2. Demons Medevac Dustoff 268th CAB Newsletter

The following article appeared in the September 15, 1969 issue of the 268th Combat Aviation Battalion Newsletter.

13 September 1969 - Phu Hiep - On an urgent Dustoff scramble during dark morning hours a Demon slick from the 134^th Aviation Company (Assault Helicopter) was called on to pick up the crew from a downed Dustoff aircraft. Shortly after takeoff, a Dustoff ship from the 498^th Air Ambulance Company plunged down, totally destroying itself due to a mechanical malfunction. A Devil gun team was on takeoff when the Dustoff went down and immediately called for another Dustoff.

While sweeping the area, the Devils spotted a strobe light and headed for it. Their search lights picked out the figures of the Dustoff crew climbing out of an inverted UH-lH in about four feet of the mucky water of Ban Thagh.

Demon 14 commanded, by W01 Bruce Schroeder (Santa Anna, California) was on its way to a flare drop, but immediately set down to pick up the Crew chief SP4 Richard A. Pemberton (Bellefontaine, Ohio) helped the crew into the ship as the guns from the Devils overhead suppressed fire from any enemy who might be in the vicinity. The crew was then medevaced to Tuy Hoa and was later released with only minor cuts and abrasions. A second Dustoff ship completed the initial mission. Troops from the ROK 28^th Regiment were inserted to secure the aircraft.