I have the following recollection of a mission conducted on 24 Oct 1970. The mission was a 3 ship mission in support of an ROK reaction force to engage a Viet Cong element that was observed by reconnaissance aircraft. I was in command of the two lift helicopters and there was one C&C helicopter for the ROK and US liaison officer. Shortly after the mission began, the second lift helicopter developed mechanical problems and has to abort after the first insertion of ROK troops and my aircraft completed the remaining lift sorties for the reaction force. As stated in the attached orders and citation, we engaged some of the enemy soldiers and located one by blowing down the high grass he was hiding in. We landed right next to the enemy soldier and when the ROK soldiers on board saw a hostile movement from the enemy soldier, they fired on him, killing him. The ROK soldiers then deployed from the opposite side of the aircraft and moved off in that direction, I ordered the crew chief (wish I could remember his name) to jump out and recover the automatic weapon from the enemy KIA. The entire action was observed by the personnel in the C&C aircraft, which resulted in the
CITATION for this mission.
