WO
Albert J. Barthelme Jr. enjoying life between missions.
Original by Donald Summers,
edited by Robert L. Noe
In March of 1970, Prince
Sihanouk was in France, and his cousin Prime Minister Sitik Matak, as
temporary ruler in his absence, was making enemies of the NVA inside of
Cambodia. He had issued the impossible ultimatum to the North Vietnamese
to remove all NVA troops from Cambodia within 48 hours. That left the
NVA with only two possible moves to make: 1) withdraw, which was
impossible within the time given; or, 2) take over Cambodia. The later
was their choice. The NVA, by mid-April had already seized control over
two major provinces and were planning to take over the capitol. To
assure non interference from the Americans, a major effort was also
taking place in the Central Highlands of Vietnam around Dak Seang, Dak
Pec, Bien Het, Dak To, and small villages up and down II Corp area. By
April, SOG missions were increased in both frequency and intensity,
while in the Central Highlands units were in constant contact with a
building NVA force. April, of 1970 was becoming a busy month for the 170th
Assault Helicopter Company.
By the second week in April,
intelligence showed that a massive buildup of forces of NVA was
occurring around the Special Forces camp of Dak Seang, 20 miles north of
Dak To. Dak Seang sat in a valley, with large mountainous ridgelines on
both sides of it. Activity around the area had been building
continuously. Intelligence was reporting a possible Division size NVA
force had taken up positions around the SF Camp by April 14th,
and attack of the camp was imminent.
One single vantage point
existed in the form of an old NDB (Night Defensive Position) known as LZ
Orange. LZ Orange was the sole open spot of an otherwise dense jungle
mountain, and was the highest peak of the range overlooking the valley
where the SF Camp could be seen. LZ Orange provided a perfect
observation/control vantage point for the forthcoming battle. Saigon had
determined ARVN forces must take possession of LZ Orange.
A plan was devised where the
170th, accompanied by Buccaneer Gunships for support, would
insert the 3rd Battalion, 42nd Regiment of the
Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). The 3rd battalion was
to serve a dual role in taking possession of LZ Orange. First, was to
gain the vantage point of the valley, and second, should Dak Seang fall
under siege, the 3rd Battalion could drop down the side of
the ridge, fight their way through enemy lines around the base and
hopefully enter the camp to support the besieged inhabitants. So it was,
that at 0430 in the morning on April 15th the flight-line at
Kontum Air Field came alive with Pilots, Crew Chiefs and Gunners busying
themselves with their pre-flight checks, mounting weapons and loading
rocket pods.
As the sun slowly rose over the
mountains turning the sky from black, to red and orange, and then
finally to hints of blue, a flight of Bikini’s with their ARVN
passengers lifted off, and headed direct to LZ Orange. At 0600 hours the
flight of Bikinis with their Gunship escorts broke over the lush green
valley and lined up for their insertion. There was little doubt of where
they were going. LZ Orange was a bald spot in an otherwise dense jungle
mountain range. It’s red and gray dirt contrasted each other and stood
out boldly in the bright morning sun. The pilots concentrated on their
target LZ, while gunners checked ammo and weapons one more time to
assure they were ready for whatever lay below.
WO Alan Hoffman commanding the
lead ship entered the LZ without incident and unloaded the first of the
force. CPL Herndon A. Bivens, and SGT Rosindo Montana sat in the
doorway. Both men were American Pathfinders with the 52nd
Aviation Battalion Security Detatchment. Before the skids even touched
the ground, Bivens and Montana were on the ground followed by six ARVN
of the 3rd Battalion. Montana was carrying the radio and he
ran the short fifteen feet to the crest of the hill, stopping alongside
of a large bomb crater. Bivens was right behind him and they began to
busy themselves with the task at hand, landing the flight of Hueys
carrying the ARVN Battalion . . . it was 0615 hours.
When the two Pathfinders
reached their position, the second bird carrying eight ARVN soldiers,
was on short final to the LZ. Inside the second bird was veteran pilot
WO Albert J. Barthelme Jr., his second WO1 Roger A. Miller, who was in
his second week in country and flying his second mission; SP4 Vincent S.
