AIR AMERICA UPHOLDING THE AIRMEN’S BOND

Ground Crew...... 2 The Airmen’s Bond...... 5 Pre-Flight Checklist...... 7 Rescue Flights: Expressions of Gratitude...... 21 Final Flights...... 29 Flights Yet Taken...... 47 Last Flights: In Memorium...... 57 The History of Aviation Collection at The University of Texas at Dallas

The Historical Collections Division (HCD) of the Office of Information Management Ser- The symposium, “Air America: Upholding his files and a collection of rare first edition vices is responsible for executing the CIA’s Historical Review Program. This program seeks to the Airmen’s Bond,” comes on the heels of aviation books to UT Austin. In 1978 the mil- identify, collect, and review for possible release to the public significant historical information. a decades-long effort to declassify approxi- lion-item collection of Vice Admiral Charles The mission of HCD is to: mately 10,000 CIA documents on the airline. E. Rosendahl was added to the HAC but fa- • Provide an accurate, objective understanding of the information and intelligence that has These papers—many of which have never cilities in Austin were inadequate to properly helped shape the foundation of major US policy decisions. been seen by the public or scholars outside hold it. The collection moved to UT Dallas • Improve access to lessons learned, presenting historical material to emphasize the scope of the CIA—will join the History of Aviation because it had considerable space in its new and context of past actions. Collection (HAC) at the Eugene McDermott McDermott Library. • Improve current decision-making and analysis by facilitating reflection on the impacts and Library at The University of Texas at Dallas. effects arising from past decisions, In an effort to relieve the library’s Special • Uphold Agency leadership commitments to openness, while protecting the national secu- It is a special honor that the Civil Air Trans- Collections of its growing artifacts and to rity interests of the US, port (CAT) and Air America associations, provide better public access, UT Dallas made • Provide the American public with valuable insight into the workings of their Government. whose members are former employees of a long-term loan of most of the Rosendahl the airline and their relatives, asked the CIA to artifacts to launch the Frontiers of Flight Mu- give these papers to UT Dallas. The decision seum at Love Field in Dallas. reflects the strong relationship that already exists between the CAT and Air America The prominence of the Rosendahl holdings associations and the library’s Special Collec- attracted members of the CAT/Air America tions staff. In 1985 the HAC became the of- associations to select the HAC for their of- ficial repository of the Civil Air Transport/Air ficial archives and memorial. This prestige America Archives and CAT/Air America sur- further boosted the HAC’s significance and vivors raised $15,000 for a large memorial research value to students and scholars and plaque featuring the names of the 240 em- prompted additional significant donations. ployees who lost their lives as civilians during The History Staff in the CIA Center for the Study of Intelligence fosters understanding of their service in Southeast Asia. In 1987 the Upon the death of WWII hero Gen. James H. the Agency’s history and its relationship to today’s intelligence challenges by communicating plaque was dedicated at McDermott Library “Jimmy” Doolittle in 1993, the library received instructive historical insights to the CIA workforce, other US Government agencies, and the during a solemn ceremony. his personal correspondence, film and pho- public. CIA historians research topics on all aspects of Agency activities and disseminate their tographs and copies of his scientific research knowledge through publications, courses, briefings, and Web-based products. They also work The History of Aviation Collection is consid- papers, as well as his desk, chair, uniform, and with other Intelligence Community historians on publication and education projects that ered one of the finest research archives on Medal of Honor. This represents the only ma- highlight interagency approaches to intelligence issues. Lastly, the CIA History Staff conducts aviation history in the U.S. It comprises: jor collection of the general’s memorabilia an ambitious program of oral history interviews that are invaluable for preserving institu- • 18,000-20,000 cataloged books and personal files outside federal facilities tional memories that are not captured in the documentary record. • 4,000-plus magazine and periodical titles such as the Library of Congress. • 500,000 photographs and negatives • 2,000 films Now with the newly declassified CIA docu- • 4,000 boxes of archived materials ments, the History of Aviation Collection has strengthened its position as holding the In 1963 George Haddaway, founder and premier archive on Civil Air Transport and managing editor of Flight magazine, donated Air America.

2 AIR AMERICA UPHOLDING THE AIRMEN’S BOND 3 Quietly and courageously throughout the Moreover, the symposium brings together long and difficult Vietnam War, Air Amer- many Air America veterans, a number of ica, a secretly owned air proprietary of men rescued by Air America, and the CIA the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), “customers” who often placed their lives remained the indispensable instrument of and missions in the hands of this once-se- CIA’s clandestine mission. This legacy is cret air proprietary. captured in a recent CIA Director’s state- ment that the Agency’s mission is to “ac- Air America crews were not required to complish what others cannot accomplish monitor military emergency radio calls, fly and go where others cannot go.” While to the location of military personnel in dis- some of Air America’s work may never be tress, or place their lives at risk of enemy publicly acknowledged, much of the compa- ground-fire and possible capture. They re- The Airmen’s Bond ny’s critical role in wartime rescue missions ceived no extra compensation for rescue Keith Woodcock can now be revealed. This joint symposium work and sometimes lost wages for their Donated Courtesy of the Air America Association Board with the CIA and The University of Texas at efforts. However, in their flying community depicts the heroism of an Air America UH-34D crew conducting the rescue of two US Air The Airmen’s Bond Dallas provides a forum for the release of it was enough to know that a downed avia- Force A1E attack aircraft pilots. Overhead, a “Raven” forward air controller flying an O-1 observation plane directs thousands of pages of heretofore unavail- tor was in trouble and that airmen should two Air America-piloted a critical T-28Ds Communist in strafing supplyruns against route advancing in the high Communist plateau of forces. north-central The rescue Laos. takes From place 1964 on to able documents on Air America’s relation- always come to the aid of other airmen. It the Plaine des Jarres, 1965, when the US military had few SAR aircraft in the region, Air America rescued 21 American pilots. ship with the Central Intelligence Agency. was simply the Airmen’s Bond.

4 AIR AMERICA UPHOLDING THE AIRMEN’S BOND 5 6 AIR AMERICA UPHOLDING THE AIRMEN’S BOND 7 - - -

8 September 1948 inaugurates its firstCAT scheduled flight from Shang hai to Nanking-Wuchang-Chengchow-Sian-Lanchow. 24 September 1948 A C-46 airlifts 4,482 first international flight. CAT’s pounds of tin from Kunming to Haiphong. 1952 29 November Norman Schwartz and Robert Snoddy are shot and killed while flying a covertdown mission Agent. China to pick up a Chinese over 1964 22 May America pilots Air program begins. T-28 T-28s in support of Search fly Laotian and Rescue operations. 1964 November First large-scale search and rescue effort of the Indochina war. 12 January 1968 Four North firstAmerica’s air-to-kill. and only Air AN-2 Colts approached Site 85. Vietnamese of the aircraft while the other two attacked Two America Bell Air An circled off in the distance. the Faster than the Colts, to assist. 212 was asked flew Ted Moore, by America helicopter flown Air next to one of the aircraft while his flight me AN-2 with his fired on the Woods, Glenn chanic, the firstAfter downing plane they caught AK-47. in the shooting it down up to the second plane, same manner. 1968 11 March America helicopter crews Air Lima Site 85 falls. to evacuate personnel.fly to the site repeatedly - 1 March 1949 1 March Avia According to is the CAT Week, tion second largestworld’s air cargo carrier. 1953 6 May emergency begins a six week drop to CAT support French troops in Indochina. September 1960 America begins airliftAir to General Phoumi flying in 1,000 tons a month. Laos, at Savannakhet, 20 December 1960 America.FourteenAir USMC H-34 helicopters to delivered August 1965 2-5 Incident Tonkin Gulf of April 1967 28 of Lima Site 36. Second defense Mid-December 1974 offensive Vietnamese launches a winter-spring The North to test the United States willing against Phuoc Long Province ness to respond this peace agreement violation. 2 June 2001 2 June issues Tenet Central Intelligence George Director, America personnel.Air a commendation to [ [ 1947 2001 [ [

. - Hotel.

involved

5 May 1975 5 May 10 July 1950 10 July August 1966 21 April 1975 21 April 1975 28 April 1975 29 9 March 1961 9 March 1975 1 March February 1961 23 March 1975 23 March 1975 28 March 16 January 1950 31 January 1947 Tan Son Nhut air base. Tan atop the Pittman 15 September 1950 Evacuation of Da Nang begins. Saigon begins with an air strike on North Vietnamese offensive against Vietnamese offensive North June 1971 June holding company for CAT Incorporated. CAT for holding company operation in Korea to support UN forces South Vietnamese President Thieu resigns. Vietnamese President South 26 March 1959 26 March Delaware. Airdale Incorporated was to be a Delaware. are organized under the laws of the State are organized under the laws Marine Corps operations in Udorn, Thailand. Marine Corps operations in Udorn, CAT begins Operation Booklift, a massive airlift a massive begins Operation Booklift, CAT 17 December 1971 Air America directed to take over United States United States America over directed to take Air President Thieu orders the Highlands abandoned. President Plaine des Jarres (PDJ) falls. station used to guide air strikes on North Vietnam. station used to guide air strikes on North CAT Incorporated (CATI) and Airdale Incorporated and Incorporated (CATI) CAT Bob Buol, Jose Jawbert and Lincoln Sun are captured. Bob Buol, The city of Mengtze, China falls to Communist forces. forces. China falls to Communist The city of Mengtze, war in Laos. Air America becomes intimately Air war in Laos. CAT makes its first official flight. A C-47 piloted by A C-47 piloted Frank its first makes official flight. CAT Battle for Skyline Ridge begins. Air Skyline Ridge begins. Battle for President John F. Kennedy directs the CIA to run a secret President John F. America airlifts troops, supplies, and supplies, America airlifts troops, of the Central Highlands. Within two weeks, South Vietnam South weeks, Within two of the Central Highlands. North Vietnam launches Campaign 275, the all out invasion the all out invasion Vietnam launches Campaign 275, North the United States set up a Tactical Air Navigation (TACAN) (TACAN) Air Navigation Tactical the United States set up a Hughes and Doug Smith takes off from Shanghai to Canton. Hughes and Doug Smith takes Air America, Incorporated created by America, Air LS 85 established. Located on top of Phou Pha Thi mountain, Thi mountain, Located on top of Phou Pha LS 85 established. conducts Search and Rescue missions. change of name of CAT Incorporated. change of name CAT Air America appropriately named has servedAir its country well.” CIA Director William Colby stated: “The withdrawal from Viet “The withdrawal from stated: William Colby CIA Director Air America helicoptersAir evacuate personnel to aircraft carriers off shore throughout the day. The last helicopter out, piloted by piloted by The last helicopter out, off shore throughout the day. Robert Caron with crew member O. B. Harnage, takes off from takes Harnage, B. Robert Caron with crew member O. Ambassador Martin orders the emergency evacuation of Saigon. nam draws to a conclusion Air America’s operational activities . . . . . operationalAmerica’s activities . Air nam draws to a conclusion Air America personnel evacuates key from Hue and Quang Nhai. Air

