashed on its left side, burning ferociously. No rescue beepers were heard. The entire crew was listed as MIA
Missing in action
Missing in action is a casualty Category assigned under the Status of Missing to armed services personnel who are reported missing during active service. They may have been killed, wounded, become a prisoner of war, or deserted. If deceased, neither their remains nor grave can be positively...
and presumed killed: Capt. Peter Hayden Chapman II (pilot), Capt. John Henry Call III (co-pilot), TSgt.
Technical Sergeant
Technical Sergeant is the name of one current and two former enlisted ranks in the United States military.-United States Air Force:Technical Sergeant, or Tech Sergeant, is the sixth enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force, just above Staff Sergeant and below Master Sergeant. A technical sergeant is...
William Roy Pearson, TSgt. Allen J. Avery (para-rescuemen), TSgt. Roy D. Prater (Crew Chief), and Sgt.
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
James Harold Alley (combat photographer). The fire consuming the helicopter was so hot it melted parts of the aircraft and continued to burn for three more days.
Hambleton's and Clark's spirits sank when they realized that six men died while attempting to rescue them. After a stern sermon from the FAC, Hambleton decided, "Hell, I'm going to get out of this, regardless." He camouflaged his hole, hiding there for seven nights and six days. He left the hole twice to scavenge for food and was almost caught the second time when he was spotted by a boy and his dog. NVA soldiers searching for him passed within 20 feet (6.1 m) of his hole twice.
The SAR task force mission leader, Capt. Fred Boli in Sandy 01, called the rescue off for now because it was too dangerous. The remaining aircraft exited to the south across the Song Meiu Giang. The area was just too hot. Hambleton and Clark would have to spend another night behind enemy lines. The North Vietnamese, alerted by the American's intense efforts to find the navigator, increased their efforts to find Hambleton.
NVA strength prevents air rescue
All of the SAR teams were experienced in conducting rescues into what they described as "hot LZsLanding Zone
A Landing Zone or "LZ" is a military term for any area where an aircraft can land.In the United States military, a landing zone is the actual point where aircraft land...
", but the airmen were shocked by the quantity and intensity of the ground and anti-aircraft fire they had faced since the rescue attempt began. This included not only small arms fire and the previously used 23mm
ZSU-23-4
The ZSU-23-4 "Shilka" is a lightly armored, self-propelled, radar guided anti-aircraft weapon system . ZSU stands for Zenitnaya Samokhodnaya Ustanovka , meaning "anti-aircraft self-propelled mount". The "23" signifies the bore diameter in millimeters. The "4" signifies the number of gun barrels. It...
, 37mm and 57mm
57 mm AZP S-60
57 mm AZP S-60 ; literally: Automatic anti-aircraft gun S-60) is a Soviet towed, road-transportable, short- to medium-range, single-barrel anti-aircraft gun from the 1950s. The gun was extensively used in Warsaw Pact, Middle Eastern and South-East Asian countries.-History:In the late 1940s, the...
towed guns, but the 85mm and 100mm
100 mm air defense gun KS-19
100 mm air defense gun KS-19 was a Soviet anti-aircraft gun. Following the end of the Second World War the Soviet Union introduced into service the 100 mm KS-19 and 130 mm KS-30....
towed guns, along with the self-propelled, radar-guided 57mm
ZSU-57-2
The ZSU-57-2 is a Soviet self-propelled anti-aircraft gun , armed with two 57 mm autocannons. 'ZSU' stands for Zenitnaya Samokhodnaya Ustanovka , meaning "anti-aircraft self-propelled mount", '57' stands for the bore of the armament in millimetres and '2' stands for the number of gun barrels....
AAA gun
Anti-aircraft warfare
NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
. Most surprising to the Americans were the large presence of SA-2 SAMs, and for the first time the use of the Soviet SA-7 Grail
Strela 2
The 9K32 “Strela-2” is a man-portable, shoulder-fired, low-altitude surface-to-air missile system with a high explosive warhead and passive infrared homing guidance...
shoulder-fired, heat-seeking SAM. During April 6, 80 SAMs were launched by the NVA in the area around Hambleton. It was estimated that Hambleton and Clark were in the midst of five or six NVA battalions. The NVA air defense seriously challenged American air superiority and seriously blunted the success of close air support
Close air support
In military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces.The determining factor for CAS is...
in the area.