Davies as Gunner, who was nearing the end of his first tour; and, SP5
Donald C. Summers, as Crew Chief, an ex-Ranger, who had submitted his
request for his third tour. Like the first aircraft, the second
helicopter was approaching the LZ without obstruction. Bivens raised his
hands to direct the bird on final, and Montana busied himself with the
radio. WO Miller was in control of the helicopter, and was less than
fifty feet from the LZ when the NVA opened up from 360 degrees.
The first volley of fire
dropped SGT Montana where he stood. Montana dropped to his knees, and
managed to get a single transmission out that they were taking heavy
concentrated fire from left and right sides of the LZ, when another
volley of fire concentrated on him and he folded like an accordion into
a fetal position, dead.
Bivens dove into the crater,
rolling out of the line of fire. He came back up to the crest of the
crater returning fire to the wood line. He was out of ammunition in a
matter of minutes. The six ARVN soldiers ran to the back side of the
hill below the crater to another crater some twenty feet, or less, from
Bivens’ location and sought cover. None of the ARVN soldiers returned
fire.
Aboard the aircraft Summers was
struck repeatedly in the left shoulder and side, slammed against the
bulkhead to his right, then down to the left. He struggled back up and
had just grabbed his M60 and started to return fire when the bird
pitched violently to the left, then right and crashed, coming to rest on
its side some ten feet or so from the dense jungle. Summers was buried
under the bodies of the ARVNs who had all been killed in the initial
volley. Vincent Davies opened fire immediately from the left side,
laying down a sweeping return while avoiding the Pathfinder’s position
with his fire. The thrashing of the bird caused him to stop firing and
when the bird came to rest on its side he was able to escape over the
side, and down onto the ground.
WO Hoffman had just leveled off
his aircraft when the radio reported what was happening behind him. He
swung his helicopter around, holding to the hillside, returned to the
LZ, popping up even with the downed helicopter. He saw Al Barthelme
wrestling with his harness, Roger Miller starting for the broken chin
bubble opening, and reported that they were alive. The volume of fire
descending on his aircraft prohibited another landing on the LZ, and
Hoffman was forced to bank away and depart the LZ area.
Miraculously, neither Miller
nor Barthelme was wounded or injured in the crash. Al Barthelme being on
the low side of the aircraft, escaped the bird through the shattered
chin bubble, with Roger Miller following suit.
Bivens, out of ammunition, left
the bomb crater and ran to the wreckage as soon as it came to rest to
help with survivors of the crash. As he approached, Al Barthelme was
shot several times in the back and fell. Miller grabbed Barthelme and
drug him away from the helicopter to the side of the hill below the
crater. Miller then took up a position along the side of the hill
between a bomb crater where the ARVN soldiers had run to, and Al
Barthelme. Davis ran to where Barthelme lay and the two lay flat as
gunfire continued to sweep across the hillside.
Bivens meanwhile climbed to the
top of the chopper and looked inside. Summers was just emerging from
under the bodies, spitting and cussing. Buried under the dead ARVN
passengers, Summers had several bodies across his chest and face. The
body which had fallen across his face had an open stomach wound, and it
had been seeping intestines and blood into his mouth as he had struggled
to unbury himself from the wreckage. Bivens reached down and pulled
Summers the rest of the way out, and the two crouched for a moment
inside the gunners well as gunfire continued outside. After a brief
discussion, Summers jumped down to check the battery in the nose of the
aircraft and found it was shot full of holes. Taking more fire, he
returned to the gunner’s well with Bivens.