8 AIR AMERICA UPHOLDING THE AIRMEN’S BOND 9 American civilians, "customers," diplomat- Evacuation from the Pittman ic personnel, AAM personnel, and South Building Vietnamese civilians from Saigon before • The most famous evacuation flown by Air advancing North Vietnamese communist America on 29 April 75 was one from the forces arrived. Pittman Building at Saigon, although most • In 1970, Air America had 80 airplanes and pany with a book value of three or four people who saw the world famous photo was "The World’s Most Shot at Airline." times that amount. • Air America aircraft carried all sorts of taken by UPI photographer Hubert van Es cargo and equipment, food, mail, ce- probably thought that it was a US military • Air America lost 240 pilots and crew • Before the fall of Dien Bien Phu to the ment, roofing material, sedated animals, helicopter on top of members to hostile fire. Viet Minh on 7 May 1954, CAT pilots flew and gasoline. the US Embassy— 682 airdrop missions to the beleaguered it wasn’t. • Captain Weldon "Big" Bigony, a native of French troops. INTRODUCED IN 1964: SAR MISSIONS Big Spring, Texas, was one of the first pi- FOR THE US MILITARY • At the end, during lots hired by CAT. • Following the signing of the Geneva The first occasion to rescue a downed US this dramatic evac- Accord on 21 July 1954, it also supplied military pilot came on 6 June 64, when US uation of Saigon, • In July 1950 the CIA formed the Pacific C-46s for Operation Cognac, during which Navy Lieutenant Charles F. Klusmann was more than 7,000 Corporation (not its original name) and they evacuated nearly 20,000 civilians shot down in his RF-8A Crusader from the refugees — 1,373 a month later purchased CAT to use in from North Vietnam to South Vietnam. USS Kitty Hawk over the north-eastern cor- Americans, 5,595 clandestine missions to fight communism ner of the Plaine des Jarres, that is near Khang South Vietnam- in the Asia theater. The price was under a • During 1970, Air America airdropped or Khay in the Ban Pha Ka (LS-40) area. ese, and 85 million dollars—a real bargain for a com- landed 46 million pounds of food stuffs— third-countr y mainly rice—in Laos. Helicopter flight • With North Vietnamese troops more and n a t i o n a l s — time reached more than 4,000 hours more pressing their invasion of the South were airlifted to the a month in the same year. Air America in the early seventies, Air America was 40 ships of the U.S. fleet lying before crews transported tens of thousands of ever more called upon to help evacuate the coast of South Vietnam. troops and refugees. refugees. As the South Vietnamese Min- ister of Labor said in his Citation dated • Air America’s crews did a tremendous job • In Vietnam, according to Robbins, AAM 12 June 72: “In addition, during the past in hauling more than 1,000 passengers to had about 40 aircraft and served about two years, Air America has participated the Embassy, the DAO, or to the ships. 12,000 passengers a month, among whom in major refugee movements. A total of were USAID (U.S. Agency for Interna- 14,717 Vietnamese refugees who were in • Air America was supposed to have 28 tional Development) people, missionaries, Cambodia during the year 1970, and sub- helicopters that day, out of which six military personnel, correspondents, gov- sequently arrived in Vung Tau, were trans- were stolen by Vietnamese, one had ernment officials and nurses. ported from Vung Tau by Air America to rocket damage, one out of service for an Bao Loc and Ham Tan, South Vietnam for engine change, and four were conducting • Air America took on a greater and great- relocation. Later, in 1972, Air America evacuations in Can Tho. David B. Kendall er burden of support for military opera- again participated in refugee movements. had to ditch his helicopter alongside the tions, as reflected in its contracts with the A total of 1,317 refugees were flown by ship Blue Ridge. Department of Defense, which increased Air America from Quang Tri to Phuoc from about $18 million in 1972 to over Tuy, and 4,324 refugees were transported $41 million in 1973. from Hue to Ban Me Thuot and Vung Tau City. Since that time additional relocations • During the final weeks of the war, AAM have been possible through the support helicopter crews evacuated some 41,000 rendered by Air America.”

10 AIR AMERICA UPHOLDING THE AIRMEN’S BOND 11 Symposium Overview just below the radar buildings. In a pre-dawn eral hundred yards below the radar buildings, by Dr. Tim Castle attack the sappers surrounded the technicians faced the communist barrage with great cour- and used automatic weapons fire and rocket- age and determination. At first dawn, heed- propelled grenades in an attempt to destroy less to the presence of enemy soldiers and The War in Laos R Searles, USAF, stated “I wish to convey my the facility and kill all of the Americans. the continuing risk of mortars, rockets, and When President Kennedy decided in 1961 personal appreciation and commendation to artillery fire, Freeman led a rescue party of to forcefully resist rising communist aggres- two of your helicopter crews for their ex- Wood and Irons, responding to a signal from Hmong irregulars to the radar facility. While sion against the remote but strategically ceptional aerial skill in the rescue of the crew a military survival radio, flew to Site 85 and searching for the technicians he came un- located Kingdom of Laos, the CIA and Air members of an RF-4C, Bullwhip 26, on 20 courageously hovered over a group of radar der enemy gunfire and suffered a serious leg America were ready. Flying in a mountain- January 1972.” General Searles went on to technicians trapped on the side of the cliff wound. Armed only with a shotgun and some ous land-locked country with few roads, name Lee Andrews, Nicki Fillipi, Ron Ander- below the radar facility. Irons quickly dropped phosphorous grenades, Freeman defended his continually shifting weather conditions and son, John Fonberg, William Phillips, and Bob a hoist to the men and pulled them aboard team until forced to withdraw. In honor of his virtually no navigational aids, Air America Noble for their “truly outstanding” efforts. the unarmed and unarmored Huey helicop- heroic actions Howard Freeman was award- crews routinely conducted hazardous re- “In spite of a known 37MM high threat area ter. After forty-one years of secrecy, the CIA ed CIA’s Intelligence Star. At the operations supply missions to hundreds of government and small arms fire,” said the general, “these is now acknowledging Air America’s role in area Woody Spence suffered a severe hear- outposts. This aerial lifeline provided essen- crew members disregarded their own per- the rescue of the “Heavy Green” members ing loss during the bombardment, but contin- tial assistance to the Royal Lao and U.S.- sonal safety to perform a heroic rescue. The - Stanley Sliz, Richard Etchberger, Willie Hus- ued to maintain critical radio communications directed forces battling North Vietnamese quick response to the distress call and actual band, and John Daniel. Etchberger, who throughout the North Vietnamese as- and Pathet communist troops. recovery in near record time were unques- heroically defended his injured com- sault. He also declined tionably instrumental in saving the lives of rades until they were placed on the Air America crews became expert in the the USAF RF-4C crew members.” helicopter, was mortally wounded by terrain and unique flying conditions of Laos, enemy fire as the Huey withdrew. The but they were not immune to enemy ground In order to more fully understand these communist assault on Site 85 resulted fire and the perils of being shot down over events, Donald Boecker, a U.S. Navy pilot in the single greatest ground loss of enemy-controlled territory. They soon creat- shot down over northern Laos in 1965, will U.S. Air Force personnel for the en- ed their own search and rescue (SAR) force, share the stage with one of his rescuers, Air tire Vietnam War. Ten “Heavy Green” comprised of UH-34D helicopters and T-28D America pilot Sam Jordan. technicians remain unaccounted for attack aircraft, and began to respond to their from this attack. own emergencies. As more U.S. military air- In early 1968 Air America pilot Ken Wood and craft began flying missions over Laos (and his flight mechanic Loy “Rusty” Irons carried Chief Master Sergeant Richard Etch- later North Vietnam), Air America also took out one of the most unusual and daring res- berger was secretly and posthu- on the primary responsibility for rescuing all cues of the entire Vietnam War. Project “Heavy mously honored in late 1968 with downed U.S. aviators. In 1964-1965, when the Green” was a top secret U.S. Air Force radar the Air Force Cross. In a recent U.S. military had few SAR aircraft in the re- bombing facility located at Lima Site 85, a mile- development, however, the Pen- gion, the U.S. Air Force (USAF) reports that high Laotian mountaintop a mere 120 miles tagon is reviewing Etchberger’s An Air Combat First Keith Woodcock Air America rescued 21 American pilots. from downtown Hanoi. The military program actions for possible award of the Donated Courtesy of Marius Burke and Boyd D. Mesecher was manned by sixteen Air Force technicians Congressional Medal of Honor. Although the USAF did not continue to pub- working under cover as civilian employees of Known as “Site 85,” the US radar facility perched atop a 5,800-foot mountain in northeast lish further statistics on Air America rescues the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation. On the CIA also acknowledges the Laos—less than 150 miles from Hanoi—was providing critical and otherwise unavailable all-weather guidance to American F-105 fighter-bombers flying strike missions against Com and the CIA never tracked such data, anecdot- evening of 10 March 1968 the North Viet- actions of two paramilitary munist supply depots, airfields, and railroad yards in North Vietnam. An Air Combat First al information and occasional formal letters namese launched a furious mortar, rocket, and officers at Site 85. Howard captures one daring action by Air America pilot Ted Moore and flight mechanic Glenn Woods of commendation suggest that Air America artillery attack on Site 85’s CIA operations Freeman and John Woody responding to a North Vietnamese air attack on the site which gained them—and Air Amer crews saved scores of American airmen. One area and the Air Force facilities. Concurrently, Spence, working and living ica—the distinction of having shot down an enemy fixed-wing aircraft from a helicopter—a singular aerial victory in the entire history of the Vietnam War. such letter, written by Major General DeWitt a sapper team climbed the steep western cliffs at an operations area sev- -

- 12 AIR AMERICA UPHOLDING THE AIRMEN’S BOND 13 evacuation from his post until sensitive equip- increasingly urgent requests from CIA and so I was landed on a ship called Fireball. I just above them. Standing near the helicop- ment and documents were properly safe- State Department officers. All the while Air returned to Saigon after refueling on Fire- ter a tall man leans forward with his hand guarded. Mr. Spence was honored with the America personnel were constantly receiv- ball and picked up another Embassy roof extended to the frantic crowd. Released by CIA’s Certificate of Distinction. ing a mix of pleas, verbal threats, and some- load this time going to the Fireball again United Press International with a mistaken times gunfire from agitated South Vietnam- and refueling.” The pilot made many more caption that identified the location as the Air America flight mechanic Rusty Irons, for- ese government officials, military personnel, roundtrips that day and finally landed on U.S. Embassy in Saigon, the picture instantly mer CIA paramilitary officer Woody Spen- and local citizens determined to find a way the USS Duluth at about 1900. became a withering symbol of America’s ce, and Heavy Green technician John Daniel out of the city. ignominious departure from Indochina. In will provide their recollections of this singu- Air America fixed wing aircraft were also a fact, the Bell 204 helicopter belonged to lar rescue. In Saigon, the final refuge for all fleeing the critical means of evacuation. But the ever Air America. The landing pad, one of thir- North Vietnamese invasion, Air America present danger of being overwhelmed by teen rooftop evacuation points selected in The Laos panel provides a remarkable op- faced enormous challenges. Initial evacua- desperate Vietnamese civilians and mili- consultations between Air America and a portunity to hear from both perspectives— tion planning did not anticipate the almost tary personnel required skill, courage, and Special Working Group at the U.S. Embassy, the rescuers and the rescued. total disintegration of the Vietnamese secu- sometimes deception. A C-47 pilot report- was located atop CIA employee living quar- rity forces and the chaos that quickly en- ed that on 29 April 1975 he departed Tan ters at the Pittman Apartments on Gia Long The Fall of South Vietnam gulfed the city and panicked the local and Son Nhut airfield with 33 passengers (Air Street. And, the man reaching out to those The swift collapse of the South Vietnam- expatriate population. America employees and families, mixed on the ladder was CIA air operations officer ese government in March and April 1975 VN, Chinese, American and Filipino) plus O.B. Harnage. caught many by surprise. According to an CIA officers, determined to get “at risk” a crew of two.” Shortly after takeoff a fire official U.S. Air Force history “USAF airlift Vietnamese out of Saigon, directed some developed in the right engine and the air- Through all the years of U.S. involvement planes and personnel had long since been of these individuals to drive out into the craft was forced to land at Con Son island. in Southeast Asia, Air America pilots and withdrawn from South Vietnam, and the countryside. One Air America pilot de- Fourteen of the passengers were then fer- their support personnel accepted the grave only reliable airlift available in the coun- scribed 28 April 1975 as follows, “Our cus- ried by Air America helicopters to nearby danger and extreme flying challenges with try was Air America. The helicopters and tomer ‘Max’ rode with us. Our mission was ships. Surrounded by hordes of Vietnam- great alacrity. Called upon one last time in smaller aircraft of this company were in- lifting Vietnamese from various locations ese arriving from the mainland, the crew the final days before the collapse of the valuable for removing people from remote in the Vietnam Delta to a U.S. Navy ship decided “it was not feasible to top off our South Vietnamese government, Air Ameri- locations.” While all of their work in South located just offshore of the mouth of the fuel due to the possibility of being mobbed ca personnel braved the Saigon skyline to Vietnam was extremely challenging in this branch of the Mekong river on which Can by VN evacuees if the airplane appeared to carry thousands of evacuees to the safety time of great political and military chaos— Tho is located. Our method as arranged by be preparing for departure. With the air- of nearby countries and U.S. ships in the manifested in ever decreasing levels of se- the customer was to extract people from craft apparently disabled no one bothered South China Sea. They conducted them- curity—Air America’s efforts in Da Nang various random pickup points. This method us.” Eventually the aircraft was repaired selves in the finest tradition of their motto and Saigon are especially noteworthy. worked very well and attracted little, if and, with a speedy departure, was soon on “Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, Profession- any, attention.” its way to Brunei with the remaining Air ally.” In praise of their efforts, U.S. Air Force “Da Nang was a shambles when we ar- America employees. investigators concluded “Only God knows rived,” recalled Air America pilot Marius On 29 April 1975 an Air America heli- the numbers of sorties which Air America Burke. “Aircraft, tanks, trucks, etc., were copter pilot spent the entire day shuttling One of the most iconic photographs of the flew in the final month in Vietnam. [We]… abandoned all over the area. The aircraft ap- passengers to various evacuation points. Vietnam War was taken on 29 April 1975, estimate that over 1,000 were flown, per- parently were out of fuel.” No matter, Burke Arriving at the Embassy tennis courts his just hours before the jubilant North Viet- haps many more.” and other Air America personnel got down aircraft was filled with people and he flew namese Army seized the South Vietnamese to the risky business of moving evacuees to to the USS Blue Ridge, “offloaded, refu- capital. The image, captured by Dutch pho- The South Vietnam panel includes Air safe areas. Operating out of perilous landing eled and went back to Saigon whereupon I tographer Hubert Van Es, shows scores of America pilots Marius Burke and Ed Adams, sites and hand-pumping fuel from 50-gal- landed at the Embassy roof and picked up people climbing a narrow wooden ladder in former CIA officer Robert Grealy, and not- lon drums into helicopters that could not another load heading for the Blue Ridge. the frantic hope that they would be rescued ed academic and USAF combat rescue pilot, be shut down, Air America responded to Arriving at Blue Ridge it had a full deck by a small helicopter perched on a rooftop Dr. Joe Guilmartin.

