The Guns ot Tchepone
Name: Castle, Robert N. Jr., LCDR, 580429/1310
Date:
Aircraft/Unit: A7E, VA-25 USS Ranger
Rescue Aircraft: HH-43F (PEDRO)
Zone Land/Combat: 120*/16 Nakhon Phanom RTAFB
Editor’s NOTE: The
following story was written with the cooperation of Robert N. Castle Jr, CAPT, USN (ret).
It was
USS Ranger CVA-61
USN Lieutenant Commander 
(LCDR) Robert N. Castle and his Wingman had
just finished lunch and were heading to the Squadron Briefing Room before
launching on a late afternoon mission.
Mean while at Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force
Base (NKP),
USAF Captain Bobby S. Lay and his HH-43 Local Base Rescue
Crew (LBR) were also finishing lunch and
heading back to Alert Duty. Since mid
1966, the venerable HH-43 Huskie had been relegated to LBR duties in
“CHIPPY FLIGHT” two A-7E
Corsairs
NE406 & NE412 launched and
headed for feet dry. The aircraft contacted PANAMA Control at DaNang AB, RVN,
then were handed off to INVERT (NKP) and finally to "MOONBEAM" 
the night C-130 ABCCC (Airborne Battlefield
Command & Control Center) controlling the “STEEL TIGER” Section of the Ho
Chi Minh Trail . “MOONBEAM” then placed “CHIPPY
FLIGHT” under the control of "NAIL
46" who would identify and
assign targets near Tchepone.
Pulling up after his 2nd bombing run, Bob Castle noticed the
illumination of his “Master Caution Light” indicating a problem.
The A-7 has both Oil Pressure & Oil Quantity Gauges and as he
watched, both dropped noticeably.
Without panic,
“One-TWO, understand you’re losing Oil pressure ?”
That’s AFIRMATIVE, break; Nail 46 - CHIPPY 01 is losing oil
pressure, request vector to nearest airfield.
CHIPPY LEAD - NAIL 46, standby.
KING
- Nail 46, I have a Navy A-7 in
“Steel Tiger East”, losing oil pressure and declaring an Emergency, break.
MOONBEAM, NAIL 46, CHIPPY LEAD is declaring an Emergency and requesting a vector to the closest airfield.
CHIPPY LEAD – MOONBEAM, both DaNang and
INVERT – CHIPPY 01 is out of Tchepone steering 270, declaring an Emergency and losing Main Engine Oil Pressure.
CHIPPY Zero One – INVERT say Aircraft type, S.O.B., Fuel and
Ordinance.
INVERT – Zero One is type A7E, 1 S.O.B., Fuel 6 point 8,
Ordinance is 2
Roger Zero One, continue on heading 270; squawk 0646
INVERT – CHIPPY 01 squawking 0646
While the above radio transmissions were taking place, KING was rounding
up and coordinating nearby Rescue resources. Four A-1s from the 1st Special Operations Squadron “HOBOs” that were
returning to base (RTB) NKP from DaNang
were contacted and designated as SANDY One-one
thru One-Four.
As the Rescue coordination was starting, Bob Castle was maneuvering his
crippled aircraft with the utmost tenderness. Without oil, the engine could
seize at any moment and pulling “Gees” would only hasten this process. Like a
new girlfriend on the dance floor, slow movement was the preferred method.
Although slower and lower than the injured Corsair, NAIL 46 turned with
CHIPPY LEAD and relayed his progress to both KING and MOONBEAM.
With the throttle placed at the optimum setting, his course 270, CHIPPY
LEAD calmed his thoughts and considered his options.
CHIPPY 01 – INVERT turn 300 degrees, you are now 50 miles South
East of Nakhon
Phanom, standby for hand-off to NKP Approach. As this
transmission was transpiring, more RED lights began illuminating Zero
One’s cockpit.
LCDR Robert Castle’s options had just reached the short list. As his
engine seized, he again keyed his radio “Zero - One is Engine-Out”!
CHIPPY Zero One – INVERT, understand you’ve lost your engine?
“INVERT, that’s affirmative, guess we’ll see how far this sled will
glide?”
KING – INVERT, CHIPPY Zero-One has reported engine out. He is
presently 120 degrees/ 30 miles from NKP, flight level 120.
INVERT – KING,
I have SANDY
Flight one zero miles out from CHIPPY Zero One’s position and PEDRO 74 has been scrambled.