They decided that their best
defensive position was on the backside of the hill where Miller, Davies,
and Barthelme lay. The crater on the top where Bivens had been was
within twenty meters of a fortified bunker with a machine gun and no
less than three NVA. Summers and Bivens reviewed the situation. They
were totally surrounded by fortified positions and NVA soldiers; a
crossfire existed between the bunker Bivens had seen, and another
positioned along the ridge line west of the LZ. This allowed for all
approaching aircraft to be caught in a crossfire on final approach; Al
Barthelme was laying still and had gaping holes in his back, but he was
alive; Miller was unhurt at that point; and Davies was injured but
functioning. Summers had been hit several times in the shoulder and
side. The M60 on the topside of the aircraft was still usable, but the
weapons of the ARVN troops, who were in the bird, had either been thrown
clear or were dug deep into the dirt, shattered by the crash. Six ARVNs
were armed and laying in the bomb crater some five feet from where
Miller lay. Bivens gave Summers two hand grenades and Summers left the
bird. Bivens manned the M60 and, using the gunner’s well for cover,
laid down suppressing fire, while Summers carrying the grenades sprinted
to Millers’ position. Summers then went to the ARVN position and took
an M16 and several clips from one of the soldiers and returned to
Miller. As he did, all six of the ARVNs got up and ran into the jungle,
deserting the Americans.
Bivens left the aircraft and
sprinted to Montana’s body. He checked the radio and found it had also
been shot beyond repair, and he returned to the aircraft to man the 60.
As the men on the ground were
taking position on the hill, Buc Gunships formed a circle around the LZ
firing their miniguns and rockets. As they did, the next two aircraft in
line for insertion attempted to get into the LZ. The first helicopter
flown by WO Don Johnson, started taking fire immediately. Bullets ripped
through the windshield striking Johnson three times in the breast plate.
The third round ricocheted and struck a smoke grenade in his survival
vest setting it off and filling the cockpit with yellow smoke. The
aircraft received multiple hits in the transmission and dropped to the
left diving for the valley floor. Lt Larry Leonard, who was also with
the lift, fell in behind Johnson following him down watching as yellow
smoke flowed out of the aircraft, believing it to be on fire. Johnson
regained control as he reached the valley floor and leveled off, turning
and immediately headed for Dak To for an emergency landing.
The second aircraft did not
fare any better. Within a quarter of a mile, was force to turn with main
gearbox damage. He too, headed for Dak To. CPT Gary Knight, Buccaneer
Leader, watching as the two slicks limped away, decided the LZ was too
dangerous, and he pulled his aircraft back. Bikini’s from the
scheduled lift returned to Pleiku, dropped off their ARVN passengers,
and refueled. Meanwhile more Bikini’s were arriving on site to attempt
rescue of the downed men on the LZ.
Around 0900 hours two
Bikini’s other and their escorts, the Pink Panther Cobra Gunships of
the 361st, were returning from a SOG mission, to the Dak To
staging area, when they heard the radio traffic of their fellow
Bikini’s 20 miles to the North at Dak Seang. WO James Lake followed by
WO William MacDonald landed at Dak to and immediately went to SOG
Command to request their release from SOG standby to go to assist with
the downed aircraft. MacDonald had attended High School with Barthelme,
joined the Army with him, and gone to flight school with him. MacDonald
explained that not only was Barthelme a friend, he and Summers were
regular SOG mission flight personnel, and were part of the SOG
Operations. SOG released Lake’s and MacDonald’s ships, along with
two Pink Panther Cobras who also asked to be released to support the
rescue efforts. Lake and MacDonald also requested a Bright-Light team,
and SOG Command contacted Kontum. MacDonald and Lake left Dak To for
Kontum to pickup a team at 1000 hrs.
In Pleiku, CPT Knight and his
flight had been told to remain at base. The Air Force had been notified
and they were sending air rescue and fast movers to the site. Many of
the Bikini’s refueled and returned anyway, as did all of the aircraft
who had gone to Dak To for refueling. At this point, all rescue efforts,
other than the Air Force SAR efforts, were on individual pilots own
initiative. Command had made the determination that rescue of the downed
crew was not possible without an unacceptable loss of men and aircraft.
WO Hoffman had returned to site
and was circling the LZ to the west when a C123 screamed past him low
level over the ridgeline. It’s door was opened, and a loadmaster stood
in the doorway. As it over flew the LZ, Hoffman watched as the Load
Master kicked a large crate containing a radio, weapon and ammunition
out of the door to the LZ, but they had overshot the hill, and the much
needed supplies landed on the side of the hill in the jungle away from
the LZ and the Americans on top.