14 AIR AMERICA UPHOLDING THE AIRMEN’S BOND 15 The Airmen’s Bond: A Rescue Pilot’s Perspective arrived without specific authorization. The rameters such as the wind, density altitude by Dr. Joe Guilmartin survivor had gone down in an area of low and terrain factors. That is surely the limit- hostile activity; but as we had learned, orbit- ing case in situational awareness and span Professor, Ohio State University ing aircraft soon attract the enemy. While I of control. Finally, the rescue crew rarely has was screwing up my guts to jump my chain of the luxury of knowing critical mission param- As a helicopter pilot, I was involved in Air The H-43 was a marginal operation: no ar- command and commit, an Air America H-34 eters, including the survivor’s location, prior Force rescue operations in Southeast Asia mor, no armament beyond our personal M- appeared out of nowhere, swooped in for to launch. More often than not, planning and very near the beginning. I flew my first com- 16s, no self-sealing tanks and a radius of ac- the pickup, made it, and departed, no fuss, no execution are of necessity done on the fly. bat sortie over Laos in early October of 1965, tion of only seventy-five miles. It was good muss, no bother. Success requires a special kind of airmanship, a staging flight by a pair of H-43s to Lima 20 to know that other Americans were flying in one that Air America pilots, crews and sup- where we refueled, then on to Lima 36 north our area of responsibility. I left Southeast Asia in July of 1966, not to port personnel repeatedly demonstrated. of the Plaine des Jarres where we pulled alert return for another nine and a half years. In for two days. Our billeting arrangements Mercifully, I was never called upon to attempt the interim, I taught combat rescue tactics as were provided courtesy of Air America and a combat rescue in the H-43 before my unit an instructor pilot and in the classroom and were organized by the Customer, Mike, a tall received its definitive equipment, Sikorski wrote about them as an analyst and histo- Anything, Anywhere, rawboned fellow whose personal weapon of HH-3E “Jolly Greens” with self-sealing tanks, rian. Along the way I came to the conclusion Anytime, Professionally. choice was a BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle), a thousand pounds of Titanium armor plate that in terms of demands on pilot and crew, a fact I discovered one afternoon when he and a hydraulic rescue hoist with 250 feet of combat rescue is the limiting case in aerial went charging off into the jungle to recover an cable. We still had no armament beyond our warfare. Raw courage and superior stick and —Air America’s Slogan Air America Helio pilot who was said to have personal M-16s, but at some point the pow- rudder skill—or should I say cyclic and col- gone down short of the runway—incorrectly ers that be provided us with the services of lective skill?—are essential, but not enough. I next operated in the same airspace as as it turned out. Mike also provided local in- an Air Commando A-1 squadron at Udorn to Unlike delivering ordnance or cargo, the ob- Air America during the final hours of the telligence. Air America pilots and kickers gave provide search capability and fire support, as jective is human life, and contributing one Vietnam War, in the 29 April 1975 Saigon us tips on the weather and flying techniques indeed they did and to good effect. I and my more downed aircraft to the enemy score- evacuation. To make good the lack of Marine to deal with it. Our logistic support was also fellows were well aware that our Air America card, however admirable in terms of courage, Corps H-53s—one of two CH-53 squadrons provided by Air America: fifty-five gallon comrades-in-arms had made combat rescues, is counter-productive in the extreme. At the that participated in the 12 April Phnom Penh drums of JP-4 brought in by Caribou and an above and beyond their contractual obliga- same time, a failure of will or excess of cau- evacuation had returned to Hawaii—and occasional maintenance man and replacement tions with at least nominally unarmed H-34s tion that leads to a missed pickup is just as twelve Air Force H-53s, ten Special Opera- parts flown up from Udorn by Porter or He- and none of the advantages that our special- bad, particularly in its psychological impact tions CH-53s and two Rescue HH-53s were lio when our helicopters broke. ized equipment gave us. and never more so than when the objective deployed from Nakhon Phanom, Thailand, to of the failed rescue was a fellow aviator. The the attack carrier USS Midway. As the senior Whatever problems Air America had, a lack successful rescue crew must walk a fine line Jolly Green, I led the two HH-53s. of aggressiveness in coming to the aid of a between courage and caution. distressed airman was not among them. I Backing up a month and a half, after the war have vivid recollections of a pickup in late The conceptual challenges of combat rescue in Laos had closed down in 1974, Air Ameri- 1965 toward the end of dry monsoon. I and are daunting as well. Beyond keeping on top ca retained a presence in South Vietnam, no- my crew were “high bird”—backup helicop- of the aircraft—better still, ahead of the air- tably in the form of some twelve UH-1B/D ter; we always committed in pairs, another craft—in four-dimensional space, the fourth “Hueys” plus an additional sixteen H models advantage Air America rarely enjoyed—when dimension being time, the rescue crew must on loan from the Army operating in support a Royal Lao Air Force T-28 pilot bailed out off keep apprised of the situation on the ground: of the ICCS (International Commission for the northeast end of the Plaine des Jarres. the survivor or survivors’ medical condition, Control and Supervision), the Embassy, the I watched with mounting frustration as the their proximity to enemy forces and the CIA and USAID. That wasn’t much given the low bird aircraft commander dithered, refus- capabilities and limitations of those forces, enormity of the task that was to be thrust ing to go in for the pickup before our A-1s not to mention mundane but essential pa- upon Air America. More critical still, when

16 AIR AMERICA UPHOLDING THE AIRMEN’S BOND 17 the situation turned critical, Air America had coast. Potential evacuees were billeted in evacuation were coin of the realm— only seventy-seven pilots, including fixed- scattered locations around Saigon, and Air it was unopposed. wing pilots, in country.1 America personnel working in conjunc- tion with military members of the Defense It was not, as testified to by a widely- Beginning in early March as the South Viet- Attaché Staff had marked out rooftop published but inadequately-captioned namese military position crumbled in the helipads suitable for use by Air America photo showing a Soviet-manufactured face of a massive North Vietnamese inva- Hueys as a means of moving evacuees to SA-7 heat-seeking missile passing sion backed by heavy armored forces op- the collection point. The problem was the through the rotor plane of a Marine erating under an umbrella of surface-to-air Ambassador. The Honorable Graham Mar- Corps CH-53. From my own recollection three missiles (SAMs) and anti-aircraft artillery, Air tin, utterly committed to the South Viet- of radio traffic at the time, confirmed by to five shuttle runs America Huey crews helped to evacuate namese cause, exhausted and in ill health, subsequent research, a North Vietnamese between rooftop helipads and the DAO US personnel from locations up country in obstinately refused to abandon hope in a 57mm anti-aircraft battery was firing at Compound or Embassy before flying out the face of conditions that approached total negotiated settlement and resisted taking the incoming stream of helicopters from to sea to refuel on Navy ships. Of twenty- chaos. The extraction of the last Americans overt steps in support of an evacuation to offshore Navy decks at around 1500, only eight Hueys that should have been available, from Da Nang on 29 March was particularly avoid causing panic. Even after the South to be silenced by a strike by a flight of Air six had been stolen by Vietnamese, one was perilous. It was clear at this point, or should Vietnamese Army had fought and lost its Force “Iron Hand”, anti-radiation F-4 fighter- hit by rocket fire, one was out of service for have been, that South Vietnam was doomed final battle, at Xuan Loc on the eastern ap- bombers. There were three active SA-2 ra- an engine change and four had been sent to and that the re- maining Americans and proaches to Saigon, on 20 April, the Am- dar-guided surface-to-air missile sites to the evacuate Can Tho to the south. During the friendly foreign nationals bassador equivocated. Not until late in the north and northeast of the city, and while course of the day, accidents and mischance would have to be evac- morning of the 29th, in the wake of a North they never fired, they were in place.3 There reduced the number of available Hueys to uated, along with South Vietnamese air strike on Tan Son Nhut Air- is no doubt that the North Vietnamese infil- thirteen.4 Throughout the day and into the Vietnamese deemed port the day before and an avalanche of trated SA-7 teams into the city and at least evening—the Ambassador’s delayed decision to be particularly at communist rockets that hit Tan Son Nhut a limited number of 12.7mm heavy machine ensured that the evacuation would go on risk in the event of shortly after midnight, did the Ambassador guns on anti-aircraft mounts as well. I say into the night—Air America Hueys flown by a communist victo- give the order to execute. this advisedly as Jolly Green gunners si- a single pilot shuttled across the city, carrying ry. Concrete plans lenced at least two 12.7mm positions and as many as a dozen evacuees in an aircraft had been under- Aside from headlines and photographs, the perhaps three on our run in to the DAO rated for eight passengers. It was perhaps Air taken in support Saigon Evacuation received only cursory compound at about 2130. Helicopters de- America’s finest hour. Loading up evacuees, of a helicopter attention from the American news media. scending into the compound from the east many of them panicked and of uncertain evacuation using David Butler of NBC Radio was the only were fired at throughout the operation by identity, from ad hoc pads, and in some cases Marine Corps American media bureau chief in Saigon a 37mm battery to the west that, providen- unsurveyed rooftops, without any semblance helicopters to when the city fell, and while his account tially, was unable to depress far enough for of ground control entailed a constant risk of shuttle evacu- of the evacuation is both accurate and ex- a successful engagement. being overloaded or interference with the ees from the emplary it did not appear in print for ten flight controls, and that was only the begin- main collec- years.2 Media coverage left the impression Into this cauldron stepped Air America, under ning. Nor was it all rotary wing: in early af- tion point in the old that while the evacuation was chaotic— circumstances that were anything but favor- ternoon, an Air America supervisor brought MACV compound at Tan Son Nhut photos of Vietnamese climbing over con- able. For openers, between communist rocket out what he estimated as over 150 evacuees Airport to US Navy ships standing off the certina wire to get into the Embassy for fire and an over-zealous fire marshal who re- on a C-46, no doubt a veteran of the Hump located the only refueling truck, there was no airlift, dodging debris and abandoned aircraft fuel. In consequence, the Hueys were limited to on take off. 1 William M. Leary, “Last Flights: Air America and the Collapse of South Vietnam”, The George Jalonick II and Dorothy Cockrell Jalonick Memorial Distinguished Lecture Series (Dallas: The University of Texas at Dallas, August 13, 2005, published by the Special Collections Department of the Eugene McDermott Library), 3. 3 Author’s recollection. On our initial run-in to the DAO compound at about 1500 hours, my RHAW (for Radar 2 David Butler, The Fall of Saigon: Scenes from the Sudden End of a Long War (New York: Simon and Schuster, Homing and Warning) scope displayed radar emissions from three SA-2 sites, all well within range. 1985). 4 Leary, Last Flights, 10-11.