Helicopter Squadron commander Lt. Col. Bill Harris was very upset. He concluded the air rescue could not be attempted at that time due to the heavy concentration of enemy forces in the immediate area around Clark and Hambleton. He called Col. Muirhead and told them they had to find another way. Hambleton was told to sit tight while they worked up an alternative plan. Hambleton had two survival radios, a first aid kit, an empty water bottle, two kinds of flares, a knife and a .38 caliber revolver, a compass and a map, but no food.
On the morning of April 7 1st Lt. Bruce C. Walker accompanied by naval artillery spotter Marine Lt. Larry F. Potts were flying USAF OV10A (Covey 282) from 20th Tactical Air Support Squadron
20th Tactical Air Support Squadron
The 20th Tactical Air Support Squadron is the former name of the 20th Reconnaissance Squadron, a unit of the United States Air Force. It is currently assigned to the 432d Wing at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada. Its original term of service overlapped World War II, and it was inactivated in 1949...
. Potts was directing naval gunfire from the destroyer USS Buchanan
USS Buchanan
Three ships of the United States Navy have been named Buchanan, in honor of Captain , Admiral Franklin Buchanan.* The , was a Wickes-class destroyer, transferred to the Royal Navy as HMS Campbeltown....
(DDG-14) against Soviet-supplied enemy tanks to protect Hambleton. At 11:05 a.m., an O2 Birddog pilot observed a SAM launch and Covey 282 was shot down 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Highway 1 and 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Highway 9. Radio contact was established with both Potts and Walker, and both reported that they were uninjured, but each man was too close to the enemy to attempt a rescue.
Clark hid on the south side of the Song Meiu Giang, while Walker was about 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) north of Hambleton, who was on the north side of the river about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from the town of Cam Lo. Clark evaded capture for a number of days and was in contact with SAR personnel when he warned them away due to the proximity of enemy forces. In January 1992, members of the Joint Task Force for Full Accounting
Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command
The Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command is a joint task force within the United States Department of Defense whose mission is to account for Americans who are listed as Prisoners Of War , or Missing In Action , from all past wars and conflicts. It has been especially visible in conjunction with the...
examined war artifacts in the Hanoi military museum and found Bruce Walker's ID card. The disposition and location of Potts, Walker's backseat spotter, are unknown. It was Potts' 25th birthday. Conflicting accounts report that Potts was either captured while trying to escape or that he had been wounded, captured alive, but later died in Quang Binh prison
Quang Binh Province
Quảng Bình , formerly Tiên Bình under the reign of Le Trung Hung of the Lê Dynasty, this province was renamed Quảng Bình in 1604) is a province in the North Central Coast of Vietnam....
.
Ground rescue
After five days and multiple attempts to rescue Hambleton, five aircraft had been shot down and another 16 seriously damaged, 10 service members had been killed or were missing in action, two were POWsPrisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
, and two were behind enemy lines also waiting to be rescued. On April 8, Gen. Creighton Abrams
Creighton Abrams
Creighton Williams Abrams Jr. was a general in the United States Army who commanded military operations in the Vietnam War from 1968–72 which saw U.S. troop strength in Vietnam fall from a peak of 543,000 to 49,000. He served as Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1972 until shortly...
was briefed on the high losses in the several failed attempts to rescue Hambleton and Clark. He ordered that no further air CSAR would be attempted, but that given Hambleton's Top Secret clearance and knowledge of missiles and counter-measure technology, that every effort should be made to bring him out.
USMC Col. Al Gray suggested a covert, land-based rescue operation. and Lt. Col. Andy Anderson, commander of the Joint Search and Rescue Command, ordered a ground rescue. In Saigon, Navy SEAL
United States Navy SEALs
The United States Navy's Sea, Air and Land Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's principal special operations force and a part of the Naval Special Warfare Command as well as the maritime component of the United States Special Operations Command.The acronym is derived from their...
