1967
22 Jan 67; Rowland
E. Gibson, SSGT E-6,
USASF, C&C, Spike Team IN-KIA
03 Feb 67; Casimir
Niespodziany, 1LT 0-2,
USASF, KIA-RR, MACV-SOG Ops 35
07 Feb 67; George
K Sisler, l Lt.
0-2, Dexter MO, USASF, FOB 2 Kontum, Ops 35, MACV SOG, KIA-RR (Medal of Honor
Winner) Exploitation Force Plt. Ldr., also James
H Duncan, SFC
E-7, USASF, KIA has been indicated as being on the mission with George K. Sisler
who was KIA on same date (?) , when his EF was hit on 3 sides by a Company size
element. Lt Sisler distinguished
himself by exposing himself repeatedly while rescuing his wounded men and
killing the enemy in the process. When the Plt came under an extremely heavy
attack, he picked up grenades and charged the enemy single handedly, firing his
weapon and throwing hand grenades, which broke the enemy’s assault, compelling
the enemy to withdraw. He continued to move about the battlefield directing
fire. Sisler stood to direct gun ships when a sniper’s round cut him down. He
died there. George Sisler was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions.
21 Feb 67; Domingo
R. S. Borja, SFC E-7,
USASF, MACV-SOG, Ops 35, KIA-RR
06 Mar 67; Howard
B Carpenter, SGT
E-5, Youngstown, OH, USASF, MACV-SOG, Ops 35 along with an unknown
named and number of other members of a Hatchet Force of SF Det B-5O,
Project "Omega," FOB-2, Ops-35 all KIA-bodies not recovered. On
operation in the Tri Border area, his HF Company came under hostile fire. SGT
Carpenter left the safety of his defensive position to recover wounded team
members. He immediately came into contact with 3 enemy soldiers where he killed
two of them then his weapon jammed and he was shot killing him instantly.
Because of the adverse situation caused by continued enemy attacks and the other
wounded, the Hatchet Force Company had to leave the dead behind.
23 Mar 67; Paul
A Conroy, Jr. ,
SFC E-7, USASF, C&C Det, Kham Duc, Nung Camp, Ops 35, KIA-RR .Killed
when a white phosphorus grenade exploded in his hand during a training exercise.
25 Mar 67; Richard
Legate, Capt.
0-3, and Albert
C Files, Jr. ,
SGT E-5, USASF, Spike Team, FOB 2 Kontum, Ops 35, KIA-RR. Cpt
Legate was hit by an enemy round, which severed his femoral artery causing him
to lose a large amount of blood. Legate became unconsciousness and died. SGT
Files also died during the fire fight.
31 Mar 67; Robert
L Baldwin, Maj
04, US Air Force, UH-1 Helicopter pilot, KIA-RR. His
helicopter was lowering ammunition to an Omega Recon Team when he was hit in the
chest by a 12.7 mm enemy round. The Co-pilot [new and inexperienced] was
stunned, sat frozen and unable to react causing the aircraft to crash.
03 May 67; James
P Meade, Jr. ,
WO, UH-1H Pilot, Ops 32 (Air Studies Branch) KIA RR ( as
a result of SOG operations.)
