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War Stories

OH-23 Ground Recovery - 1967

Tom Fleming

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A Centaur OH-23G had an engine failure one evening just before dark in Cu Chi city; right downtown. MAJ Dick Thomas, the Service Platoon Leader and I hopped in our jeep accompanied by a group of mechanics in a ¾ ton truck, raced out the front gate of Cu Chi base and headed for the downtown of the city about 3 to 5 miles to the south of the base camp.

I had my steel pot helmet and pistol as did MAJ Thomas. I am not sure if the mechanics had a rifle between them.

The OH-23 was not damaged and we had arranged for “Pipe Smoke” (Aircraft recovery element of the 34th Aircraft Maintenance Group). We arrived at the downed helicopter and secured the pilot and equipment. The pilot had landed in a soccer field right in the middle of the city.

The Pipe Smoke recovery UH-1D with the accompanying CH-47 arrived shortly and their riggers rigged it up, yanked it out and took it to E/725th Maintenance at Cu Chi base.

By the time the evacuation was complete it was dark. It isn’t advisable to be out on the road without a combat escort after dark and that realization was sinking in. We made it back to the base without problem, but it was an uncomfortable ride back to the gate. Many others were not so lucky on that road back in to Cu Chi base after dark during my tour.

Aircraft recovery duties using our well armed maintenance/recovery aircraft "Stable Boy" was much preferred to using a jeep.