18 AIR AMERICA UPHOLDING THE AIRMEN’S BOND 19 Just how many evacuees made it out who would have been left behind were it not for Air America Huey crews and their support personnel is beyond reconstruction. The of- ficial total of evacuees brought out to the fleet by helicopter is 7,815, a figure that is surely low.5 Of those evacuated by military helicopter, a substantial number would never have made it to the collection points with- out Air America. How many is a matter of speculation, but the number is surely well over a thousand and excludes those brought directly to Navy ships. It is perhaps fitting that the iconic photographic image of that aw- ful occasion is that of an Air America Huey crew loading Vietnamese refugees from an improvised helipad atop the roof of the CIA deputy station chief’s apartment.6

John F. Guilmartin, Jr. Columbus, Ohio

AN-2 Throttle

On 12 January 1968, recognizing the threat posed by "Site 85," the People’s Army of Vietnam vowed to destroy it. On 12 January 1968, four North Vietnamese AN-2 Colt biplanes headed for Site 85. One pair began low-level bombing and strafing passes while the other pair circled nearby. Air America pilot Ted Moore was flying an ammunition-supply run to the site in his unarmed UH-1D “Huey” helicopter when he saw the biplanes attacking and took chase of the first Colt. Flight mechanic Glenn Woods pulled out his AK-47 rifle and began firing at the lumbering biplane. The pursuit was relentless, continuing for more than 20 minutes until the second Colt (hit by ground fire) joined the first in an attempt to escape back into North Vietnam. Both attacking Colts suffered severe bullet damage and crashed before reaching the border. Fearing a similar fate, the two unengaged Colts retreated unharmed. This throttle is from one of the downed AN-2s recovered after the battle. 5 Ray L. Bowers, The United States Air Force in Southeast Asia: Tactical Airlift (Washington, DC: The Office of Air Force History, 1983), 644, n. 31. How the figure was derived is not specified, but was apparently on the basis of numbers reported to ABCCC (Airborne Battlefield Communications, Command and Control), the airborne con- trol agency, by military helicopter pilots. If that is the case, it is surely low. As the evacuation progressed, frequencies became saturated and it was clear that ABCCC wasn’t controlling. Many crews simply stopped reporting. 6 Fox Butterfield with Kari Haskell, “Getting it Wrong in a Photo”, The New York Times (April 23, 2000), 5. Note: Please see the DVD for a complete list of Expressions of Gratitude.

20 AIR AMERICA UPHOLDING THE AIRMEN’S BOND 21 22 AIR AMERICA UPHOLDING THE AIRMEN’S BOND 23 24 AIR AMERICA UPHOLDING THE AIRMEN’S BOND 25 26 AIR AMERICA UPHOLDING THE AIRMEN’S BOND 27 28 AIR AMERICA UPHOLDING THE AIRMEN’S BOND 29 Final Flights: dered the Central Highlands abandoned. Air America and the Collapse of South Vietnam, 1975 At the same time, NVA forces were pour- ing south of the DMZ, heading from Hue by William M. Leary and Da Nang. Marius Burke, the senior Air America pilot at Da Nang, had only Air America had fallen on hard times as Viet- Vice Admiral George P. Steele, commander four helicopters to meet the growing nam welcomed the Year of the Rabbit at the of the Seventh Fleet, had met with Martin airlift demands caused by the NVA beginning of 1975. The airline that had been to review the plan. "'Do not worry, Admiral," offensive. On March 23, Air America secretly owned by the Central Intelligence Martin had reassured Steele, “I will initiate evacuated key personnel from Hue Agency since 1950 was a far cry from the the evacuation in good time. I understand and Quang Nhai. On the 25th, while giant air complex of the late 1960s and early the necessity for doing so." engaged in the evacuation effort, an Air 1970s. In 1970, the airline operated a fleet of America helicopter was fired on by suppos- 146 aircraft that included Boeing 727s, DC- In mid-December 1974, the North Viet- edly friendly South Vietnamese troops. It took 6s, C-46s, C-47s, C-123s, Twin-Beech Volpars, namese launched a winter-spring offensive hits in the rotor blade spar and engine but Pilatus Porters, Helio Couriers, and a variety against Phuoc Long province. The purpose of managed to limp back to Da Nang. Clearly, fixed wing, including supervisors. The rotary of helicopters. It employed over 500 pilots, the operation was less to acquire control of Burke reported to Saigon, the situation had wing pilots were flying 120 hours a month, primarily in Southeast Asia. In June 1974, territory in the south than to test the will- reached "a critical state," and that panicking the maximum allowable under the USAID however Air America shut down its opera- ingness of the United States to respond to South Vietnamese troops posed as great -if contract. Also, the contract called for two pi- tions in Laos, where it had been serving as a a blatant violation of the peace agreement. not greater-danger than the NVA. lots per helicopter. Because of the company's paramilitary adjunct to the native forces that There was little alarm in the U.S. Intelligence uncertain future, pilots and technical person- were fighting the CIA's "Secret War." Three community to the fighting in Phuoc Long. A That same day, a meeting was held at CIA nel were in the process of leaving for other months later, the CIA confirmed an earlier National Intelligence Estimate on December headquarters in Washington to discuss Air jobs. The first thing to be done, Velte said, was decision to sell the air complex, setting the 23 forecast that Hanoi would avoid the "risks America's ability to respond to the increas- to clarify the identity of the new contractor. date for its demise as June 30, 1975. Morale and losses" of a major offensive and work to ing demands for air service. Paul Velte, Air Current employees could then apply for jobs among Air America employees was at low achieve its goals though a "political-military America's chief executive officer, reviewed with the replacement company. Personnel ebb, as pilots and technical personnel left in campaign." An all-out offensive, the intel- the company's equipment status for his CIA agreeing to stay with Air America until June large numbers, anticipating the company's ligence community believed, would not be superiors. Air America owned and operated 30 would be offered special bonuses. Also, closure. Meanwhile, flying continued, primar- likely before early in 1976. 12 Bell 204B/205 helicopters, civilian mod- contractual restraints for two pilots and 120 ily helicopter operations for the Internation- els of the military's UH-1B/D Hueys. In ad- hours should be lifted. While there measures al Commission of Control and Supervision Not for the first time in the Vietnam War, the dition, the company had on loan from the might not completely solve the problem, they (ICCS) -the agency created to monitor the intelligence crystal ball proved cloudy. Phuoc military 16 UH-l Hs. Eleven of the "bailed" certainly would help. Velte then told his su- peace agreement of 1973 -and the U.S. Agen- Binh City fell to the NVA on January 7, 1975, Hueys were on the ICCS lease, while 5 were periors that he would leave shortly for South cy for International Development (USAID). the first provincial capital to pass into the on a USAlD lease. Three of the 11 ICCS he- Vietnam to assess the situation and take all But the end was clearly in sight, both for the hands of northern forces since the cease- licopters were currently in use for the com- necessary action. airline and for the country. In the summer of fire of 1973. As it was clear that Washington mission's diminishing requirements, while 1974, the U.S. House of Representatives had would not act, the Politburo in Hanoi ap- the other 8 were in flyable storage. It would Frank Snepp, the CIA's principal analyst in voted a sharp reduction in aid to South Viet- proved a plan for widespread attacks in the be difficult to place these 8 Hueys back in Saigon, had become increasingly concerned nam. Shortly thereafter, President Richard M. south in 1975, followed by a general upris- service because spare parts for them came about the rapidly deteriorating military situa- Nixon had been forced to resign in the wake ing in 1976. The offensive would begin in the from the Department of Defense and were tion. Government defenses in the northern half of the Watergate scandal. An evacuation long-contested Central Highlands. not available on short notice. of the country, he told Station Chief Thomas plan for South Vietnam -initially labeled TAL- Polgar on March 25, were nearing total col- ON VISE but later changed to FREQUENT Campaign 275 opened on March 1, 1975. The most immediate problem, however, was lapse. ''The entire complexion of the Vietnam WIND -was in place, with U.S. Ambassador Within two weeks, the NVA offensive had not aircraft but pilots. Air America, Velte ex- War," he observed, "has altered in a matter Graham Martin in charge. In the fall of 1974, made such progress that President Thieu or- plained, had 77 pilots, both rotary wing and of weeks, and the government is in imminent

30 AIR AMERICA UPHOLDING THE AIRMEN’S BOND 31 danger of decisive military wing, and the driver was hurled into the On April 7, veteran helicopter pilot Nikki Martin’s precipitous action was character- defeat." Polgar, however, re- infield. Somehow, the 727 struggled into A. Fillipi began a survey of 37 buildings in istic of what was becoming an increasingly fused to become alarmed. the air after plowing through various small downtown Saigon to assess their viability bizarre attitude on the part of the U.S. Em- He agreed with Ambas- structures at the end of the field. As Dep- as helicopter landing zones (HLZs). The bassy as the NVA drew closer to Saigon. sador Martin's policy of uty Ambassador Wolf Lehmann later com- survey led to the selection of 13 HLZs. Even Secretary of State Henry Kissinger was encouraging the Saigon mented about this incident, the attempted Fillipi then supervised crews from the Pa- becoming concerned with Martin's actions. government to continue evacuation by 727 was "irresponsible, ut- cific Architect & Engineering company in "Faced with imminent disaster," Kissinger resistance in hopes of terly irresponsible, and should never have removing obstructions that might inter- later wrote, "Martin decided to go down securing a negotiated settle- taken place.'' fere with safe ingress/egress to the HLZs. with the ship. He was reluctant to evacuate ment. Above all, Americans must not give any An "H" was painted on the rooftops to any Americans lest this contribute to the indication that they considered the situation The sudden collapse of South Vietnam's mark the skids of Air America's helicop- disintegration of the south. "I considered hopeless. As refugees poured into Da Nang, military forces caused American military ters, indicating that aircraft could land or Martin's stonewalling dangerous," Kissinger Burke prepared for the worst. He cut person- authorities to review their evacuation plans. take off in either direction with guaranteed recalled. On April 9 he told Ben Bradlee, ex- nel to a minimum, with one pilot and Filipino The original scheme, published on July 31, rotor clearance. During his meetings with ecutive editor of the Washington Post, that flight mechanic per aircraft. He asked for vol- 1974, had contained four options. Evacu- the Special Planning Group that would be "we've got an Ambassador who is maybe unteers who would be willing to remain and ation would be conducted (1) by com- charge of the helicopter evacuation, Fillipi losing his cool." face the hazards of the final evacuation. His mercial airlift from Saigon's Tan Son Nhut emphasized that three requirements had four helicopters would be kept fully fueled and airport, (2) by military aircraft from Tan to be met if Air America was to complete The military's efforts to press Martin were ready for immediate departure. Son Nhut, (3) by sealift from ports serving its assigned tasks in the evacuation plan. proving fruitless. On April 12, the 9th Ma- Saigon, and (4) by helicopters to U.S. Navy The Air America ramp had to be secured; rine Amphibious Brigade sent a delegation The evacuation of Da Nang began on ships standing offshore. It now seemed that helicopters needed a safe supply of fuel; to consult with the ambassador on the March 28. By the morning of the 29th, detailed planning for the helicopter option and, to avoid confusion, Air America had to evacuation plan. Martin told them that he Burke reported, the city was "a shambles," should go forward. maintain its own communication network, would not tolerate any outward signs that with abandoned aircraft, tanks, trucks, and linking with Marine Corps helicopters only the United States intended to abandon other vehicles scattered about. In the midst Air America obviously would be a crucial through UHF guard frequency. He was of the evacuation effort, a World Airways part of any emergency helicopter evacua- assured that all three requirements Boeing 727 appeared overhead. Burke tried tion from downtown Saigon. Rooftops that would be met. to contact the pilot to warn him not to land, might be used for the evacualion could not but did not get a response. As soon as the support the heavy Marine Corps aircraft. CEO Velte arrived in Saigon on April 7. 727 set down, it was engulfed by a swarm Only Air America could do the job. Fol- He consulted with Fillipi on the evacu- of ARVN and civilian refugees. The run- lowing discussions with Var M. Green, vice ation planning to date. He then con- way on which it had landed -17-Left -was president for Vietnam, and Chief Pilot Carl tacted military authorities and asked if soon littered with bodies and overturned Winston, Air America agreed to take 13 they could provide additional pilots to vehicles. Burke again attempted to contact UH-1 Hs out of flyable storage. With a to- allow double crewing of the helicop- the airplane and direct it to 17-Right, which tal of 28 helicopters, Air America pledged ters for the emergency. He received a looked clear, but heard nothing. to have 24 of them available at any given sympathetic response, and a message time. Because of the shortage of pilots, was sent to CINPAC. Requesting the By the time the 727 taxied to the front of many of these helicopters would have to temporary assignment of 30 Marine the control tower, both runways had be- be flown by a single pilot. ''This was risky," Corps helicopter pilots so that each come unusable. "It looked hopeless," Burke the U.S. Air Force account of the final Air America aircraft would have a reported. The only option was to use a evacuation observed. "but Air America was copilot. When Ambassador Martin taxiway. The aircraft started to roll, nar- accustomed to such risks and expressed saw the cable, however, he "hit the rowly missing a stalled van on the side of no reservations about that aspect of the ceiling," and sent a "flash" message the taxiway. A motorcycle struck the left Saigon air evacuation." canceling the request.