Another Bikini decided to try
and get to the LZ, this time coming up low level from the valley floor
with a Buc Gunship on each side. Halfway up the mountain the three ships
were taking crippling fire, and soon had to break off their approach.
Three OH6 LOH arrived at LZ
Orange. No one in the flight on site knew who they were, but with little
fanfare or discussion, one began an attempt on the LZ. He low leveled
across the valley floor and up the side of the mountain towards the LZ.
Half way up, the small aircraft suddenly broke from the approach and
sped away to the valley floor, his aircraft riddled with bullet holes
and in critical condition.
Another Bikini bird arrived
from having refueled at Dak To, and aboard was a single SGT from the SF
Strike teams (unidentified to date) with a radio. They too made an
approach to the LZ with the intent of dropping the SGT off and
establishing communications from the hill. Within a quarter of a mile of
the LZ, they abandoned their approach, the SGT badly wounded, both crew
members wounded, the aircraft critically hit, and they made their way to
the Dak To Airfield.
On the ground, things were not
progressing any better than the rescue attempts. Only Summers with a few
grenades and an M16 with four clips, and Bivens with the M60 from the
gunner’s well of the helicopter had weapons. With each rescue attempt
someone would fly over the LZ, and each time the men would wave,
including Al Barthelme. By late morning though, Al had stopped waving
and was now laying still, dying from his wounds. The NVA were repeatedly
firing at Bivens’ and Summers’ positions. Several probes had been
made by the NVA and each one repelled. By noon, Summers had used both
grenades and was out of ammo for the M16. Bivens and the M60 was now
their only defense. Enemy positions were less than twenty meters from
them on three sides, and the ARVNs had abandoned them. Between
engagements with rescue attempts, things would get quiet on the hill.
After a few moments of quiet, the NVA would fire into SGT Montana’s
body and the radio, as if using him for target practice. Several times
shots spat up dirt from between Summers and Miller, or were concentrated
on Al Barthelme.
At SOG Headquarters in Kontum, SSGT
Dennis Neal, the Team Leader for RT Montana, and SSGT Michael V.
Kuropas, the Team Leader for RT Vermont, had volunteered to form a
compliment of Montagnard to serve as a Bright Light team to insert on
the LZ and affect a rescue of the downed men. During their briefing,
they were informed that the LZ was a real bad one and that it was now
known it was a Division Headquarters for the NVA, surrounded by
fortified positions. Both men and their Yards were determined to go in,
and shortly after noon boarded WO MacDonald’s aircraft and headed for
Dak Seang.
The flight of two, with the SF
Team, arrived on site just as two F4's from Pleiku strafed the
surrounding hillside, and four A1E Skyraiders dropped napalm. Two Air
Force Jolly Green Giants from the 37th ARRS, stationed at Da
Nang were on station and ready to approach the LZ. The Bikini aircraft
who had been on site for hours warned the aircraft that the standard
approach they were taking to the LZ was too risky, but the SARs
continued to align themselves for approach.
Jolly 27 was in the lead,
commanded by CPT Travis Scott. His co-pilot was MAJ Travis Wofford, and
Flight Engineer Jerold Hartzel and Para-rescueman L.E. Davis were aboard.
Jolly 27 reported taking fire at over a quarter of a mile out from
eleven o’clock, followed immediately by reports of more fire at two
o’clock, and at a quarter mile from 360 degrees. As soon as he
reported fire from 360 degrees he proclaimed hydraulics failure, and
Jolly 27 dropped into the jungle hillside bursting into flames. Jolly 29
went down to retrieve the crew from Jolly 27 taking crippling fire. They
retrieved the body of CPT Travis Scott, who had died of gunshot wounds,
and the rest of the crew, Wofford, Hartzel, and Davis. All three were
badly burned. Gerald Hartzel later died in the 71st Evac from
his wounds. Jolly 29 returned to Pleiku, and the bird was scrapped as
beyond repair due to damage from the volume of fire taken.
