Vietnam was America’s first helicopter war. We depended on the choppers to transport us into battle, to resupply us while in the field on operations, and to evacuate the wounded and get us out of harm’s way when needed. The helicopters were used for the infantry and also for the light artillery. Our 105MM guns were air lifted and dropped into the jungle by the choppers. This was very often by necessity since many operations were inaccessible by vehicle.
We were trained using helicopters back at Fort Riley, Kansas, but all the training in the world did not prepare us for what we faced in early February, 1967 in Vietnam. February 6, 1967 is a day that the men of B Battery, 1/11th Artillery would remember for the rest of our lives and now, over 50 years since remains with us and has become a part of our psyche. We had only been in country for a little over a month and we knew that we had many missions ahead of us that we had to rely on choppers to take us to and from combat missions.
Then the tail section came off and fell to the ground.
Cecil Bailey, Captain B Battery 1st Btn, 11th Artillery, 9th Infantry Division to Gary M. Levinson, HHQ Bty, 1/1th: “February 6th, 1967 will be a day long remembered by all of the men of B-Bty, 1/11th Artillery. On that day, Captain Cecil Bailey and SSg. Robert L. Snyder; were standing on the east side of the air strip at XOM-CAT Special Forces Camp watching the approach of a flight of UH-1D helicopters. These helicopters were bringing in elements of the 17th Cav, 173rd Airborne Brigade. The group that consisted of 11 choppers was coming in with six on the east side and five on the west side, all in normal formation and spaced properly. The aircraft were approaching from south to north. Everything seemed to be progressing satisfactorily for the landing until, the following events occurred (Captain Bailey) “when the 5th aircraft on the east side was in front of me, approximately 30 feet in the air; the tail section seemed to break off just behind the cabin assembly. The rear rotor then carried the tail section to the right and hit the cabin assembly. Then the tail section came off and fell to the ground. The cabin assembly then started to spin in a counterclockwise direction. On the second or third spin, the troops and equipment started to fly out of the cabin assembly. After approximately 8 or 10 additional spins the cabin assembly impacted approximately 20 meters off the airstrip on the east side At this time; SSG Snyder and myself ran to the cabin assembly, the engine was still running, I yelled for everyone to clear out, and called for personnel to help. The XO then said that there were still men in the chopper; I told him to get them out; and called for help. One man was taken out of the cabin and carried away. Then we discovered that the pilot was still strapped in his seat and hanging upside down. SSG Snyder and the XO cut the pilot out of the harness and he was carried away from the scene. Injured men were scattered over the airstrip, and in the area along the side of it. Personnel of this unit rushed to the injured and began administering first aid. A dustoff was called within 30 minutes all personnel had been evacuated.”
Of the 10 men aboard, 3 were killed instantly and 3 more died later in the day. Four (4) men survived.
This tragedy made every one of us extremely anxious about relying on helicopters and our year in Vietnam had only just begun!