32 AIR AMERICA UPHOLDING THE AIRMEN’S BOND 33 South Vietnam. All planning would have to On April 28, as the situation around Saigon be conducted with the utmost discretion. continued to worse, Velte learned that Gen- Evacuation of Nha Trang Rvn March/April 1975 General Carey, the Marine commander, eral Carey had decided not to provide a se- upon receiving this information, flew to curity force for the Air America ramp at Tan Saigon the next day to see Martin. 'The Son Nhut. This came as a shock. Only the When I arrived at the office on Mar 1975 chopper and fixed wing. One French teacher visit," Carey reported, "was cold, non-pro- previous week, Carey had assured Velte that Captain Winston asked me if I would go to had been picked up by a chopper and moved ductive and appeared to be an irritant to he would send marines to secure the ramp. Nha Trang as temporary Scr as E. G. Adams to the island. He came to Nha Trang by Vol- the ambassador." Velte asked the ambassador to intervene and was absent on leave. There was trouble ex- par. I interviewed him along with a CBS pho- reverse the decision, emphasizing that the pected at Da Nang and someone was need- tographer who had been on board Mr. Daly’s The military situation continued security of the Air America area had been ed at Nha Trang to coordinate commo, traffic, World Airways 727. He got off and could not to worsen as North Vietnam- a prerequisite for the company's successful etc. between Saigon and Da Nang. I returned get back on. He said he ran to the tower and ese forces encircled the capital. participation in any emergency evacuation home for my suitcase and departed by air- called for help. One of our choppers landed On April 21, President Thieu plan. There was no immediate response from craft for Nha Trang. On my arrival, I checked and picked him up. I put these people on a resigned. That same day, the the embassy. into the Pacific house. flight to Saigon. Marines established a for- ward headquarters at the The Con Gen at this time was processing The second day we were requested to send DAO. The DAO complex, their Vietnamese employees for evacuation the choppers back to Da Nang to look for together with Air America to Saigon. Most of these people had arrived the Con Gen also an A40b customer was on area across the street, were from other places, I.E. Pleiku, Kontum, etc. They board a barge at Da Nang and was request- designated as the main de- were being ticketed at the Con Gen building. ing water be dropped as the Vietnamese on parture points for a heli- the barges had no food or water. I asked copter evacuation to the The next day Da Nang started to evacuate for a caribou and a40b sent plastic contain- fleet. A battalion-sized and the city panicked. Capt. Burke was at Da ers from Saigon. There was one drop made security force would Nang, and had 3 or 4 choppers. I spent the which I believe was unsuccessful as the con- guard the DAO com- next 2 days trying to get fuel and radio re- tainers broke on impact with the water. plex, while a battalion lay for the choppers at Da Nang. We had to command group and The late William M. Leary, Ph.D., served as keep 2 Volpars in orbit to relay from Burke one company would the E. Merton Coulter Professor of History, to me, and I relayed to Saigon. The Con Gen be sent to the Air Emeritus, at the University of Georgia. Dr. at Da Nang, Mr. Francis had been on board America area. Leary was considered the world’s foremost Burke’s chopper but when they landed at specialist on Air America. His 2005 lecture Marble Mountain the Con Gen got off and The Defense Attache also sent a was central to the McDermott Library’s Civ- talked to the Vietnamese region command- message to Washington, requesting permis- il Air Transport-Air America Collection and er’s aide. The Con Gen told Burke that the sion to bring a platoon of marines to Tan Memorial located on the third floor of Mc- region commander was going to commit Son Nhut at once to control the growing Dermott Library. Leary has written histories suicide and he, the Con Gen, had to go to crowd of fixed-wing evacuees. Lest Ambas- of the China National Aviation Corp., Civil him. The Con Gen departed in a Vietnamese sador Martin's sensitivities be upset about Air Transport and the U.S. Air Mail Service. chopper. This later caused considerable con- the presence of additional U.S. military In 1995 he received the Central Intelligence cern at the U.S. embassy until the Con Gen personnel, Air America helicopters were Agency Studies in Excellence Award for an finally got a message through that he was safe used on April 25 to bring in 40 marines, Outstanding Contribution to the Literature on board a ship heading South. The choppers dressed in civilian clothes, from the U.S.S. of Intelligence. He served as the Charles were shuttling to Cu Le Re Island. I sent a Hancock, standing offshore. Once inside A. Lindbergh Professor of Aerospace His- steel fuel container with 500 gallons of Jp to the DAO complex, they were able to don tory at the National Air and Space Museum, the island by caribou. The first night of the Da their combat gear. Washington D.C. in 1996-97. Nang fall, passengers came into Nha Trang by

34 AIR AMERICA UPHOLDING THE AIRMEN’S BOND 35 rived with fuel and the “secure” place was a new lock on the AAM gate and locked it was only used for a couple of trips. abandoned. The fuel could not be loaded it as the guard was not on the job. Another pad had been prepared in the back aboard choppers so we planned on 5. I previously had requested barbed wire parking lot at the Con Gen this was using it ASAP. We used about 3 drums and to help control crowds. I never received used all day with armed U.S. Marines the other 17 drums were stolen. this wire. We placed chains across to keep controlling the mob. vehicles out of the operations area. 12. Two times during the day while AAM At the time I moved to the airport called in 6. The Pol driver told me that he was on choppers were shuttling personnel from The the ten employees and recommended they his last tank of gas and would not be get- the Con Gen pad to the airport I made next day another sleep at the airport. They all moved in and ting anymore. He said he would stay on the choppers shut down as our mob at attempt was made to drop water, this pa&e gave me matresses and sheets. They the job until all fuel was gone if I would the airport was getting enormous. Each time canteens tied together with floatation. also gave us c-rat ions and other canned promise his family a ride to Saigon. I did time Mr. Spears became frantic and called This attempt aborted due to heavy rains in food. I sent manny down to pick up these this and he worked as he promised. me to have the choppers keep shuttling the area which apparently solved the water items. The chopper pilots were all sleep- 7. A mob had gathered by the time the first as the mob at the Con Gen was getting problem to some extent. The Da Nang Con ing at the pacific house] I planned on being airplane arrived. They were already get- uncontrollable. Gen later arrived at Cam Ranh Bay and was able to fly down to the Con Gen pad and ting unruly. I talked to some Vietnamese 13. Chopper pilots reported small arms flown to Nha Trang. He had a long talk with pick up the crews in case of trouble. All the marines who spoke English. They were in different areas of the town. One re- Mr. Spears, the Nha Trang Con Gen and then time I was a Nha Trang we were dispatch- armed and were there to get a ride to ported the prison gates were open and departed for Saigon by Volpar. At Nha Trang ing items of equipment not needed and also Saigon. They agreed to stay and control the prisoners were looting the prison. I there seemed to be a sense of panic building employees and their dependents. This was the crowd if they were promised a ride. could hear firing from different locations up. Everyone seemed to be tense. I came out hampered by the Con Gen not allowing me They stayed all day and did an outstand- all day. of the Pacific house to go to the airport on space on the aircraft. I finally started getting ing job. Late in the afternoon, however 14. VNAF aircraft started shuttling military my second morning, and a mob had material- an aircraft for my own use. they left unannounced and all control was and their dependents across the run- ized in front of the Con Gen gate all wanting gone. DC-6s of Birdair came in all day. way from AAM. This finally spilled over to be manifested to Saigon when I saw this The following events occurred on the day When one was on the ground I would to our operation when vehicles full of I returned to my room, got my suitcase and that Nha Trang was evacuated and not nec- call in a C-46 and load company cargo Vietnamese started coming to our air- from then on I slept at the airport. essarily in this order: and pax. This worked most of the day. craft for rides. 1. Woke up at about 5:30 and called to the 8. VNAF helicopters started departing. Two 15. Air Vietnam quit coming into the city I was concerned about fuel as always. The pacific House to see if someone could had a mid-air just above the ground and due to the fuel truck would stop servicing at the first bring coffee and breakfast. crashed into the revetments. mobs so hun- sign of trouble. I called Saigon for empty 2. A 40b customer across the way came 9. Had two Vietnamese employees who did dreds of Viet- drums which they sent, however, they were over and told me the Viet Cong were not want to go to Saigon. I borrowed namese came too dirty and could not be used as we had only about 12 miles up the road and the money and paid them their final pay. One to our end of no way of cleaning them. I then requested evacuation was going this day. He said was a male radio operator and the other the field. This fuel drums from the Con Gen. He got some he was now destroying his papers and was the one-armed cleaning woman. All compounded for me and we started filling them for later equipment. He told me I could have any- other employees and dependents were our already use. I then Started trying to find a place to thing I needed. He was gone by 10:30 and sent to Saigon. enormous store fuel for use by the choppers in case abandoned his office and warehouse. 10. I put the finance records into the- bag problem. we lost our fuel at Nha Trang the a40b re- 3. Con Gen had not informed me of their gage compartment of a helicopter. This 16. The last 2 gional representative told me that he had a plans to evacuate. I got a call and they insured that we would not lose them. DC-6 air- place near Cam Ranh at the province chief’s asked me to get all available aircraft from 11. Two days before, I surveyed the roof craft came compound which was the most secure place Saigon. This I did and also requested a of the pacific house for a chopper pad. in and were possible. I started dispatching choppers with C-46 for my own use. This was prepared but on the day of completely fuel drums. we got 20 drums there in the 4. Vietnamese started arriving at the air- evacuation the Vietnamese breached mobbed. I had a first day. The next day the first chopper ar- port looking for rides. I went out and put the fence and crowded the roof pad so Caribou and C-47 sneak in while they

36 AIR AMERICA UPHOLDING THE AIRMEN’S BOND 37 were on the ground. They were com- determined that someone in Saigon had AIR AMERICA SVND EVACUATION SUMMARY pletely mobbed. I got all the employ- ordered this. The field was later opened ees left on the caribou and decided it after repeated calls to Saigon. was time for me to go. The mechanics 19. We got out all of our employees and most In early April 1975 the AAM SVND evacu- agreed that the rolling gates utilized across pulled me into the door as the mob of our important parts and equipment. ation contingency plans were fairly well fi- our southwest taxiway entrance was a weak was trying to hold my legs. As the air- 20. The Vietnamese radio operator agreed nalized. These plans included coordination point that would be difficult to seal off from plane was taking off I saw hundreds of to stay on the job and call us when possi- with the DAO evacuation command center refugees and/or armed desperate Vietnamese people walking down the taxiway to- ble. He called one time the day following (ECC) AAM Captain Filippi was the primary military personnel. It was decided that AAM ward AAM. the evacuation and said that everything coordinator between AAM and ECC. AAM would use metal conex containers to barri- 17. A flying tiger DC-8 was dispatched from was quiet downtown and at the airfield. captain Marius Burke was the man assigned cade the taxiway and place a double row of Saigon. However, by the time he arrived We never heard from him again. to organize and formalize the AAM employ- concertina wire on top of them to stem in- overhead Nha Trang was airborne and ee evacuation plans, as would relate to get- filtration. This would be done after our fixed my opinion was that it was unwise for It is my opinion that all the evacuations AAM ting the foreign employees from their living wing aircraft had departed or if the airport the (DC-8) to land. A 14-foot step had participated in were caused by the embassy quarters to the AAM TSN compound for conditions prevented our fixed wing aircraft to be found for people to board and personnel ordering Vietnamese evacuated, onward evacuation out of Vietnam. In my job from taking off. In preparation we later posi- this would have been impossible to do thereby creating panic among the Vietnam- capacity, I had dealings with all factions of the tioned about 10 conexs near the taxiway and with the huge unruly mob. ese people. company/ evacuation/ contingency plans. some 4 rolls of concertina wire. The terminal 18. Once during the day just when a DC-6 building would be planned to be blocked on was loaded and taxiing for takeoff, the Captain Edward Reid, Jr. In my support to Captain Filippi AAM pro- the ramp side by vehicles and the entrance tower said the field was closed. It was Air America, Inc. vided the technical assistance to the setting gate from the street to our employee vehicle up of an alternate flight watch facility at an parking lot was to be barricaded by the 2 office nearby the DAO ECC. AAM would Isuzu buses operated by AAM. The Marine provide the primary vhf/am and vhf/fm ra- officer said he would dios if and when the AAM operations func- like me to make the tion could not operate. We also provided the necessary preparations DAO ECC with our ICCS colored Dayglo and he would return green paint, so that they could paint the let- in a few days to see ter H on their designated roof tops. These what progress we had LZ pads were to be utilized for all the U.S. made. He nor any of mission personnel pickup points in the case the other marines of an evacuation. ever visited me again and I heard no- Captain Filippi also brought a group of three thing further about U.S. Marines to my office on or about 25 their plans. April. The Marine officer in charge was in- terested primarily in the perimeter security Major (USAF) Cook of the AAM compound. He stated that he was the man in would be the officer responsible for provid- DAO who pro- ing security of our facility and that upon the vided me with evacuation of our AAM compound, his U.S. the 300 fuel marine group would destroy (blow up) the drums and one AAM facilities. We discussed the weak points each Esso refueler of in our perimeter, such as the company pas- AVGAS and one of JP4. He told me that senger terminal building and gates. Also we DAO EEC would also have an Esso re-