Lt. j.g. Thomas R. Norris
Thomas R. Norris
Thomas Rolland Norris is a retired United States Navy SEAL who received the Medal of Honor for his ground rescue with the assistance of Petty Officer Third Class Nguyen Van Kiet of two downed pilots in Quang Tri Province, Vietnam on April 10, 1972 – April 13, 1972...
, one of just three SEAL officers and nine enlisted men remaining in Vietnam, had just completed an assignment in the Mekong Delta
Mekong Delta
The Mekong Delta is the region in southwestern Vietnam where the Mekong River approaches and empties into the sea through a network of distributaries. The Mekong delta region encompasses a large portion of southwestern Vietnam of . The size of the area covered by water depends on the season.The...
. He was waiting for orders when the call came in for a commando operation to get Hambleton out. Norris was immediately dispatched to lead an operation to rescue Hambleton. He joined a five Vietnamese frog-men (Lien Doc Nguoi Nhia – LDNN) Naval Advisory Detachment, Sea Commando team from Da Nang.
ARVN
Army of the Republic of Vietnam
The Army of the Republic of Viet Nam , sometimes parsimoniously referred to as the South Vietnamese Army , was the land-based military forces of the Republic of Vietnam , which existed from October 26, 1955 until the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975...
Brigadier General Vu Van Giai gave Anderson a Ranger platoon of about 20 men and three M-48
M48 Patton
The M48 Patton is a medium tank that was designed in the United States. It was the third and final tank to be officially named after General George S. Patton, commander of the U.S. Third Army during World War II and one of the earliest American advocates for the use of tanks in battle It was a...
tanks that they used to set up a forward operating base along Highway QL-9 within observation range of the strategic Cam Lo Bridge. But Giai thought the mission was insane and refused to take responsibility for the mission once they crossed the Song Meiu Giang. Anderson, who spoke Vietnamese, obtained additional intelligence from the headquarters of the 1st Armor Brigade near Đông Hà
Dong Ha
Đông Hà is the capital town of Quang Tri province, Vietnam. It is located at around . Dong Ha is situated at the crossroads of National Highway 1A and Route 9, part of the East-West Economic Corridor . It lies on the Reunification Express Railway and is served by Dong Ha Railway Station...
.
Ad hoc code used
The U.S. rescuers knew the North Vietnamese were monitoring radio communications and understood English. Clark and Hambleton were several miles apart. A forward air controller told Clark, who was from Idaho, to "Get to the SnakeSnake River
The Snake is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest in the United States. At long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean...
, make like Esther Williams
Esther Williams
Esther Jane Williams is a retired American competitive swimmer and MGM movie star.Williams set multiple national and regional swimming records in her late teens as part of the Los Angeles Athletic Club swim team...
and float to Boston." In other words, get to the river and swim east.
Hambleton had to bypass enemy-occupied villages and gun emplacements. His rescuers learned that he was one of the best golfers in the Air Force and retained a detailed memory of the golf courses he had played. They came up with a code using a series of specific golf-course holes to guide him through the mine fields sown to protect him and to get him to the Song Meiu Giang. They radioed him, "You´re going to play 18 holes and you´re going to get in the Swanee
Old Folks at Home
"Old Folks at Home" is a minstrel song written by Stephen Foster in 1851. It was intended to be performed by the New York blackface troupe Christy's Minstrels. E. P. Christy, the troupe's leader, appears on early printings of the sheet music as the song's creator...
and make like Esther Williams
Esther Williams
Esther Jane Williams is a retired American competitive swimmer and MGM movie star.Williams set multiple national and regional swimming records in her late teens as part of the Los Angeles Athletic Club swim team...
and Charlie the Tuna
Charlie the Tuna
Charlie the Tuna, the cartoon mascot tuna for StarKist Tuna, was created by Tom Rogers of the Leo Burnett Agency after StarKist hired Leo Burnett in 1961. StarKist Tuna is the name of a brand of tuna currently owned by Dongwon Industries....
. The round starts on No. 1 at Tucson National."