In fact, Capt. Bobby Lay in PEDRO 74 had been airborne for several
minutes and was orbiting beside the runway awaiting the arrival of an A-7 with
reported
Bob Castle, trimmed up for the best possible glide and watched his
altimeter drop, Twelve Thousand, Eleven, Ten; at Nine he put away maps &
checklist and snugged up his harness. Six, Five; at Four Thousand, it was time
to leave. As the old pilot’s song says, “Its only got one engine Jack and when
the bastard quits, it will be up here all by itself case I’m a guy that GITS!”
As he pulled the Face Curtain on the Ejection Seat, a blast of cool air
hit his body a moment before the seat ejected.
Bob
described his ejection and subsequent landing: “As I departed the cockpit, I was looking down and
could clearly see the rocket exhaust between my legs. Next, I tumbled as the
kicker separated me from the seat. I was
inverted then jerked vertical as my chute opened. After checking my chute and
risers, I looked down. Directly below me was a brown barren area; was it the
result of Napalm or Agent Orange, I couldn’t tell? What I did notice was the
spiky naked branches on the trees and they all seemed pointed at me. As I
contemplated being skewered, I crossed my legs as a protective measure.
Thinking it over and realizing my legs could be broken on landing, I uncrossed
them. Floating down, I entertained the silly thought that perhaps I could land
standing up like an Exhibition Chutist.
This thought was quickly dispelled as my chute caught in a tree and the
dangling Survival Kit pulled me back on my rump.”
As Zero One floated down, his wingman circled above and guided in SANDY Flight
and NAIL 46 who was fast catching up.
Hearing that CHIPPY 01 had bailed
out, PEDRO 74 set the Fire
Suppression Kit (FSK) down near
the end of the runway and
headed towards the
Upon hearing CHIPPY 01’s “parachute beeper”,
On the ground,
Immediately the speaker squawked “CHIPPY 01 Alpha –
Zero One –
SANDY One-One – Zero One, Condition and Status are good. I’m in an open area,
the trees are devoid of leaves, I should be easy to spot.
SANDY 11 – CHIPPY 02, I’m circling above 01, do you have a visual?
CHIPPY 02 –
INVERT – CHIPPY Zero-Two is EMERGENCY
Fuel; request immediate steer to NKP.
CHIPPY 02 – INVERT, steer 300, NKP is one six miles, contact NKP Approach on 243.00
CHIPPY Zero-Two, 243.00, Roger!
As CHIPPY 02 turned toward NKP,
CHIPPY 01 ALPHA seeing SANDY 11 immediately started broadcasting steering
instructions; SANDY
11 – Zero-One, have you in sight, turn to “
Zero One Alpha –
SANDY 11 – Zero One is fifty feet south of chute.
Zero One Alpha –
While on the ground,
After about 10 minutes, Bob Castle’s hopes soared as he identified a
large *green helicopter in the distance. It
looked very similar to the helicopter that orbited next to the USS Ranger
during all aircraft launches and recoveries.
SANDY 11 – Zero One on "GUARD" ,
I have the *helicopter in sight to
my West.
Zero One – SANDY 11, that’s a NEGATIVE, wrong *chopper, PEDRO 74 is still inbound; estimate 15
minute
*The aircraft that
Bob Castle had sighted was a
CH-53 that was on a “Functional Check Flight” just across
the border in
As Bob Castle’s emotions surged, then dropped, his
thoughts were to stay calm; help was still on the way. Having steadied his
resolve, his thoughts were disturbed by another radio transmission.
SANDY 11 – SANDY
13, have PEDRO in tow, ETA 05, say status?
One-Three – LEAD,
proceed straight in, PZ (Pickup Zone) is cold.
PEDRO 74 – SANDY
13, SANDY
11 is orbiting over the Survivor, you’re
cleared straight in.
CHIPPY 01 – PEDRO 74 is inbound your location, what is
your status?
PEDRO 74 – Zero One is clean and green, do you want me to pop smoke?
Zero One – Seven Four, NEGATIVE on the smoke, just let us try and locate you first.
As the little twin bladed Huskie came into view, Bob Castle thought
“what the heck”, but adapted to the situation as the Jungle Penetrator was
quickly lowered, then hauled him up to safety. Although only on the ground for
19 minutes it felt like an eternity.
The flight back to base took almost as long as his stay on the ground. PEDRO 74 landed in front of Base Ops where Bob Castle was greeted by a crowd of
well wishers including his Wingman, Nail 46 and all four
If you can identify anyone else in this photo, please send the name(s) to pedronews@Libby.org
Editor’s Note:
Commando
Association, the Internet & the Air Force. Bob Castle is looking in all his
storages to retrieve the
USS
Ranger Plaque and Bobby Lay is looking for the tree branch which was on Bob
Castle's flying suit the day
they
rescued him.
Bob
Castle is in