LETTERS to the EDITOR

Steve:

Although on my original map I have only placed two Lima Sites** there were many of them.  The area south of Lima 108 was the Plain de Jars (aka PDJ).  It was fully occupied by the Pathet Lao (communist), Chinese and North Vietnamese.

The Co-pilot for Tom Curtis escaped and evaded from his captors about six or eight months later.  He did so with a Navy A-4 pilot of fame by the name of Dieter Dangler.  The two of them escaped from cages during a heavy rain.  There were later set upon by villagers with machetes.  The CP was killed.  Dieter was picked up a month later by an H-3 from DaNang.

One of the Pilots I picked up on the border of Laos and Thailand was an F-105 pilot by the name of Gary Barnhill.  I did not know his name at the time but in 1970 we flew a TWA B-707 trip together and after some stories we came to the conclusion it was the two of us who were involved.  We were both working as instructors in the TWA Training Center at Kansas City MO.

    During our operation at Udorn and missions flown north we were required to "sheep dip" the aircraft with plain green paint.  NO USAF or USA markings and we were told to fly in plain fatigue uniforms at all times in Laos.  This came by direction I am told by them Ambassador William Sullivan. He stated NO uniformed US forces in Laos.   Most of us followed this instruction but did have a spare shirt with insignia on it for flights into North Vietnam.  The aircraft were fitted with small metal external sleeves in which we could slide USAF markings along with a star to identify us in case of capture or loss of the aircraft.    Our units answered to the 3rd Air Rescue Group at Saigon.  It was commanded by a Lt. Col Krafka (sp)

     To the best of my knowledge Dave Allen never received the credit nor awards for the outstanding job he did as Commander at Udorn during this period.     I don't believe any of the others did also but may have received some credit for missions flown much later.  A good example as in my on case, six rescues or attempts and forty six missions into North Vietnam/ North Laos, then a year and one half later I was given credit for the missions flown with Air Medal Credit only.  Please don't take this as "tooting my on horn" I am just giving an example that I know for a fact.  There were many others during this period who had many more missions than me and a lot more dangerous.

Bill Wirstrom

**Editors Note: Paul updated Bill’s Map to include a number of landmarks and additional LIMA Sites

Steve,

Many in the "Pedro" community know me as the author of the "History in Blue"
history article aimed at young readers that appears in Air Force Times
newspaper. Air Force Times is an independent newspaper that reaches about
100,000 current, former, and retired Air Force members and their families
weekly. Previous "History in Blue" columns have included stories about pilot
Hal Salem and pararescue jumpers Bill Pitsenbarger and Allen Stanek.

I would like to hear from anyone who has suggestions for additional articles
on the HH-43B/F. I'm especially looking for anyone who can lend color slides
or photos of "Pedros" in Southeast Asia.

Readers of this newsletter may also be interested in knowing about my book
coming out this year:
"Chopper" will be published by Penguin Putnam. I didn't pick the title. The
subject is helicopter crews in combat. It's a book of first-person accounts
of American helicopter crews at  war, beginning with the first combat
mission in Burma in 1944 and concluding with helicopters fighting tanks in
Iraq in 2003. One chapter in the book deals with the first R-4 rescue in
Burma. Another is based on interviews with Hal Salem. Every word of the book
comes from pilots and crew members who were there.

Bob

Robert F. Dorr
3411 Valewood Drive
Oakton VA 22124
(703) 264-8950
robert.f.dorr@cox.net

Steve,

Of course, you can reprint “Why Helicopter Pilots are Just Better than Fixed Wing Pilots" in the Pedro News.

BTW, I flew an HH-43 at NKP in the mid-sixties, when I was an Army
Aviator with the JUSMAG Flt Det, in Bangkok.

I was at NKP, waiting for several hours to fly some "brass" back to
Bangkok, when a HH-43 was due for a test flight.... a USAF pilot asked
if I would like to fly with him.... Duh.... I jumped at the chance.

Don Joyce
CW4, US Army, Retired

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