Hambleton initially replied, "What have you been smoking?" But he broke the code. "It took me a half-hour to figure out they were giving me distance and direction," Hambleton says. "No. 1 at Tucson National is 408 yards running southeast. They wanted me to move southeast 400 yards. The `course´ would lead me to water."
Using the golf course code, he was directed towards the Song Meiu Giang. To save time, Hambleton passed through the abandoned village that concealed the guns which shot down his would-be rescuers. Although the village had been bombed, he was confronted by a North Vietnamese soldier. Hambleton killed him using a knife in hand-to-hand combat. At one point he was given directions to a "refreshment stand" where he would have to "tap his own keg." Physically exhausted, hungry and dehydrated, Hambleton found a banana plantation where he could tap the tree for drinking water. He got lost briefly, and then fell off a cliff, breaking his arm.
The U.S. command in Saigon ordered special high-altitude B-52 bombing raids on nearby targets to divert the Vietnamese from searching for the two men, who were several miles apart.
Commandos cross lines
Anderson now planned to rescue Hambleton and Clark. Norris and Anderson called in air strikes in an attempt to weaken the NVA's resistance, but the NVA answered with mortar rounds and B-40 rocketsRPG-2
The RPG-2 was the first rocket-propelled grenade launcher designed in the Soviet Union.-Development:The RPG-2 , was a man-portable, shoulder-launched rocket-propelled grenade anti-armor weapon...
that struck the team’s position. Lt. Col. Anderson, the senior American commander, and Lt. Tho Ngoc Vu, the senior Vietnamese commando, and all of the Vietnamese officers were hurt and had to be evacuated. One commando was killed. Norris was left with five Vietnamese commandos who spoke little English.
On April 9, Hambleton's eighth day of evading the enemy forces all around him, FAC Harold Icke on Bilk 11 kept in constant contact with Hambleton. Icke directed Sandy 01 to drop a Madden survival pack containing food, water, ammunition and extra radios to Hambleton, but it fell 50 metres (164 ft) away, slightly above him, and he was too weak to climb up to it. Icke and the pilots of two A-1 Skyraiders were shocked to see Hambleton come out his hiding place and stand in the open on a sandbar in the river, waving a white flag at them above. Icke knew Hambleton's mental and physical health were precarious. Unknown to him, Hambleton was considerably weakened, having lost 40 pounds (18.1 kg) in the 10 days since his jet had been shot down.
OV-10 pilot Clark was closest to the team' s position and would be rescued first. Clark was relayed instructions to get in the water and float downstream where Norris and his team would intercept him. Anderson ordered Norris to take his team no more than 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) forward and wait for the survivors to come to them, but Norris defied the order, turned off his radio and avoiding numerous enemy patrols, went twice that distance. Anderson, Norris, and five Vietnamese commandos set up an overwatch position near the Mieu Giang River, which ran near the positions of both downed airmen.
Clark was seriously weakened by five days hiding from the enemy with little to eat. He floated down the cold river and at about 2-3:00 a.m., just as Norris was about to break his cover to pull Clark to shore, a six-man NVA
Vietnam People's Army
The Vietnam People's Army is the armed forces of Vietnam. The VPA includes: the Vietnamese People's Ground Forces , the Vietnam People's Navy , the Vietnam People's Air Force, and the Vietnam Marine Police.During the French Indochina War , the VPA was often referred to as the Việt...
patrol walked between them. Norris refrained from opening fire, recognizing this would compromise the covert mission and that they were outgunned. When the patrol was gone, so was Clark. Norris radioed Clark and instructed him to get out of the river on the south bank. On his own initiative, Norris left his team and searched the river for Clark for several hours before finally finding Clark hiding behind a sampan on the riverbank. Norris was able to re-link up with the rest of his team and safely deliver Clark to Anderson at the forward operating base. Clark was transported to Đông Hà
Dong Ha
Đông Hà is the capital town of Quang Tri province, Vietnam. It is located at around . Dong Ha is situated at the crossroads of National Highway 1A and Route 9, part of the East-West Economic Corridor . It lies on the Reunification Express Railway and is served by Dong Ha Railway Station...
by an ARVN M113 armored personnel carrier
M113 armored personnel carrier
The M113 is a fully tracked armored personnel carrier that has formed the backbone of the United States Army's mechanized infantry units from the time of its first fielding in Vietnam in April 1962. The M113 was the most widely used armored vehicle of the U.S...
and then flown to Da Nang.
