Posted on Mar 16, 2015
Searching for WHITE DUSTOFF BIRD -- Vietnam 08/28/1972
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Do you have any suggestions about how to identify the UH1 / Pilots / Crew of a big white DUSTOFF bird that was carrying additional medical relief from Pleiku to Kontum . . . autorotated in after enemy fire took out the power plant . . . 08/28/72. I understand our friend wants to locate and thank the pilots and crew members.
My "Dust Off" bird was a Huey UH1 painted white. Flying from our hospital pad (67th Evac. Hosp) in Pleiku. Date: August 28, 1972. Went down on the road leading from Pleiku north to Kontum. Took fire as we were attempting to land and pick up a girl lying in the road in front of an abandoned truck. ( turned out girl was dead ). We had no ground contact. Turns out column of ARVN was apparently pinned down by enemy fire and we just happened to land in the middle of it. Pilots were Warrant Officers. We had a Medic ( Dave Lehman ), a Doctor Brinker, Dr. Dave Gatti, a Crew Chief and one other Doctor who was a Lt. Colonel ( Orthpod ). Anyway there were no fatalities and one wounded ( Gatti ). One attempted rescue took fire and failed. We crawled south and picked up around 6pm. The helicopter was picked up day or 2 later by Chinook and brought to Camp Holloway.
Warmest Regards, Sandy ( http://www.linkedin.com/in/armynurse )
My "Dust Off" bird was a Huey UH1 painted white. Flying from our hospital pad (67th Evac. Hosp) in Pleiku. Date: August 28, 1972. Went down on the road leading from Pleiku north to Kontum. Took fire as we were attempting to land and pick up a girl lying in the road in front of an abandoned truck. ( turned out girl was dead ). We had no ground contact. Turns out column of ARVN was apparently pinned down by enemy fire and we just happened to land in the middle of it. Pilots were Warrant Officers. We had a Medic ( Dave Lehman ), a Doctor Brinker, Dr. Dave Gatti, a Crew Chief and one other Doctor who was a Lt. Colonel ( Orthpod ). Anyway there were no fatalities and one wounded ( Gatti ). One attempted rescue took fire and failed. We crawled south and picked up around 6pm. The helicopter was picked up day or 2 later by Chinook and brought to Camp Holloway.
Warmest Regards, Sandy ( http://www.linkedin.com/in/armynurse )
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Vietnam
Vietnam
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 3
SFC Mark Merino
That is awesome TSgt J.D. Hall.
1LT Sandy Annala if you have the full 7 numbers of the tail number I can get my active friends to look up the historical records. Even though they aren't in service the records are archived. It will add a few pieces to the puzzle (but not anyone's name).
1LT Sandy Annala in the Scout community, we have a website that lists every airframe type and date acft downed, cause, and crew lost. I'll see if they do the same in the Huey community. I still know some 67N crewdogs and pilots. Anyone from the aviation community care to chime in on this so we can make this happen?
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