03-04 Jun 67; Ronald
James Dexter SFC
E-7, Abilene, TX; Billy
Ray Laney, SFC
E-7, Green Acres City, FL - US Army Special Forces and an unknown number of SCU
Hatchet Force, FOB 1, Phu Bai, Ops 35; and Stephen
P. Hanson, Capt.
03, Pilot, Restful Lake, OH; John
0. Gardner, 1LT
0-3, CO-Pilot, Restful Lake, OH; and Timothy
R. Bodden, SGT
E-5, Crew Chief, Downer Grove, ILL- Members of The United States Marines Corps
Aviation, HMM-I65, CH46 Helicopter Crew "Shark Three" Khe Sahn Launch
Site, FOB 1, Ops 32 were MIA-Presumptive finding of death. (A total of 23
Americans were lost; SOG raiders, Air Force and Marine Pilots and crewman--plus
twice as many Nungs). A company size
hatchet force raid, commanded by Maj Jerry Kilburn, operating in Oscar 8 target
area, 18-22 KM SE of Khe Sanh, at an azimuth of 220 degrees, and near Route
#922, which contained the largest depot outside of Hanoi, well defended with
belts of antiaircraft guns. The Hatchet Force (HF) arrived at Khe Sanh, remained
overnight at the Launch Site, and inserted early in the morning. The terrain
favored the enemy and the area was within a horseshoe type land mass. Several
hundred SPAR (Special Agent Reports) had been intercepted from the target area
within a 24 hour period. These radio transmissions were originated by the NVA
and were possibly associated with the Commanding General of their Army Nguyen Van
Giap. At 0545, SGM Billy William D. "Billy" Waugh boarded an 0-2
aircraft to fly FAC as the Covey Rider, flying toward the target, staying in the
"Gray Forrest" area along Route #222. At about 0630, the FAC observed
the Condensation Trails of nine (9) B-52's. The FAC performed 360's as the B-52
dropped their load, FAC flew over the target area, noticed several secondary
fires, and actually watched as the NVA rolled what appeared to be-barrels of
gasoline from one of the burning areas. The NVA were swarming, and immediately
took the FAC aircraft under fire with what was probably a set of 12.7 AA guns.
The FAC "hauled ass" away from the area, and sent a transmission to
"scratch the infil, as the area was crawling with pissed-off NVA." Too
late, the transmission did not make it in time. Due to the high hill range, just
to the North of the LZ, transmissions to the launch site were not completed. The
raid began with an Arc Light, and as soon as the Arc Light was over, the raider
company arrived with the mission to conduct a BDA of the arc light bombing,
capture any WIA NVA, and capture any NVA equipment in the area. The very first
Marine HUEY Gun ship across the intended LZ and was shot down to the south of
the LZ. The first CH-47 (Chinook) with troops, was noticed landing just to the
North of the intended LZ, this bird was shot down as it lowered to the LZ and
broke into two pieces on impact. A second Chinook attempted landing, and was
also shot down, An H-34 (SOG rescue bird) came into the area, to infiltrate
troops, and was shot down, landing to the South of Route "922. The crew
were seen fleeing from this bird, to the West (Subsequently rescued). The
approximate 100 SOG men that were inserted were surrounded and had taken cover
in a few bomb craters. SFC Laney was last seen by SFC Wilklow, wounded in the
back after boarding the a helicopter, the aircraft was hit by enemy fire, then
the pilot was shot, and it veered out of control and crashed. After the aircraft
crashed, it continued to receive heavy fire, however, many of the personnel were
rescued. SFC Laney was last seen still in the helicopter chest shot and probably
dead. Due to the enemy situation, he was not recovered and a later search
produced negative results . Two A-1E’s came into the area, firing their guns,
dropping napalm as requested by the Team Leader. One of the A-1E’s was shot
through by a hail of green tracers, and rolled over-crashing without a
parachute. The 2nd A-1E was shot almost to pieces, but the fine pilot
managed to land that bird at the Khe Sanh airstrip (a hell of a feat). Two F-4's
were performing close air support, with one being blasted right in his forward
portion, causing that bird to crash. All this occurred within 30 minutes of the
insert. During the initial day of insert, rescue attempts were made to recover
the WIA. Early morning of the second day, the remainder of the Hatchet Force
members were picked up. The NVA were silent that day, as it appeared the NVA
were encouraging an exfiltration due to the 30-50 air strikes they had endured.
SFC Dexter was last seen exiting a downed CH-46 helicopter and taken as a
Prisoner of War, but never reached North Vietnam alive. A report obtained from a
captured Nung Commando who was later released tells of Cpt Hanson, Lt Gardner,
and Sgt Bodden being executed by the North Vietnamese Soldiers. Of the six
Americans MIAs, only USMC Lance Corporal Frank E. Cius, Jr. was confirmed by
Hanoi. After Cius’s release in 1973, he told Dexter’s brother that Ronald
Dexter had been captured but died in enemy hands. Note: SFC Charles Wilklow was
wounded and in enemy hands. The enemy used him as bait to try and bring in
aircraft to rescue him. The enemy tended to ignore him, thinking he was no risk
due to his condition. He had observed NVA in formations, giving orders, etc.,
expecting to die any minute. After the 4th day with maggots in his
open wound, barely clinging to life, he somehow managed to crawl away during the
night. Around mid day, the following day a FAC flew overhead and SGM Waugh
observed a body with a panel over it and when the FAC made a second pass, the
body sat up and SGM Waugh recognized it was an American. When Wilklow came to,
he was looking into the face of SSGT Roy Pace, a Black American, who had
performed a one man bright light by repelling in to rescue him. Wilklow was
wearing a STABO rig and was extracted by string.
