INCIDENT IN II CORPS

I cannot recall the exact date but it was before August 68 as I was still in the SideKicks. The incident involved one of our slicks (H Model Huey) and the aircraft commander was one each WO R. Jorgensen, cannot remember who was flying with him that day or the aircraft tailnumber. The mission he had drawn was a typical MACV support mission for the slicks...fly to a MACV pad somewhere in II Corp and do whatever the MACV people wanted...usually ash and trash and fly so and so to and from some location. This mission was in the Plei Me Region up near Ban Me Thuot.

Jorgensen arrived and received the days mission briefing. This day in particular was to start by taking one of the Officers (a Captain) of the MACV headquarters to a remote area where he was to receive a briefing and then return him to MACV pad and await other type missions. When the officer got on board he told Jorgensen where he had to go and the aircraft was started and takeoff was initiated from the pad. The officer told Jorgenen to fly "nap of the earth" to a certain point as he wanted to study the terrain from the air and not to worry about enemy fire as this was a "secure area".

Jorgensen did as he was instructed...flying nap of the earth and then some. As they were flying along on this typical summer morning with the fog in the vallies and the smell of nukmom in the air....they flew over some Vietnamease who were walking along the road, either the MACV officer or one of the crewmembers responded on the intercom..."Wow look at the tits on that woman". Jorgensen being the wise old aircraft commander he was, was flying the aircraft. Instead of giving the controls to the peter pilot who was flying with him, he chose to continue to fly the aircraft....and at the same time...turn around to look out his left door window, to see the magnificent endowment that the young Vietnamease female had.

It was as this moment in time that God had chosen for a tree to be growing in Jorgensen's flight path and the tree was a large tree, not a sappling.  As Jorgensen was flying in one direction (heading for the tree) and looking at the female, to his left rear and below....the aircraft made HEAVY CONTACT with the tree that was in his flight path.  There was an immediate sound of wood against plexiglass (Chin Bubble and Left Windsheild) the plexiglass lost the battle...

I would have liked to have been in Major Miller's office when Jorgensen was trying to explain how this incident happened....or better yet read the incident report of damage that Major Wappes had to write up in regards to the aircraft.

Luckily no one was hurt...except the aircraft. Probably was not funny when it happened, but now, some 30+ years later...."Wow look at the tits" .....

TJ BYNUM

Stallion & Sidekick Section Leader

Nov67 - Oct68