On April 11, Hambleton was too weak to move any farther. Norris could only follow parts of Hambleton's weak transmissions but knew he would have to go to him. Norris was already well past the 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) limit Anderson had imposed on him, but Norris weighed the risks and decided to try again. During their search for Hambleton that night, two of the commandos refused to press the mission further, saying they "refused to follow an American just to rescue an American." Norris was left with only three Vietnamese commandos who spoke little English. Approaching dawn, Norris was going to proceed alone when Petty Officer Third Class Nguyen Van Kiet
Nguyen Van Kiet
Nguyen Van Kiet was a Petty Officer Third Class in the Republic of Vietnam Navy and is one of only two South Vietnamese, and the only South Vietnamese Navy member, to receive the Navy Cross for actions during the Vietnam War. The other recipient was ARVN PFC Tran Van Bay).In April 1972, United...
volunteered to stay with him. They took an abandoned sampan
Sampan
A sampan is a relatively flat bottomed Chinese wooden boat from long. Some sampans include a small shelter on board, and may be used as a permanent habitation on inland waters. Sampans are generally used for transportation in coastal areas or rivers, and are often used as traditional fishing boats...
and, disguised as fishermen, cautiously searched the river shore for two more hours without success. They reluctantly returned to their forward operating base to rest and hope they would be more successful the next night. Icke fixed Hambleton's position during the day so Norris could find him that night.
On the night of April 12, Norris and Nguyen found a deserted village and clothing which they used to disguise themselves as fishermen. They took advantage of the abandoned sampan
Sampan
A sampan is a relatively flat bottomed Chinese wooden boat from long. Some sampans include a small shelter on board, and may be used as a permanent habitation on inland waters. Sampans are generally used for transportation in coastal areas or rivers, and are often used as traditional fishing boats...
to row quietly up the river. Even in the pitch dark and dense fog, they could see large numbers of North Vietnamese soldiers and tanks on the shoreline. Stopping to check his map at one point, Norris suddenly realized that two enemy soldiers were sitting about 10 metres (32.8 ft) away. Fortunately, they were asleep. Traveling upriver in the sampam, they broke out of the heavy fog and found themselves under the Cam Lo bridge. They had passed Hambleton’s position more than 30 minutes ago. Turning around, they finally found Hambleton sitting in a clump of bushes, alive but partly delirious. Sunrise was coming, and although Norris thought it best to wait until dark to return downriver, Hambleton needed to be evacuated immediately. Despite the risk, they hid Hambleton in the bottom of the sampan, covered him with bamboo, and started downriver.
Daylight evacuation
Their sampan was soon spotted by North Vietnamese troops, some of whom fired at them, but Norris and Nguyen could not afford to return fire. However, when they rounded a bend in the river, the enemy fired on them with a heavy caliber machine gun. They pulled the sampan to the bank and turned it over to provide some cover. Icke in Bilk 11 overhead called in air support and five U.S. Navy A-4 Skyhawks led by Lt. Denny Sapp from the carrier HancockUSS Hancock (CV-19)
USS Hancock was one of 24 s built during World War II for the United States Navy. The ship was the fourth US Navy ship to bear the name, and was named for John Hancock, president of the Second Continental Congress and first governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts...
killed a number of enemy troops and provided cover for his final escape. Two A-1 Skyraiders also assisted, dropping both explosives and MK47 smoke bombs, providing a smokescreen. Returning to the river, the three men were soon able to receive support from South Vietnamese forces. Landing on the river bank, they met some ARVN soldiers who carried Hambleton back to their bunker. There, an M113 armored personnel carrier
M113 armored personnel carrier
The M113 is a fully tracked armored personnel carrier that has formed the backbone of the United States Army's mechanized infantry units from the time of its first fielding in Vietnam in April 1962. The M113 was the most widely used armored vehicle of the U.S...
carried Hambleton, Norris and Nguyen back to Brigade Headquarters in Đông Hà
Dong Ha
Đông Hà is the capital town of Quang Tri province, Vietnam. It is located at around . Dong Ha is situated at the crossroads of National Highway 1A and Route 9, part of the East-West Economic Corridor . It lies on the Reunification Express Railway and is served by Dong Ha Railway Station...