38 AIR AMERICA UPHOLDING THE AIRMEN’S BOND 39 fueler of JP4 parked in the DAO com- living quarters outside the airfield. Captain Lin that all those employees living in Cholon pound area. Burke and I made several flights together in would be moved to the Citca buildings by April, along with the designated spokesman the night of 26 April, as the security of the We in AAM also doubled our delivery of the Filipinos and Chinese employees. Our Cholon area was quite questionable. service of Esso Mogas to ensure that we purpose was to determine which TCNs lived would have maximum fuel for our genera- where in town and which rooftops were the On the morning of 29 April when we were etc. tors and vehicles. most suitable for use. We formally identified preparing to evacuate all TCNs, I was given CEO said we 3 rooftops around the area of Truong Minh a name list of three TCNs that were still were to regroup at the DAO ECC. In addition we obtained an extra potable Giangtroung Minh KY for the balance of the housed in town. There were 7 Chinese in water trailer from PA&E and serviced it as TCN employees. Those who were not rea- Cholon and 11 Filipinos in the Troung Minh Prior to abandoning the AAM area, CEO ap- a standby. sonably close to these rooftops, were told Giang area. Eventually the AAM helicopters proved the dispatching of AAM fixed wing to move in closer. These rooftops (LZ pads) picked up all the Filipinos and 6 of the Chi- aircraft to carry the non-essential employees We also purchased about 425 cases of mili- were then designated for each employee, by nese. I had talked by radio at 1500l with P. to friendly countries. We proceeded to load tary “C” rations from PA&E in case we needed location, for pickup. A name and address list Y. Lin and confirmed that the six Chinese in all such employees and launched the aircraft food for our employees. In this same purchase of all foreign employees was given to Captain Cholon would go to the Chinese hospital ASAP. In a short period of time, we had all were numerous cases of other canned foods Burke for planning purposes. The majority of and get out the seventh Chinese employee, those employees that were present and some that PA&E had for sale. All of this was stored our helicopter pilots were given area famil- Mr. W. A. Peng then they were all to proceed unknown locals Who infiltrated our groups, in our supply area for possible issue/use. iarization flights so that they knew all the to any of the alternate rooftop LZ pads for on the fixed wing aircraft and airborne. DAO and employee pickup pads. pickup by using their portable vhf/fm radio. In I had several informal meetings with the third the end result, I learned a few days later that I might mention that it was very difficult to country national (TCN) employees. I strong- A vhf/am and vhf/fm (portable) radio was W.A. Peng did not get evacuated. The reason control the boarding of passengers and to ly recommended that they double up in their given to the Chinese employees in Cholon why is unknown to me at this writing. I sug- determine who was AAM employee or de- and the same was provided to the TCN gest that P. Y. Lin make a statement on why pendents, because we had very little help group or Filippinod. These radios would en- they did not or could not get Peng out. at the aircraft entrance doors. I don't know able them to have radio contact with the who, if anyone did authorize the departure AAM TSN operations office and with com- In retrospect I would say that AAM evacu- of some of the Americans, i.e. Charlie Mey- pany aircraft as may be required. Each LZ ation plans went fairly smooth and that we ers, Harvey Kohler, Dick Fisher, George Keller, was given a radio call sign. Mr. P.Y. Lin act- were very fortunate that only one employ- etc. on the fixed wing aircraft. We could have ing manager of supply and Mr. Sam Talapian ee failed to get out of Vietnam and none of really utilized those Americans to control foreman of electronics was designated as our employees were injured. All of this is in passenger loading, the taxiway gates and the the TCN group spokesman. In addition we spite of the fact that the U.S. Marines never refueling problem. proceeded to paint the AAM Dayglo green arrived in the AAM compound, to secure/ H on those approved rooftops. destroy it. Shortly after arriving at AAM TSN I was noti- fied that VNAF pilots were stealing our GFE About the middle of April, Captain Burke and I went by AAM helicopter, from my living UH-1H helicopters from the ICCS ramp. To I became more concerned about the overall quarters (259 Troung Quoc Duong) to the best of my knowledge they stole 5 UH- war situation around Saigon and we recom- AAM TSN at about 0930l on Tuesday 29 1H aircraft from the ICCS/as ramp and one mended that all TCN employees move into April 1975. AAM 204b helicopter from the AAM ramp the warehouse type buildings behind the for- itself. These VNAF people were well armed mer Citca hangars which was within the AAM We operated from AAMTSN until about 1230l and desperate. compound. A number of the TCN employees at which time CEO gave the order to evacu- started to move into those rooms. About 23 ate the AAM compound, due to lack of secu- With the incoming rockets and VNAF infil- or 24 April, I insisted that all TCNs move to rity (no U.S. Marines) and VNAF penetrating trating our ramp area, there was no time those buildings, and I was assured by Mr. P.Y. our area with cars, Hondas, local dependents, to collect or destroy essential records. We

40 AIR AMERICA UPHOLDING THE AIRMEN’S BOND 41 were hopeful that we could rescue the was parked. The lot gate had a padlock on At about 1615l CEO instructed some of AAM compound and operate from it, once it which we broke off. Within about 20 min- us to use one of the two AAM helicopters the marines arrived to secure the area. It utes we had hotwired the JP-4 truck ignition at DAO and proceed to the U.S. ships. This was planned and I was so briefed by DAQ wires, but the truck battery was so weak the group along with myself was dropped off at and the U.S. Marines that the AAM com- engine would not start. We considered tow- the U.S.S. Vancouver, LPD-2. This group of pound would be secured by the U.S. ma- ing the JP-4 truck using a nearby tow truck, AAM employees consisted of Stan Huster, rines and upon our departure, they would but as the JP-4 truck was a hydromatic if we Paul Disciullo, Ron Leitchy, Capt. Chester destroy (blow up) the AAM facilities. Un- could not start the JP-4 truck engine, then Folck, Dick Wengenroth, E. L. Angeles, Vic fortunately for all concerned, the U.S. Ma- we would not be able to pump the JP-4 Ballesteros and later we were joined by rines did neither. from the truck. We then returned to DAO Ed Twifford. The Vietnamese flight me- ECC by AAM helicopter. We could not find chanic with us on n47004 helicopter Upon arrival at the DAO ECC Dick Wengen- any DAO vehicles with a large enough bat- was Mr. Can (I believe) and he was roth, Stan Huster, Ron Lietchy, Paul Disciullo tery to suit the JP-4 truck needs. So again we taken to the refugee side of our ship and myself assisted the AAM helicopter pi- flew to the BX LZ pads with the thought of and I never saw him again. lots with their arrivals and departures, at the taking the battery from nearby Isuzu bus and DAO tennis court pads. use it for the JP-4 truck. This time Stan Hus- Our ship, the U.S.S. Vancouver, finally ter accompanied Chuck Wengenroth and sailed for Subic Bay Philippines on 1 AAM Captain Filippi told me that we need- myself. We switched the batteries, only to May about 1915l, and we arrived in ed to obtain JP-4 fuel for the helicopters and find out the bus battery was dead. We then Philippines about 2130l on 3 May. he asked me where was the DAO fuel truck. went back to DAO ECC and again request- I explained that I knew DAO USAF Major ed Capt. Filippi to provide us with a few U.S. Although we were all processed Cook had an Esso truck as part of the DAO Marines so that we could obtain JP-4 fuel through U.S. and Philippine cus- ECC planning but I was not involved in their drums or the standby Esso JP-4 truck from toms and immigration by about (DAO) planning. Not knowing where the the AAM compound. As we again could not 2330l the same night at cubic DAO truck was positioned, Dick Wengen- get any U.S. Marines, for security we elected point naval base gym, we were returned roth and myself took a DAO truck and hot- not to re-enter the abandoned AAM com- to the U.S.S. Vancouver for the night because wired the ignition and proceeded to drive pound for fuel. Later while listening to the the weather at Manila eliminated us from fly- around the DAO building 5000 compound AAM helicopter pilots talking to the AAM ing there that night. but were unable to find the JP-4 truck. Then om at DAO by radio, it was readily evident I asked Captain Fillppi to obtain a few U.S. that our pilots were carefully monitoring On the morning of 4 May we were flown to Marines from ECC and we could go to the their fuel onboard and programming their manila by U.S. military helicopter and sent AAM ramp and bring out some of the 225 roof top pickups of people, to enable refu- to the Carlton hotel to check in with CEO drums of JP-4 we had there. Captain Filippi eling at the U.S. ships off Vung Tau, where and VP. We arranged our own flight book- could apparently get no U.S. Marines des- the majority of their passengers were being ings and flew from Manila to Hong Kong the ignated for this assignment. So I went and taken. The AAM helicopter pilots did a great same afternoon and checked into the pre- got one of the AAM pilots to fly over the job in fuel management as well as some “can arranged rooms at the Hong Kong Sheraton DAO area, with Dick Wengenroth and my- do” flying. hotel about 1650l. We reported to the AAM self searching for the JP-4 truck. We spot- offices at the peninsula hotel on the morning ted it at the lot around the corner of the As best I recall the U.S. military helicopters of 5 May. BX stop and shop building. We returned to started arriving at the DAO BX LZ pads the ECC and attempted to locate the JP-4 about 1500l. The majority of their passen- B.D. Mesecher. truck ignition keys. No one knew where the gers were local refugees who had been Director—Technical Services keys were, so we flew to the BX LZ pads programmed out by prior USAF C-141 Air America, Inc. and walked to the lot where the JP-4 truck and C-130.

42 AIR AMERICA UPHOLDING THE AIRMEN’S BOND 43 A Belated Thank You to the Pilots of Air America

I want to thank the Air America pilots for carrier before. He said that he had done so a “ rescuing me from the rooftop of the Ameri- few times, and I was greatly relieved to hear can Embassy in Saigon in the early evening of the news! The Air America chopper flew me 30 April 1975. I had served in Vietnam from to the U.S.S. Hancock. While safely aboard 1 November 1972 to that last day in April the U.S.S. Hancock, I observed some other 1975. My name then was Joan Fritz. non-Air America helicopters landing on the deck of the carrier. Apparently there was Before I was rescued, I had the pleasure of not room to accommodate all of these he- working with the Air America pilots on the licopters, so after the passengers and pilots radio. About a week before Saigon fell, I was exited them, the helicopters were pushed asked to work in the office that coordinated overboard. (No, they didn’t sink the Air with the Air American pilots. The chief there, America choppers!) I was aboard the air- O.B., had broken his glasses and could not craft carrier for about six days before we read; and it was too late for him to get new arrived at Subic Bay in the Philippines. prescription glasses. So, I became his eyes. He taught me to work the radio and write As I flew out of Saigon on that Air America down the tail numbers of planes when they chopper, I remember thinking to myself, this took off and landed. O.B. had, among other is the end of the movie. And I thought then – duties, the responsibility of preparing and and I continue to think today – about all the checking over many different lists involving men and women who served in Vietnam in Vietnamese and other personnel scheduled any capacity over the years. Supporting U.S. to be rescued and ferried out of the country. efforts in Vietnam was a sometimes painful I recognized the importance of his work, and but ultimately great experience I was happy to be able to assist him. for me. I am grateful that I can finally give my long-overdue, One rather comical part of my rescue oc- heartfelt Thank You to the Air

curred when the chopper pilot took a map America pilots for my rooftop

out and started looking at it over the water. rescue. My colleagues at CIA I did not want to ask him if he knew where and I honor you “ for what you he was going, so I more tactfully asked him did for all of us, and we will whether he had ever landed on an aircraft never forget.