15 Jun 67;
Ben
D. Snowden, SFC
E-7 (MSG E-8?), USASF, B-56-KIA-RR and One unknown A-1
Skyraider
pilot-MIA-Presumptive
finding of Death. Snowden, a passenger
in a CH-34 Kingbee attempting to rescue recon team that technically belonged to
project Omega consisting of two Americans and four Nungs who were surrounded by
an enemy force. The enemy had the team surrounded, but was not interested in
destroying them. The team was bait to draw in a helicopter. Due to the steep
slopes, the helicopter required a passenger to help load the team. Just as the
team leader lifted one of his Nungs up to the helicopter, a massive volume of
fire erupted from a fixed, hidden machine gun hitting the aircraft. The
helicopter groggily rocked and lifted away somehow making it back to SOG’s Dak
To launch site, riddled with sixty-eight bullet holes, its engine out, it
slammed into a ditch. Snowden had been hit by nine times and had died. The A-1
was a propeller driven aircraft, but saved the day for the team, it received the
exact heading to the hidden machine gun from the team, rolled in, banked above
the team and executed a bombing run, dropping a shiny canister that spun end
over end just above the team, spewing jellied gasoline into the small cave mouth
which provided cover for the machine gun, the napalm flashed eliminating the
machine gun allowing the team to be rescued. When the A-1 was pulling away from
the bomb run, it continued taking fire until it belched smoke, nose up, with the
pilot ejecting and the canopy fall away with the parachute drifting into the NVA
positions. The team was rescued by the same pilot who piloted the helicopter
that was shot up, who insisted on flying the rescue mission because he knew the
terrain.
03 Jul 67; Leo
Earl Seymour, SGT
E5, Towanda, Penn, USASF Spike Team Leader of ST Texas, FOB 1, Phu Bai, Ops 35
Recon patrol in Laos MIA-Presumptive finding of death. SGT
Seymour called in two air strikes on a discovered Viet Cong position. After the
air strikes, the team was directed to make a Bomb Damage Assessment [BDA] but
decided to set up an ambush on a trail junction 11 miles inside of Laos
northwest of Ben Het in the Dale Xow River Valley. Before the ambush location
could be completed, two large hostile columns converged and noticed a propaganda
poster tacked to a tree that had not been there before and began a search of the
area, spotting the forward security element of the team which opened fire on the
hostile force and the team came under heavy enemy fire. The team retreated to a
defensive position, and again came under enemy fire. The team conducted an
E&E maneuver. No one saw Sgt Seymour after the defensive position came under
attack. No search was made due to the heavy enemy activity in the area.
12 Jul 67; Samuel Almendariz,
SFC E-7, McAllen, TX and Robert
Joseph Sullivan,
SFC E-7, East Almstead, NH, USASF Spike Team Members, FOB 1, Phu Bai, Ops 35
Recon mission of Savanakhet Province, Laos KIA-Remains Not Recovered. The
team came under an attack that lasted for four hours with a superior force. The
only surviving American reported that both SFC Almendariz and SFC Sullivan had
been mortally wounded. The team was ambushed, not by men firing weapons, but NVA
who leaped out of nowhere. One NVA wrestled Sullivan's weapon from him, then
shot him dead, spun around and shot SFC Harry Brown through the shoulder, as
another NVA shot Almendariz dead. Brown and half the team broke away and ran and
was able to get a radio message off. During the rescue of Brown and the
remainder of the team, a single Kingbee flown by Cowboy with MSG Charles Minnick
without fire support and a shot up aircraft (The bird had been shot up on the
first attempt, returned to Khe Sanh for refueling. A search conducted on 16 July
of the area. No remains were located). Cowboy was shot through the neck,
but somehow, he flew the Kingbee with one hand and slowed the bleeding with the
other while Minnick dragged the wounded aboard. A search team was inserted on
Jul 16, but was unsuccessful in locating either Americans. NOTE: The legendary
"Bill Waugh" felt Cowboy's valor should have won him the Medal of
Honor. [See pg 105-106 SOG A Photo History of the Secret Wars by John Plaster]
03 Aug 67; Arthur
H. Green, 1LT 0-2,
USASF, B-56-KIA
23 Aug 67; Derek
Williams Jr., Capt 03, US Air Force, Pilot, "Covey," 2Oth TAC Air
Support, Da Nang Air Base, Ops 32 KIA-RR. His
aircraft crashed at the Khe Sahn airstrip after returning from visual recon
mission in Laos.