.
News reporters were very aware of the intense rescue efforts to bring Hambleton home. When the rescue team and Hambleton arrived at Đông Hà, a reporter commented to Norris, “It must have been tough out there. I bet you wouldn’t do that again.” Norris replied, “An American was down in enemy territory. Of course I’d do it again."
From Đông Hà Hambleton was transported via helicopter to Da Nang
Da Nang Air Base
Da Nang Air Base was a Republic of Vietnam Air Force facility. The United States used it as a major base during the Vietnam War , stationing Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine units there...
. He was shortly afterward evacuated to the hospital at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines where he recuperated for a month.
Norris began to plan for the rescue of Walker, still behind enemy lines. Walker managed to evade capture for almost 11 days when on the night of April 18, without FAC coverage, he moved on his own accord and ran into a local villager who alerted the North Vietnamese. They began tracking him and the next morning the FAC saw the enemy very near his position. Walker radioed the FAC that rescue should not be attempted because enemy forces were closing in and he was under fire. Bilk 36, a OV-10A flown by FAC 1st Lt. Mickey Fain, reported that Walker was surrounded by more than 20 enemy soldiers and shortly afterward saw his body lying in the grass. Walker's body was never recovered.
Rescue cost
There were no rules to apply to determine when a search and rescue was no longer cost effective.SAR priority
The Air Force remained fully committed to finding and bringing back every downed air man, regardless of the cost. Air crew's morale depended on it. Search and rescue was based on the premise that it was necessary "to secure the safety of pilots as valuable military assets and to enhance their effectiveness by boosting morale." On June 2, 1972, General John VogtJohn W. Vogt, Jr.
General John William Vogt, Jr. was commander, Allied Air Forces Central Europe, and commander in chief, U.S. Air Forces in Europe at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.-Biography:...
, commander of the 7th Air Force
Seventh Air Force
The Seventh Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea....
, sent in a huge task force of 119 aircraft to rescue Capt. Roger Locher
Roger Locher
Roger Clinton Locher is a former F-4D Phantom weapons officer and pilot who during the Vietnam War and Operation Linebacker was shot down only from Hanoi, North Vietnam. The 23 days Locher spent behind enemy lines evading capture was a record for downed airmen during the war. USAF General Vogt...
, a F-4 weapons officer who during Operation Linebacker
Operation Linebacker
Operation Linebacker was the title of a U.S. Seventh Air Force and U.S. Navy Task Force 77 aerial interdiction campaign conducted against the Democratic Republic of Vietnam from 9 May to 23 October 1972, during the Vietnam War....
had been shot down only 64 kilometres (39.8 mi) from Hanoi. When he was picked up by a HH-53 from the 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron
40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron
40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron was a helicopter rescue squadron of the USAF active during the Vietnam War.-History:...
, he was within 5 miles (8 km) of the heavily defended MiG
Mikoyan
Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG , or RSK MiG, is a Russian joint stock company. Formerly Mikoyan-and-Gurevich Design Bureau , then simply Mikoyan, it is a military aircraft design bureau, primarily designing fighter aircraft...
Yên Bái
Yen Bai
Yên Bái is a city and urban district in Vietnam. It is the capital of the Yen Bai province, in northeastern Vietnam. As of 2003 the district had a population of 78,016. The district covers an area of 58 km²....
Airfield and had eluded capture while covering 19 kilometres (11.8 mi) in enemy territory for 23 days.
There were also political overtones to Hambleton's rescue. "U.S. personnel held as prisoners of war constituted a serious political liability to the U.S. government."