Sincerely, Joan Peterson

44 AIR AMERICA UPHOLDING THE AIRMEN’S BOND 45 Note: With the declassification of thousands of pages of Air America Corporate and CIA formerly-classified documents, historians will be able to read and review information previ- ously not available, allowing a more rounded and fuller history of Air America. An example of this is the following article written by Larry D. Sall, Ph.D., Dean of Libraries at The University of Texas at Dallas. Dr Sall reviewed declassified accident report files including the only known hijacking of an Air America plane. This is not only a fascinating article but an example of the stories to be written with the release of these documents. Also included in this section are some examples of the various documents that have been released to the public.

46 AIR AMERICA UPHOLDING THE AIRMEN’S BOND 47 The Crash of Civil Air Transport Flight B-908 places in the wreckage, but these fires did their initial investigation Chinese officials re- By Larry D. Sall, Ph.D., not spread and soon died out. When the lo- garded the broken cables as contributing fac- cal police arrived shortly after the crash, they tors, further tests indicated the cables broke Dean of Libraries at The University of Texas at Dallas took charge of the scene. Chinese Civil Avia- during the crash when subjected to extreme tion Authorities did not reach the area until stress. Also, even if the cables had broken in About 5:30 on the afternoon of June 20, to be closely involved in the investigation of about twelve hours later. CAT personnel ar- flight, according to CAT the two onboard 1964, a Civil Air Transport C-46, Flight B-908, the crash of Flight B-908. rived soon after and were kept from handling pilots would have been able to control the took off from Suinan Airport at Taichung on the remains or wreckage while the Chinese aircraft with little difficulty. In addition CAT’s the island of Taiwan with 52 passengers and a Both the Taiwanese authorities and the officials pursued their initial investigation. report stated that had an engine over accel- crew of five. Less than 15 minutes later, all on American authorities carefully studied the erated, as was initially suspected by the local board perished when Flight B-908 crashed circumstances leading to the crash and its In its own report CAT noted that the “sud- authorities, both pilots would have had no into a rice paddy a few miles north of the aftermath. Among the first questions were: den transition from normal climbing flight in trouble dealing with that issue either. Suinan airfield. In just released files from the what were the conditions at the time of the the direction of Taipei to a sharp turn to the Central Intelligence Agency, the story of this crash and could they have been a contribut- left and diving into the ground almost cer- Upon discovering that pilot Bengee Lin’s body tragic event is detailed. According to news- ing factor? The flight took off in daylight, in tainly establishes only two possible causes: was not strapped into his seat, the Chinese paper accounts at the time, this was the first clear weather over flat terrain, and according a. A sudden and major mechanical trouble authorities initially believed that the he had crash of a scheduled domestic flight that Civil to eyewitnesses the takeoff appeared entirely which made it impossible for the pilots behaved in an overconfident manner that Air Transport had experienced. normal. As Flight B-908 flew past the airfield, to control the aircraft. could have led to the crash. This was further the pilot indicated everything was normal b. Sudden incapacitation or restraint of investigated by CAT. The crash was so Why did the CIA maintain files on this Tai- and said he would see the tower personnel both pilots which rendered them unable violent that the pi- wanese accident? What could have been its the next day. to control the aircraft through some act lot’s seat was com- interest in such a tragedy that it felt com- of other aircraft occupants.” pletely torn apart, pelled to keep such extensive files? The an- Taking off to the south and heading on a which CAT felt swer to both questions is straight forward; round island route with its next stop sched- After an exhaustive investigation of the explained why CAT was owned by the CIA and had been uled to be Taipei, the plane made a 180-de- plane’s mechanical condition, both prior to the pilot’s body since the Korean War. CAT was an asset to gree turn to the east and headed north when and following the crash, the only significant was not found the agency, used to maintain a presence and suddenly it veered sharply to the west and questions were the condition of two control with the seat. an influence in East Asia. When not operat- began a steep descent from an altitude of cables found broken following the crash, a Also both ing during the day as a civilian airline, the CIA approximately 1500 feet. Flight B-908 struck claim that the left engine was over speeding pilots were used CAT’s personnel and equipment for the ground at an angle of about 30 degrees at the time of the crash, and the condition e x t r e m e l y clandestine missions. with its nose and left wing down. The C-46 of the pilots. CAT’s analysis of the propel- competent was destroyed by the impact with only the ler hubs and gears indicated both propellers and expe- CAT was established following World War II tail section remaining more or less intact. The were set at the proper pitch, and other clues rienced. in China by General Claire Chennault and wreckage was scattered over a 200-300 me- including reports from people on the ground his associate Whiting Willauer to provide air ter square area in a rice paddy and a ditch. found no indication that either engine was So if there was no transport in China, a country wracked by civil performing outside of expected parameters. “sudden and major mechani- war and the devastation left by the Japanese Farmers working nearby heard the plane de- cal trouble,” what might have caused invasion. When the Korean Conflict began, scending and saw it crash. The consensus was The broken control cables were sent to labo- the “sudden incapacitation or restraint of there was a serious absence of American that the plane was fully intact before impact; ratories in the United States for analysis. The both pilots?” The two pilots, Bengee Lin, the airlift capacity in that part of the world, so there was no sign of smoke or fire prior to normal stress on the cables when functioning Pilot in Command, and M. H. Kung, Second in seeking a solution to the problem, the CIA impact, and the engines did not sound un- was about 20 pounds while the cables them- Command, had extensive C-46 experience. purchased CAT under the cover of a private usual. First on the scene were the farmers selves were rated to handle 1000 pounds. Pilot Bengee Lin had 17 years of flight ex- corporation. Thus the CIA came to be oper- who could find no sign of survivors; they Also it was noted that during the crash the perience, having logged 11,881 hours, 4,914 ating a civilian airline in Asia and so needed also reported that fire broke out in some cables had cut into the fuselage. While after of them in a C-46. M.H. Kung had been a

48 AIR AMERICA UPHOLDING THE AIRMEN’S BOND 49 professional pilot for 19 years with 13,074 case became stronger when two .45 caliber What was Lt. Tseng’s story? He was listed as It appears from the evidence that for rea- hours logged of which 9,270 were in a C-46. automatic pistols were found in the wreck- a passenger on Flight B-908 along with a ci- sons unknown, Lt. Tseng and passenger Both pilots were in good physical condition age. The hammer was found in the cocked vilian companion, Wang Tseng Yee. On June Wang attempted to take control of Flight according to their most recent examinations, position with the carriage forward on one of 17 a civilian, Wang Tseng Yee, made reserva- B-908 shortly after takeoff. In that attempt and both were regarded as mentally healthy. the pistols. Two radar manuals were found in tions for himself and Lt. Tseng Yang to fly the the pilots were incapacitated; possibly Pi- The likelihood that both would collapse si- the debris the day after the crash. The inside following day to Makung/Taipei. However, on lot Bengee Lin was shot and Co-pilot Kung multaneously would have been remote in pages of both manuals had been hollowed the 18th Lt. Tseng changed the reservation was stabbed. In any event, both pilots were the extreme. out in the shape of a .45 caliber automatic. to June 20th. That day Lt. Tseng checked in rendered incapable of flying the plane, and Neither pistol was found with the manuals. about 3:30 p.m. in the afternoon wearing his it crashed. What the motive of the alleged If the pilots were not incapacitated by in- navy uniform and with no checked luggage. hijackers may have been is not clear. That dividual physical maladies, and mechani- Lt. Tseng Yang, an engineering officer in the they were suicidal is a remote possibility, cal problems had been ruled out, that left Chinese Navy, had checked out the manuals One conclusion can be drawn immediate- but a more likely possibility was that they the most troubling possibility: the pilots from the library of the Chinese Navy’s Peng ly; Lt. Tseng had no intent of returning the wanted to take the plane to the Chinese had been rendered “unable to control the Hu Ship Building Yard No. 2. Also, two pistols manuals to the library as they had been Mainland which was just across the Taiwan aircraft through some act of other aircraft had been reported missing from the Armory ruined before being taken on the plane. Lt. Straits from Taichung. In any event, 55 in- occupants.” The likelihood that this was the of the Peng Hu Ship Building Yard No. 2. Tseng would also have had access to both nocent people died as a result of this act the pistols and the manuals, immediately of terror, including 19 Americans, a Korean pointing suspicion at him. Because both Lt. flight attendant, and 35 Chinese people. Tseng and Wang Tseng Yee had booked the flight for each other, the circumstantial case against them as co-conspirators is extremely strong. During the investigation of the crash site, while the victim’s bodies were being re- covered, one body with its abdomen ripped open was found near the pilots’ bodies. It was passenger Wang’s body, and according to the medical examiner, the nature of Wang’s injuries indicated he was standing at the mo- ment of impact.

The Chinese medical examiner, Dr. W. S. Cheng, noticed “a small hole at the right side of the face” of Pilot Bengee Lin in a photo- graph made by the Chinese security division at the crash site. He also observed that “ap- proximately from that hole a large part of the front of the face and skull was thrown open and to the left and upward.” Dr. Cheng also reported that following the cremation of Co-pilot M. H. Kung, a three-inch spike was found in the ashes. The source of the spike was unknown.

50 AIR AMERICA UPHOLDING THE AIRMEN’S BOND 51 52 AIR AMERICA UPHOLDING THE AIRMEN’S BOND 53 54 AIR AMERICA UPHOLDING THE AIRMEN’S BOND 55 st So ends the la entence of the final s saga that paragraph of a may have an epilogue, but never a sequel.

56 AIR AMERICA UPHOLDING THE AIRMEN’S BOND 57 Why We Care History, - who would have imagined that after nearly four decades that “common bond” re- mains so much a part of our lives. This bond On Sunday the 30th of June 1974 the last Civil Air Transport (CAT) began USG con- is as solid and viable today as it was then, is flight schedule was published at the Air tract operations in Vientiane Laos in 1957. now, and forever will be. - (except, of course, America Udorn, Thailand Base. Two Volpar This division of CAT became Air America in for those same lesser souls, who cannot or Beech aircraft flown by Berl King and Jim 1959. The purpose of this aviation company will not understand why.) Rhyne were being ferried to Saigon, Vietnam. in the Kingdom of Lao at the time was largely Both King and Rhyne are aviation icons. This humanitarian. CAT/Air America aircraft flew As civilian veterans of a very sad and misun- Earthquake's Final Flight by Jeffrey W. Bass faded mimeographed schedule must surely many missions to drop food (rice) to Lao and derstood conflict in South Asia, we have not now Donated Courtesy of the Fairchild Corporation hang framed on many an ex-employee’s wall Hmoung in northern Laos after a bad har- fared well in the media, or in some literature. see that it is