WO MacDonald with the
Bright-Light Team, and WO James Lake were both circling at a high
altitude above the LZ watching the attempts by SAR. Another Bikini
decided to make a run for it. This time the crew had donned full body
armor and laid Breast Plates under their seats and in the nose bubble of
the aircraft to protect the pilots. They came close to the LZ, but were
forced to abort and with their engine on fire. They crash landed in a
small clearing southeast of the LZ. Another Bikini was able to follow
them in and extract the crew safely.
Radio communications between
aircraft was depressing. No one could figure how to breach the fire
power of the NVA to get to the LZ. To make the situation even more
dangerous, bad weather was moving in and dark clouds were starting to
form. Soon, the weather would render any attempts impossible. Bill
MacDonald declared he was going in.
MacDonald was flying the
aircraft. Sitting beside him as co-pilot was WO Tom Bennie. After
notifying Neal, Kuropas, and the crew they were going in, Macdonald
dropped the Huey into a steep dive and headed to the valley floor. WO
Jim Lake with WO John Kenny, copilot, was right behind them as chase
ship. MacDonald leveled off above the valley floor, staying low and fast
up the side of the mountain to the LZ. Immediately he reported extensive
fire from 360 degrees, but he pressed on. As he reached the LZ,
MacDonald was taking extremely heavy concentrated small arms and RPD
fire from all sides. Behind him, Neal, Kuropas, and the entire
Montagnard Team lay dead from multiple gunshot wounds.
As the bird slammed into the
LZ, Summers, Miller, and Davies ran for MacDonald’s ship. Behind them
a squad of NVA broke through the jungle and into the clearing, firing
and pursuing them towards the bird. On the other side, Bivens, in the
crashed helicopter, opened fire with the M60 against another squad of
NVA who also rushed towards the second downed Bikini from the opposite
side. On their way to the rescue ship Summers was struck twice more,
once in the lower back and another creased his left leg. Davies received
multiple wounds as he sprinted to MacDonald’s ship, and finally
collapsed inside with bullets in his jaw, hands, and back.
Miller in the meantime was
unscathed. He helped Davies aboard the aircraft, and then got back off
and returned to Al Barthelme’s body, grabbing him by the left arm and
hoisting him up, dragging his body towards the aircraft. Miller was
screaming for someone to help and Summers started off the aircraft, but
was knocked back inside by the Crew Chief who was still firing steadily
into the advancing NVA. Summers grabbed a weapon from one of the
Montagnard bodies and started joining in the firing at advancing NVA on
the opposite side of the ship.
While this was going on,
MacDonald and Bennie were calmly working at keeping the aircraft
together under the increasing barrage of fire, holding on to allow the
men on the LZ time to board. The advancing NVA were sending a wall of
bullets through the canopy attempting to take out the two pilots, and
the interior echoed with the sounds of bullets ripping the floor, walls,
windshield, and instrument panel. Tom Bennie caught a round along the
underside of both legs, cutting a severe grove through his legs and
taking a large gash from his rear.
When MacDonald landed he had
1100 pounds of fuel, forty-five seconds later, he calmly reported he was
down to 400 pounds of fuel and was lifting off . He had waited until the
last possible moment. Fuel was pouring out of a large hole in the fuel
cell, and the barrage of small arms fire was threatening their ability
to lift off. Faced with no alternative, MacDonald pulled up and nose the
aircraft over the side of the mountain. He immediately reported to Lake
that he had lost all tail rotor control. Unknown to MacDonald, an
unexploded B40 rocket had wedged in the boom, and frozen tail rotor controls. Banking to the south, he aimed the crippled aircraft towards
the Dak Seang compound.
As MacDonald’s aircraft left
the LZ, Bivens, still in the crashed aircraft’s gunner’s well,
covered the extraction by laying down a steady wall of fire at advancing
NVA. Roger Miller had been unable to get aboard before MacDonald was
forced to leave the LZ.
As MacDonald, followed by Lake,
flew through the valley towards Dak Seang, the aircraft continued to
take ground fire. Both door gunners were laying down continuous fire.