As many as 90 sorties a day were called in to suppress the enemy around Hambleton. In contrast, prior to the Easter Offensive, the number of daily sorties was about 10, and during the action, peaked at about 300. During the multi-day effort to rescue the men, the Americans hit the North Vietnamese with over 800 air strikes in direct support of the rescue. Search and rescue took priority over almost all strike targets.
No-fire zone enforced
To protect the downed airmen and the search and rescue forces, Col. Cecil Muirhead ordered the 7th Air ForceSeventh Air Force
The Seventh Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea....
to establish a standard 27 kilometres (16.8 mi) no-fire zone around Hambletona shortly after he went down. it remained in effect until 10:00 p.m., and while in force it prohibited friendly artillery, naval gunfire, or aircraft from engaging any target within without JSARC approval. The no-fire zone encompassed nearly the entire combat zone of the ARVN 3rd Division
3rd Division (South Vietnam)
The 3rd Division of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam —the army of the nation state of South Vietnam that existed from 1955 to 1975—was part of the I Corps that oversaw the northernmost region of South Vietnam, the centre of Vietnam....
including the crucial Cam Lo Bridge. As a result, the South Vietnamese Army in the area was severely hampered in its efforts to stem the NVA offensive against Đông Hà
Dong Ha
Đông Hà is the capital town of Quang Tri province, Vietnam. It is located at around . Dong Ha is situated at the crossroads of National Highway 1A and Route 9, part of the East-West Economic Corridor . It lies on the Reunification Express Railway and is served by Dong Ha Railway Station...
and Quảng Trị City. During this six-hour period, thousands of NVA troops pushed into the region, designated Military Region 1
1st Military Zone (Vietnam People's Army)
1st Military Zone of Vietnam People's Army, is directly under the Ministry of Defense of Vietnam, tasked to organize, build, manage and commander fights against foreign invaders to protect the North East of Vietnam. The north-east region of Vietnam, borders with the Guangxi of China...
.
When it was seen that enemy forces were pouring through the gap unimpeded, it was reduced at 10:00 p.m. that night, but not before the action generated considerable debate. One ranking adviser commented, "When viewed in relation to all the events of the day, a worse decision could not have been made." The 3rd ARVN had lost most of its artillery in the first two days of the offensive, and in fact had surrendered two of their batteries intact to the enemy. Hambleton commented after the war, "If the taxpayers and my neighbors knew what it cost me to pull me out of there, they'd probably shoot me."
Maj. David A. Brookbank, a U.S. Air Force liaison with the 3rd Division, reported, "The operation cost the 3rd ARVN dearly." He concluded that the restriction gave the enemy "an opportunity unprecedented in the annals of warfare to advance at will." He stated, "It seems logical to assume that many South Vietnamese troops died because air and artillery support were not available." He warned his superiors that the 3rd Division's officers resented the fact that the 7th Air Force would put thousands of South Vietnamese soldiers' lives at risk to rescue one of their own.
American response to the NVA operation virtually ground to a halt as air resources were diverted to support the recovery, and for a few days defense of the northern border area was second in priority to rescuing Hambleton.
Casualties
As a direct result of the rescue operation, five aircraft were lost, 11 people were killed, and two were captured. Additional aircraft were seriously damaged. Hambleton wrote from an Air Force hospital after he was rescued. "I had to stand by and watch six young men die trying to save my life. It was a hell of a price to pay for one life. I'm very sorry." His rescue was, according to Stars and StripesStars and Stripes (newspaper)
Stars and Stripes is a news source that operates from inside the United States Department of Defense but is editorially separate from it. The First Amendment protection which Stars and Stripes enjoys is safeguarded by Congress to whom an independent ombudsman, who serves the readers' interests,...
, "the biggest U.S. air rescue
Combat search and rescue
Combat search and rescue are search and rescue operations that are carried out during war that are within or near combat zones.A CSAR mission may be carried out by a task force of helicopters, ground-attack aircraft, tankers and an airborne command post...
effort of the war
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
."
During the entire Vietnam War, search and rescue forces saved 3,883 lives at the cost of 71 rescuers and 45 aircraft.
