6/25/68 was probably the date that we landed Stallion 67-17166 into an ambush while flying a MACV support mission in Phan Rang Province. I believe that Mike Palmer was the PIC, don't remember who flew right seat, I'm not sure if Hans Herm was the DG that day, and I was the CC. We got shot up but 166 was repaired and didn't have very much down time and was a real iron horse until I went back into the world on November 30th. Here's what I remember:
As I said above, we were flying a MACV support mission that day and flew from Flanders to Phan Thiet to coordinate with the US Army Captain who was advising the ARVNs in the area. Once we picked the captain and his assistant up, we were instructed to fly to the coast and land next to the beach so that he could meet with the ARVN commander in charge of whatever operation they were on. We made our approach to the meeting site from the North and landed facing South...this was very fortunate because it probably saved our lives.
After we landed and Palmer reduced power to an idle, the captain et-al left to meet with the ARVNS. I was facing the ocean and had twisted around so that I could see what was going on on the right side where the meeting was taking place. Suddenly, I see the ARVNs drop to their knees and begin firing to the North behind the aircraft. Then I see a black object go arcing over our rotator blades, land and roll to a stop about 50 feet in front of the AC at about the 12:30 position and explode. Palmer wound the ship up, the captain, et-al, ran back and jumped in, and we took off. I'm looking all over trying to get a fix on the bad guys but all I could see was a beautiful seascape. As I was looking out, I felt my left boot get moved a little bit to the side...a round had come up thru the fuel bladder and out between my legs, pushing my boot aside as it exited. It's very fortunate that we landed from the North, because Charley would have had dead-on clear shots of our cockpit had we landed from the South.
Afterward, Hans, or whoever the DG was, said that a gernade had landed and came to rest under the right front door but was a dud. I think we ended up with around 24 bullet holes, of which couple went thru the fuel bladders, a couple went thru the tail rotor drive shafts, and the rest were around the tail boom area. The MACV captain sustained an arm scratch and tried to talk us into being witnesses for him to receive a purple heart...didn' t happen.
Bob Shipp
’67-‘68
CC Stallion 500 & 166
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I had forgotten about that grenade. I saw it land and watched it as it didn't go off. I guess being a "dud" can be a good thing.
John Coombs was in the left seat. That was when we (sometimes) had 2 PIC's flying together. I had taken my PIC ride about 2 weeks earlier. I remember that the DG was not Hans. I think it was one of the twins.
The stop on the right side 60 prevented getting the VC that was in the bushes at about the 5 o'clock position. I remember the cussing on the intercom. The other VC was behind the temple at my 3 o'clock. Every time he stuck his head out, I popped a 38 round at him. Good thing we took off when we did - 6 shots from a revolver was coming up a bit too few to do much damage. I think it was this guy that put the rounds up through the fuel cell. Based on the angle of entry of the rest of the holes, some were probably caused by the VC behind the temple, just as we were taking off. I remain convinced that some of those holes were actually "friendly" fire from the ARVNs that were on the hill behind the temple. Great shots those ARVNs! The round that nicked the top of the 45 degree gearbox housing is still the one that gives me the chills. I teensy bit lower and none of us would be here.
Bob- remember that we had to go back after the Lt. that ran away during the shooting? We found him about a mile down the road behind the sand dune. BTW - If you had been over the gun when that round came up, we wouldn't be having this discussion. It probably would have removed your face.
The wound to the Capt. was mostly his shirt sleeve. I'm not sure he shed any blood.
Long live the "Strawberry Alarm Clock"!
Mike Palmer
92nd AHC
1/68 - 1/69
"Sidekick 13"