Davies lay behind the left seat shot up and unable to move, while
Summers was to the right next to SSG Dennis Neal who was sitting slumped
against the back of the pilots seat. Summers recognized Neal from his
SOG missions , and he tried to revive him but quickly realized he was
dead. He grabbed another weapon from the floor and continued to assist
in returning fire to the ground as MacDonald began to approach Dak
Seang.
Lake followed MacDonald through
the valley, and swung around to approach Dak Seang from the opposite
direction as MacDonald. On approach both aircraft came under heavy
concentrated small arms fire. Lake landed nose to nose with MacDonald
and watched as bodies fell out of the aircraft from the crew doors.
Bullets shattered the windshield, and ripped through the instrument
panel. The two Bikini rescue aircraft had landed in the middle of a
ground attack, and hundreds of hard corps NVA were within 100 meters of
their position firing and advancing.
Summers exited MacDonald’s
aircraft and stumbled in between the two birds and stopped, turning and
frowning at the NVA shooting at them. John Kemper, who was prior Special
Forces on his third tour in Vietnam, exited Lake’s aircraft and
directed Summers towards Lake’s ship, and Summers stumbled over and
boarded Lake’s aircraft. Later Summers told Lake and others he was
standing between the two helicopters thinking that was just his luck, to
be rescued from the hill only to take part in a major ground attack.
Kemper ran to MacDonald’s ship and grabbed Davies, carrying him back
to Lake’s bird.
The attacking NVA concentrated
their fire on Lake’s aircraft which was positioned between them and
the camp defenses. As his crew loaded wounded, Lake watched bullets
flying through his aircraft instrument panel, while outside bullets
kicking up dirt all around his crew and the wounded men. Lake was taking
constant direct hits on his aircraft.
In the meantime, Bennie had
managed to get un-strapped, and fell out of the door of his helicopter
and onto the ground, injured far worse than he had realized, he was
having trouble standing or walking. He and MacDonald finally managed to
dive into a nearby bunker.
With his aircraft full of
wounded, and under a barrage of small arms fire, Lake was able to lift
off from Dak Seang, and headed for the 71st Evac in Pleiku.
He turned and surveyed the wounded, and was surprised to discover Al
Barthelme was not among them. Until that point, he had believed both
Barthelme and Miller had gotten off with MacDonald’s aircraft. Summers
informed him that Barthelme was dead, and that Miller and Bivens were
still on the LZ.
Lake delivered the wounded men
at the 71st Evac in Pleiku, and immediately took off again,
returning to LZ Orange. His intent was to make another extraction
attempt of Miller and Barthelme. Lake arrived over Dak Seang as
nightfall was settling over the valley. The weather had moved into the
LZ rendering any extraction attempt impractical. With the knowledge
there was no hope for another attempt to rescue the remaining men at LZ
Orange, Lake returned to Kontum Airfield.
WO Miller was captured by the
Viet Cong and eventually moved to Hanoi and was released in Operation
Homecoming in March 1973. When he was released, he reported that he and
Bivens had spent the night on the LZ and on the morning of April 16
attempted to return to friendly lines. At an unknown location they were
ambushed by two enemy squads. WO Miller saw that Bivens had been wounded
in the chest 5 or 6 times by small arms fire. After their capture they
were separated and given medical attention. The last Miller saw of
Bivens was when he was taken from the site of the ambush on a stretcher.
At that time, Bivens was still undergoing medical treatment. About four
days later, the camp commander where Miller was being held told him that
Bivens had died about 2 hours after capture. On April 29, 1970, a U.S.
search and recovery team was able to examine the crash site and recover
the remains of WO Barthelme and SGT. Montana. The only identifiable
thing about Barthelme was the green St. Mary's County-shirt he wore.
Herndon Bivens has been missing nearly 20 years and there can be no
question that the Vietnamese know precisely what happened to him, but
they deny any knowledge of his fate. Further, even though WO Miller knew
that Bivens had been captured, Bivens is classified Missing in Action
rather than the more appropriate category of Prisoner of War. His name
did not appear on Henry Kissinger's discrepancy case list at the end of
the war.
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