Aftermath
The rescue of Bat 21 was a watershed event for the military and led them to find a new approach to high-threat search and rescue. They recognized that if a SAR mission was predestined to fail, it should not be attempted, and other options such as special operations, diversionary tactics and other creative approaches tailored to the situation had to be considered. Recognizing the need for an aircraft that could deliver better close air supportClose air support
In military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces.The determining factor for CAS is...
, the Air Force introduced the A-7 Corsair. The military also improved the night capability of helicopters and area denial munitions.
Hambleton received the Silver Star
Silver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
, the Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The...
, the Air Medal
Air Medal
The Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States. The award was created in 1942, and is awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.-Criteria:...
, the Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal (United States)
The Meritorious Service Medal is a military decoration presented to members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguished themselves by outstanding meritorious achievement or service to the United States subsequent to January 16, 1969...
and a Purple Heart
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
for his actions during this mission. For their heroic actions in rescuing Hambleton behind enemy lines, Lt. Thomas R. Norris
Thomas R. Norris
Thomas Rolland Norris is a retired United States Navy SEAL who received the Medal of Honor for his ground rescue with the assistance of Petty Officer Third Class Nguyen Van Kiet of two downed pilots in Quang Tri Province, Vietnam on April 10, 1972 – April 13, 1972...
was recommended for and later received the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
, although he initially declined to submit the paperwork. In 1975, Clark's and Hambleton's rescue was declassified. Navy investigators reviewed the action, interviewed participants, and recommended Norris for the Medal of Honor. He received it from President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
in a White House ceremony on October 15, 1973 attended by Micheal Thornton, another Navy SEAL who had saved Norris' life on October 31, 1972.
Norris readily supported nomination of Petty Officer Third Class Nguyen Van Kiet
Nguyen Van Kiet
Nguyen Van Kiet was a Petty Officer Third Class in the Republic of Vietnam Navy and is one of only two South Vietnamese, and the only South Vietnamese Navy member, to receive the Navy Cross for actions during the Vietnam War. The other recipient was ARVN PFC Tran Van Bay).In April 1972, United...
for the Navy Cross
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...
, the highest award the navy can give to a foreign national. Nguyen was the only South Vietnamese Naval member awarded the Navy Cross during the Vietnam War, and one of only two South Vietnamese to receive the award.
Hundred of individuals from dozens of units assisted in Hambleton's rescue, and participants in the operation received a total of 234 individual medals.
Astorga and Henderson were released in March 1973 after the war ended. The remains of the rest of the crew of Bat 21, Hambleton's EB-66E Destroyer— Bolte, Gatwood, Giannangeli, Levis, and Serex—were never recovered. Gatwood left behind a 13 week old son he had never seen, Robin F. Gatwood III. The remains of Kulland, Frink and Paschall were recovered and returned to the United States in 1995, where they were buried at Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
. The bodies of Potts and Walker were never recovered.
The remains of the crew members of HH-53C Jolly Roger 67—Chapman, Call, Avery, Prater, and Pearson, and Alley—were returned to the United States on October 1, 1997. The six were honored on November 19, 1997 in a full military funeral at Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
and a headstone commemorating all six airmen was placed at the site. Prater's remains were buried with full military honors on June 19, 2010 by his family. Alley had two weeks remaining on his tour of duty before returning home. He was buried with full military honors in Florida.
In popular culture
Two books were written about the search and rescue operation to bring Hambleton out alive: Bat-21 (1985) by William C. Anderson, and after considerable classified information was released, The Rescue of Bat 21 (1999) by Darrel D. Whitcomb.The Lt. Thomas R. Norris building at Naval Special Warfare Group Two in Little Creek, Virginia was named for Norris.
The film Bat*21 starring Gene Hackman
Gene Hackman
Eugene Allen "Gene" Hackman is an American actor and novelist.Nominated for five Academy Awards, winning two, Hackman has also won three Golden Globes and two BAFTAs in a career that spanned five decades. He first came to fame in 1967 with his performance as Buck Barrow in Bonnie and Clyde...
as Hambleton was a highly dramatized depiction of Hambleton's rescue.