Thursday October 8th , 1970
…exactly 50 years ago today.
Bull Simons, BGen Manor, and BGen Blackburn were in the White House today briefing Dr Henry Kissinger (National Security Advisor).
The photo below was taken after the mission, but it includes the decision makers that BGen Manor and Col Simons briefed at the White House exactly 50 years ago this morning.
Read the Raiders’ stories in Who Will Go.
Click Here: The book.
Wednesday October 7th, 1970
…exactly 50 years ago today.
Story by USAF Capt Tom Waldron, Apple 3
Memorable Moment #1: When we Apple crews first were told about Son Tay and saw its location, we kind of took a really deep breath and wondered if they had the wrong target!
When we first met “Barbara” and saw the camp’s location relative to the river bend and the trees inside the compound, we proposed that the approach path of the HH-3, Banana, should be a 45 degree angle off the west wall of the camp. The guard towers were at the north and south ends of that wall. Colonel Simons did not like that angle. He worried that it would make the gun towers hard to hit with the HH-3’s miniguns.
Major Marty Donohue spoke up, “Sir, I have a solution to your problem.” Col Simons asked, “Now who are you?”
“Sir, I’m Donohue, pilot of one of the Apple HH-53 helicopters. During the final approach, our HH-53 could drop down and speed ahead to cross the wall of the POW camp first. We’d be at 20 feet and 50 knots. My door/window gunners can take the towers out with our miniguns. We have another gun in the rear.” Col Simons was open to the idea and decided he wanted to see how Air Force guys shoot guns.
So, we set up a mission at one of Eglin’s gunnery ranges. The staff had set up strafing material sheets to simulate where our “items” would be located—no holes would be allowed there. Col Simons went along on the flight. After an hour’s flying, we were done.
At the debriefing, the major who was in charge of the range explained to Colonel Simons, “Sir, I did not find any bullet holes in the sheets.” Col Simons said, “Do it.”
So, now our Flight Engineer Staff Sgt Aaron Hodges would be on the crew entry gun (left side), PJ Staff Sgt Jim Rogers on crew window (right side) and PJ Staff Sgt Angus Sowell would be on the rear. That is how Apple 3 became the mission gunship.
Read Tom Waldron’s full story in Who Will Go.
Click Here: The book.
Tuesday Oct 6th, 1970
…exactly 50 years ago tonight.
On October 6th, we flew a “Full Profile,” including a three-hour flight, launching at 8pm, flying around Lower Alabama, air refueling, followed by a full ground assault on the Mockup. Then we exfiltrated with a flight back to Aux Field #3 where we did a mission debriefing at 8am.
Story by Capt Jim McClam, Redwine
Memorable Moment #1:
I remember waking from a nap aboard our HH-53 while we were flying around Alabama late at night simulating the three-hour trip from Udorn RTAFB Thailand to Son Tay, at the end of which we would be landing and conducting our ground assault on the Mockup. I looked out the right front window where the minigun was and saw a C-130 next to us. I could not believe what I saw. It looked like our HH-53 was between the left wing and the tail of the C-130! I distinctly remember rubbing my eyes in disbelief that we were so close to the C-130. I could almost reach out and touch the C-130.
Later, I learned there was another HH-53 in the same position on the right side of the C-130! The Air Force Special Operations pilots were indeed practicing their TIGHT formation flying. This tight formation flying was used on the night of the Raid during our three hour flight from Udorn, Thailand, into North Vietnam as a tactic to reduce the radar signature so our aircraft would present less of a radar pattern to the North Vietnamese should it be detected.
Below are two photos of the exact same location.
Read Jim McClam’s full story in Who Will Go.
Click Here: The book.
Monday October 5th, 1970
…exactly 50 years ago today.
The first real-time (2:18am H-Hour) Full Profile was flown on this day (but with abbreviated flight time) with all aircraft and Green Berets aboard.
I was, by no means, the biggest man. In fact, I was second shortest. The shortest raider was also the oldest NCO, Master Sergeant Galen “Pappy” Kittleson. Pappy was no stranger to combat. Pappy and I had several things in common. We were both short and stocky built. We both grew up on a farm in the Midwest. In World War II, Pappy was the youngest man in the raid on the Cabanatuan POW camp in the Philippines. I was the youngest man on this raid, 25 years junior to Pappy.
[John Gargus’ book The Son Tay Raid: American POWs in Vietnam Were Not Forgotten, on page 24, explains a little about me being the youngest raider.]
Pappy was a quiet man, but always knew what he was doing. He made history on the Son Tay Raid as the only American soldier to be on four POW raids. Pappy was well respected by everyone.
[On a side note, Pappy visited my family after he retired. In his hometown of Toeterville, Iowa, he started a group called the Alamo Scouts. It was for kids that were considering the military or kids who could just use some direction in their life. Pappy suggested to my daughter to come to his summer camp to see if she would like the military. Sadly, Pappy died a couple of months before Hana was able to attend his training camp. I attended Pappy’s funeral and it was amazing how many men that had been in Pappy’s Alamo Scout group attended to show their love and respect for him. There were doctors, military men, an FBI agent and many, many friends and family. Pappy had left an impact on a lot of people. Ross Perot paid for his headstone listing many of his accomplishments. At Pappy’s funeral, someone asked me if I was Pappy’s son—I was truly honored to receive that compliment! Pappy was a true American Hero!]
Read Sgt Terry Buckler’s full story in Who Will Go.
Click Here: The book.
Friday Oct 2nd, 1970
…exactly 50 years ago this week
In most of our training at Ft Bragg we used blanks, but for our training here at Eglin AFB we used live ammunition.
I remember one day we were throwing frag grenades (as opposed to concussion grenades) and one of the guys got hit with some shrapnel. It was only a minor cut, but it drove the point home that we needed to stay sharp.
By the end of the first month, we had practiced until every person knew not only his own position, but also the job of every person around him.
Read Sgt Terry Buckler’s full story in Who Will Go.
Click Here: The book.