08 Sep 67; Albert
F. Sayer, Jr., Capt.
0-3, USAF, FAC, C&C-KIA
09 Sep 67; William
E. Lawson, SFC E-7,
USASF, FOB-1, Spike Team MI, Assistant Team Leader-KIA
11 Oct 67; Glen
Locklear, MSG E-8,
USASF, FOB-1, Plt Ldr-KIA
01 Nov 67; Frank Noe,
SFC E-7, of Kerman, CA who moved to Hot Springs, Arkansas at age of 15, enlisted
in US Navy at the age of 17; after four years enlisted in the US Army and joined
the Special Forces. According to official military notification of death records
to family, Noe was KIA in South Viet Nam as a member of Special Forces
Detachment A-502 but after release of secret military documents it was
discovered he was KIA-RR on a recon mission in Laos along with Don Albert
Hawkins, SGT E-5, and David A. Woods who was killed the following day, all of
whom were serving as Spike Team Members, FOB 1, Phu Bai, Ops 35. The
team discovered a gray, enemy communications wire and were directed to place a
"Tap" on it. However, due to heavy enemy activity in the area, the
team decided to "cut" the wire. The enemy sent out an element to check
the wire and discovered the team resulting in a fierce fire fight. SFC Noe and
SGT Hawkins were killed on 1 Nov and SFC Woods was killed on 2 Nov. A SGT Brown
was wounded in the shoulder and managed to escape and was rescued).
01 Nov 67; Ferdinand
J. Quatrone, SFC E-7,
USASF, KIA Unit unidentified
02 Nov 67; David
Alexander Woods,
SFC E-7, KIA-RR, was a member of the
same Spike Team with Noe and Hawkins who were KIA the day before.
09 Nov 67; Bruce
Raymond Baxter,
MSG E-8, Lowell, Mass, Spike Team Leader;
Joseph George Kusick,
SGT E-5, Bruin, Penn, Spike Team Radio Operator; USASF FOB 1, Phu Bal, Ops 35
and six
Indigenous Team Members,
operating behind enemy lines in Laos along with John
William Armstrong,
LTC 05, Dallas, TX, Ralph
Wayne Brower,
Capt 03, Stow, OH, Eugene
Lunsford Clay, SSGT
E-6, and Larry
Wayne Maysey, SGT
E-5, Chester, NJ members of US Air Force, HH3, Jolly Green 26, 37th Aerospace
Rescue and Recovery Squadron, Da Nang Air Base, Ops 32/80 All were KIA-Remains
Not Recovered. Chip
Fleming, aka: Allen F. Jr. writes: I was with RT Utah during this operation. A
SGT {name ?} and I were on our first Spike Team mission after graduating from
training in Kham Duc when the team was hit by a reinforced company (we thought
at the time) while in our RON site. The SGT, me and 3 to 5 indig(?) got out on
the first chopper during a night extraction-most of us were wounded. The others
team members were KIA when their chopper was either shot down or damaged during
the extraction. Air Force guys from NKP were also shot down later while trying
to extract the remainder of the team in their Jolly Greens and possibly one Air
Force Pilot won the MOH [Cpt Gerald O. Young, USAF won the Medal Of Honor that
day for his extraordinary heroism, aggressiveness, and concern for his fellow
man]. The first extraction was by Jolly Green 29 before being driven off by
enemy fire. Jolly Green 26 (came in about 20 minutes later and picked up MSG
Baxter and SGT Kusick, while lifting off was hit by automatic weapons fire and
crashed. A recover team was inserted, found three charred remains, two had ID
tags and were identified as members of the aircrew. The 3rd had no
tag, but was identified as SGT Kusick, radio operator as the AN/PRC 25 radio
antenna was found with these remains. Another set of remains were located away
from the down chopper and identified as a member of the recon element. However,
due to adverse weather conditions and enemy activity, the remains could not be
recovered ).