as it does mine. vest. In 1961 the company added rotor wing Even though company aircraft and crews possible and entirely proper (helicopter) aircraft based in Udorn which rescued more than 150 downed U.S. airmen, to stand up and confront those who would C.J. Abadie, the Air America Vice President greatly increased operational capabilities. provided food and medical aid to thousands tarnish our history. Though the efforts of for Northern Thailand, asked his Assistant Short field Takeoff/Landing (STOL) aircraft of refugees, assisted our primary customer’s the Central Intelligence Agency who has Richard Ford to write an appropriate com- had also been added to the fleet. These types directed Lao and Hmong forces in holding provided the materials, and the McDer- mentary to be printed on the last flight of specialized aircraft required exceptionally down 2 crack NVA divisions until 1974 when mott Library at The University of Texas at schedule for this last day of operations in the skilled pilots, loadmasters, and maintenance they were released to participate in the final Dallas, who has archived the true and ac- Thailand/Laos region, support. Operations control, area security siege of Saigon that ended the war, very few curate records for the unbiased students information specialists, and logistical capabil- knew or cared. But we knew that we had of history, we are greatly appreciative. We “So ends the last sentence of the final para- ity developed to support flight operations in “taken part in something worthwhile.” also are grateful that the Vietnam Center graph of a saga that may have an epilogue, a very difficult and often dangerous environ- at the Texas Tech University that also pro- but never a sequel. It has been to each par- ment. Navigation aids, landing strip and HLZ The continued myths of customer/Air Amer- vides excellent resources to serious stu- ticipating individual an experience which development, and weather forecasting ser- ica participation in drug trafficking are still dents of history. This association is proud varied according to their role and perspec- vices were rudimentary at best. being found and published by unknowing and that so many of our members have con- tive. However, there is a common bond of uncaring writers. The silly ‘Air America’ movie tributed their personal accounts. knowledge and satisfaction of having taken The ability of the CAT/Air America man- advanced this agenda by those who seek to part in something worthwhile, and with just agement to find, train, and control what we savage the reputation of this great country, CAT/Air America associations are indebted a slight sense of pity for those lesser souls knew to be a very unusual (the term crazy is our customers, and our fellow workers. to the McDermott Library where our Me- who could not, or would not, share in it. often used) team of employees for so many morial plaque is located. It is our ‘Wall’ and years, is now acknowledged as absolutely So why do we care? Our fraternity—The provides a place for quiet and respectful con- This last flight schedule is dedicated to those astounding. Over forty nationalities, worked, CAT/Air America associations exists large- templation of the lives of our brothers whose for whom a previous similar schedule repre- played, and often bled together. “Their indi- ly because we see and believe it is proper names were on the flight schedule of destiny. sented an appointment with their destiny.” vidual experiences varied according to their and necessary to meet periodically; to ac- role and perspective.” cess our mutual place in history, learn of our “And God will raise you up on eagle’s wings, Air America continued to fly the custom- consequences, and celebrate the lives of our bear you on the breath of dawn, make you er’s requirements in Vietnam. Those oper- There were heroes and villains of course, friends and associates—our family, and par- shine like the sun, and hold you in the palm ations came to an inglorious end in April as in any form of quasi-military human en- ticularly those who have gone before. We of His hand.” of 1975. These events were recorded by deavor. But for those who toiled throughout should continue to build and strengthen this film and have been viewed by the entire the CAT/Air America, SAT, and Air Asia sys- legacy which history will receive from us. It is And hear the piper, world for the last 34 years. This was a sad tem, as well as our brothers in direct govern- our ‘epilogue’. end to this saga that should have conclud- ment service - the ‘Customers”, Continental L. Michael Kandt, ed much differently. Air Services (brand ‘X’) who were involved Over the years there was never a concen- Chaplain and General Secretary throughout this part and place of American trated effort to refute these fables. We Air America Association, Inc.

58 AIR AMERICA UPHOLDING THE AIRMEN’S BOND 59 Gerald C Delong Rafael A DeVera Charles T Dieffenbach The CAT/Air America Memorial Plaque 10 April 1970 24 July 1962 22 July 1964 Reggie Dimaculangan Carlos Dominguez Clarence N Driver 22 December 1967 30 March 1971 MIA Robert P Abrams James H Ackley Rizal S J AlaMarches Jean H Dubuque Bernardo L Dychitan Wayne W Esminger 25 October 1964 MIA 13 November 1965 16 July 1960 7 December 1968 6 March 1966 Alfredo J Alor Prinya Ashavanond Timoteo Bagnot Darrel A Eubanks Frank Farthing Roberto O Finney 19 May 1972 1 October 1967 8 March 1969 13 August 1961 11 January 1967 2 December 1972 Howland D Baker John M Bannerman Paul C Barrow Norwood N Forte Benjamin A Franklin William J Fraser 12 September 1964 23 November 1972 15 April 1967 13 August 1961 11 January 1967 7 December 1968 Nai Bay William H Beale Jr John W Beardsley Vincente B Garza William J Gibbs Norman A Grammer 4 October 1963 6 April 1962 10 March 1970 MIA 13 May 1969 14 August 1969 Wallace H Bell Edmund J Benkert David W Bevan John Grover Joel M Gudahl Nguyen van Hahn 13 October 1962 28 November 1967 13 August 1961 25 July 1972 27 August 1972 16 January 1972 Roelf Bijil Gerald A Booth Howard H Boyles Jr Y S Har Truett H Harper Robert Hartle 17 November 1967 17 July 1969 MIA 29 July 1948 6 March 1970 28 April 1972 Earle E Bruce Jr Wallace Bufford Lawrence R Buol Howard F Heinrich Robert Heising Charles C Heritage 8 August 1967 6 May 1954 26 May 1956 4 February 1962 9 December 1950 27 November 1968 William P Cagney Antonio C Calderon James C Campbell Charles G Herrick Billy K Hester Fu Shuyong Ho 26 July 1962 17 June 1967 18 June 1968 5 September 1963 10 April 1970 13 September 1967 Reynaldo Castillo Pablo C Castro Jack W Cavill Emmons B Hodgkins Jr Paul Holden D M Hoskins 8 September 1972 12 March 1963 MIA 25 November 1968 7 June 1967 18 June 1972 Montano L Centeno Prasit Chaichana W K Chan Kenneth A Houp Jack T Houston Tsuan ho Hsieh 27 July 1969 9 February 1973 29 July 1948 17 March 1971 5 December 1967 27 December 1963 Ampol Chan Aium W H “Jimmy” Chang Yung Kung Chang T H Hu Quang Huang Du Hua Ming Huang 24 December 1967 9 December 1950 20 June 1964 20 June 1964 11 July 1964 16 October 1968 Johnny Y H Chang Banching Chanluachai K V Chen Throng Lien Huynh Alfredo Joco Norman R Jones 14 January 1966 11 June 1971 8 November 1949 12 August 1971 31 July 1966 8 November 1949 N C Chen C K Chen H S Chen Charles D Jones K C Kan Niram Kasorphon 20 June 1964 20 June 1964 20 June 1964 5 March 1965 20 June 1964 3 July 1973 Ching Ching Chen Vivian Chen JoSeptemberh C Cheney Howard W Kelly Throngkham Khammanephet Souphang Khamphanh 20 June 1964 16 February 1968 5 September 1963 16 January 1969 27 August 1972 2 March 1969 Chudchai Chewcherngsuk Suthi Chimpaibul Duong Chinh Thanom Khanthaphengxay Paul Y H King George Kirkland MIA 23 November 1972 20 March 1968 25 July 1972 16 February 1968 22 July 1973 H G Cho H Y Choi C C Chou Mu Shuen Kung Manu Latoi Thi Mau Le 20 June 1964 20 June 1964 20 June 1964 20 June 1964 18 April 1974 5 September 1965 Herbert W Clark Terry D Clark Kevin N Cochrane Xuan Duc Le Hsu Chiu Lee Z T Lee 2 June 1971 7 April 1973 10 April 1970 4 February 1962 4 February 1962 17 August 1963 Benjamin F Coleman John J Cooney Romeo B Crisologo C Y Lee Ruby Lee Robert E Lee 25 July 1972 8 August 1967 9 April 1966 20 June 1964 20 June 1964 5 May 1968 Robert N Crone Ernesto M Cruz Cecelio Daque V L Lee Jr Arthur Leonard John S Lewis 12 February 1969 10 January 1971 14 January 1973 27 July 1974 1 December 1969 13 August 1961 Ralph S Davis Eugene H Debruin Victor Dejamco Richard H Lieberth Benji Lin Herbert Liu 19 August 1969 MIA 20 April 1966 12 October 1965 20 June 1964 27 December 1963

60 AIR AMERICA UPHOLDING THE AIRMEN’S BOND 61 Norman A Schwartz Welcome A Scott Pratheep Sermsakul The CAT/Air America Memorial Plaque (cont.) 3 December 1952 30 September 1960 11 October 1971 K H Shia K H Shih Buncha Sirisapya 20 June 1964 20 June 1964 4 July 1969 Nicholas B Loss Justin G Mahony Feliciano C Manalo Milton E SMarcht Franklin D Smith Thomas C Smith 11 December 1967 27 September 1965 16 July 1972 10 April 1970 12 October 1965 22 February 1969 Abdul H Marchecar Bruce C Massey Charles H Mateer Wilson P Smith Robert C Snoddy Louis B Soha 6 December 1972 23 March 1967 30 May 1961 15 March 1973 3 December 1952 9 October 1956 Milton N Matheson L T Mau Patrick F McCarthy B Somchai R Somphone Khamouth Sousadalay 16 January 1969 5 April 1969 7 December 1968 23 November 1972 16 February 1966 4 February 1972 Charles J McCarthy James B McGrovern Roger B McKean Sampas Sreesuraj Somboon Sripa Herbert S Strouss 23 November 1972 6 May 1954 10 April 1970 6 January 1968 6 January 1968 4 February 1962 William L Meek Jon Christian Merkel Charuk Milindre William J Sullivan Eduardo T Sunga Betty Tang 31 December 1973 18 February 1970 17 July 1963 12 April 1962 26 November 1968 16 February 1968 Robert S Moore Vincent Morales Harry E Mulholland Narong Tantilohakul Clyde T Tarbet James Tate 3 December 1972 1 July 1968 29 April 1971 17 July 1963 29 July 1948 26 June 1967 Jon Charles Murray Thomas J Murray Frank Muscal Nguyen Van Thai Prasidhi Thanee Frank G Thorsen 25 November 1968 4 March 1969 3 October 1965 14 January 1966 MIA 32 July 1973 Caferino B Nabung Kenekeo Narissack Gideon A Newton Trikit Thuttanon Yik Chiu To S L (Eddie) Tong 11 July 1961 MIA 17 July 1963 2 June 1971 MIA 26 November 1960 Edward Norwich Charles L Osterman Norman M Owens Nit Tongkorn Jaime Torres Vichit Tovira 19 July 1949 7 April 1973 22 October 1967 24 December 1967 19 March 1967 18 June 1968 John L Oyer Cornelio N Pascual W A Peng Roy F Townley Earl Trager T B Trai 27 September 1965 18 August 1964 MIA MIA 7 December 1969 22 June 1969 Phanomphom Phochan Hua Khan Phuoc Nguyen Thi Phuoc Leon M Tucker B Y Van Tu Van 24 December 1967 31 December 1966 5 April 1969 21 September 1966 20 June 1964 28 August 1972 Lowell Z Pirkle Lester M Porter Harvey B Potter George A Varney George A Verdon Boumy Vongachak 3 August 1967 25 November 1968 2 March 1970 6 April 1962 17 July 1963 28 December 1970 Billy P Pratt Prasit Promsuwan Gerald I Prudhomme S C Wang Arnold Weir Edward A Weissenback 22 September 1971 MIA 17 July 1963 2 June 1971 1 April 1949 MIA William P Pruner Lloyd Randel James A Rasmussen T W Wen H C Weng Leonard I Wiehrdt 14 January 1966 24 April 1972 18 February 1962 9 December 1950 20 June 1964 8 April 1972 Kosoom Ratanakosoom James E Rausch William E Reeves John W Wilmont Jr Walter L Wizbowski K S Wong 24 December 1967 12 June 1972 27 August 1972 19 May 1966 30 May 1961 26 November 1960 Baltazar Reyes Frederick J Riley George L Ritter Glen R Woods Aubrey A Wooten Morimitsu Yazima 25 November 1968 27 November 1962 MIA 14 August 1969 17 July 1963 20 June 1962 Hury D Rogers Valeriano P Rosales Coonrang Samburan C Youthipana L S Yu Chaveng Yuphaphin 10 April 1970 7 April 1973 17 February 1972 22 July 1966 27 December 1963 25 November 1968 Albert Sandoval Roger J Sarno Meiko Sase 24 August 1964 13 August 1961 11 April 1969 Praves Satarsakij Khamphonh Saysongkham Alexander Scandalis 27 August 1972 MIA 5 July 1965

62 AIR AMERICA UPHOLDING THE AIRMEN’S BOND 63 64 AIR AMERICA