10 Nov 67; Michael
A. Hoglund, SGT
E-5, USASF, FOB 2, Kontum, Radio Operator, Project Omega (13-50), Killed by SFC
Allen, a friend, in an argument over a female. (Shot
with a 9mm pistol through a screened window of the Project Omega Bldg, FOB2. Due
to the secrecy of SOG, the killer, SFC Allen was fined a carton of cigarettes
and reassigned from SOG suffering no further punishment). {Filed by Don Martin,
SOA, * I was present at FOB-2 that evening, along with several of my fellow
aviators, crew chiefs, door gunners. However, we were asleep at the time of the
incident as I recall. We were told the story by SF personnel the next day. As I
remember it, two SF NCOs, nicknamed "Snake" and "Squirrel"
told us what happened, filling in some of the details over a period of days and
nights, with the latter spent around a small campfire while drinking beer and
thinking about what perils awaited us on the next mission to Laos or Cambodia. I
must add that it now seems, after reading your web page, that the stories we
heard were probably embellished quite a bit. What I heard made it sound at the
time like a gun duel in old Laredo, or the gunfight at the O. K. corral. Also,
we originally heard (and I don't recall hearing anything different back in 1968)
that the argument was over a card game, versus a woman, with lots of drinking
and accusations of cheating (at cards) involved. I just remember it was quite a
story at the time, but never really knew if any of what I heard was factual or
not}.
15 Dec 67; Dan
Wagner, Jr. SFC
E-7, USASF, FOB 2, Kontum, Tm Ldr, RT Nevada, KIA-RR. (See
Kedenburg, KIA 13 Jun 68)
16 Dec 67; Austin
R. Von Kleist, SFC E-7,
USASF, FOB I Phu Bai, Ops 35 KIA-RR.
21 DEC 67; Lee
D. Scurlock, Jr.,
SSGT E-6, Restful Lake, OH, USASF, FOB 1, Phu Bal, Ops 35, Recon Team operating
in Laos, MIA-Presumptive finding of death. SSGT
Scurlock was a member of a team operating 18 miles west of Vietnam, on the
Laotian-Cambodian boundary of the tri-border region, which had come under heavy
enemy fire from the front and rear, rescue could not be made by landing due to
adverse terrain conditions; thus, a rope ladder was deployed by the 119th
Aviation Company (Gator 376). As the last man to be rescued, SSGT Scurlock began
to climb the ladder, after the 3rd rung on the 1st
attempt, lost his grip, removed his rucksack and radio then began to climb
slowly, appearing weak and possibly wounded, encouraged by the door gunner he
climbed to almost to the point of reaching outstretched hands to give him help,
he fell off the ladder fifty feet to the ground, landed on his neck and head,
rolled down the hillside and was stopped by a small tree. It is reported
Scurlock was thrown from the ladder when the aircraft’s windshield exploded
because of enemy fire causing the pilot to jerk the aircraft. Heavy enemy
activity precluded recovery and a later search of the area did not find SSGT
Scurlock.
29 Dec 67; Donald
E. Fisher, LTC
05, Navigator, of Halfway, OR; Charles
Peter Claxton,
Pilot, MAJ 04, of Chicago, Ill.; Edwin
Neims Osborne, Jr.,
Aircraft Commander, CAPT 03 of Ralford, FL; Frank
C. Parker, III,
Electronic Warfare Officer, CPT 03 of Bridgeport, Penn; Gerald
Gordon Van Buren,
Pilot, CAPT 03 of Toledo, OH; Gordon J.
Wenaas, Navigator, CAPT 03 of Mayville,
ND; Jack
McCrary, Flight Engineer, SSGT E-6 of Madison, Tenn.; Gene Preston
Clapper, Radio Operator, SGT E-5 of Altoona, Penn; Edward Joseph
Darcy,
Loadmaster, SGT E-5 of Portland, OR; Wayne Allen
Eckley, Flight Engineer, SGT
E-5 of Enterprise, OR; and James R.
Williams, Loadmaster, SGT E-5 of Charlotte,
NC. All USAF, Air Crew, C- 130,
"Combat Talon", 14th Special Operations Wing, US AIR FORCE, Ops 32/75,
Nha Trang-Performing aerial resupply mission for Project Oodles phantom team
over North Vietnam they never returned MIA-Remains not recovered. [See page 85,
SOG A Photo History of the Secret Wars, by John Plaster]
