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As we watched from the 104 Sig Sqn area (nothing else to do), the first Huey touched down at the refuelling point. Within a few seconds, fuel started to burn in and around the aircraft and the four man crew abandon the aircraft with the engine still running. One of the crew may have suffered burns to an arm. The other gunship did a near vertical climb to get out of trouble. No sure what happen, maybe failure to initially attach the static earth line or another crew member climbed out before the lead was connected or .... As the burning aircraft was on the other side of the pad from our location with our defence wire between, we all waited for the big bang. Ammo and rockets started exploding from the burning aircraft and some travelled into our wire and one passed into 547 Sig Tp area - into their Boozer area causing a minor wound to one of the guys having a heart starter (or that was the story at the time). The rockets did not arm as they have to rotate 40 times and four were located in our defence wire after the explosion. After a while the aircraft blew-up into just bits - with only the engine about 100m from the aircraft's original location as the largest remaining piece.
Above - Exploding Huey on Kangaroo Pad
Above
- Film strip showing the Huey burning on Kangaroo Pad and just after the
explosion.
Above - Burning Huey bits on Kangaroo Pad just after the explosion.
Above - The burning Huey from
the air just before the explosion. The PDF file below is from the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association (VHPA) recording the lost of the Huey UH-1C Bandit Gunship (65-09551) at Nui Dat on the 12 Aug 1968. The Aircraft Commander, Loel Letts and Pilot, Nicolas Alexander were both Warrant Officers. No details have yet been located on the other two crew members, the Crew Chief and the Gunner. Sadly CWO Nicolas Alexander was KIA near the Cambodian border on the 27 Nov 1968 when the Bandit gunship (66-15015) he commanded was shot down. Click for VHPA - Detailing lost of UH-1C 65-09551 (PDF)
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Details from the "other bandit gunship"
I am Garrett Ronning, I was a Chief Warrant Officer (CWO), US Army, at that time and the aircraft commander of the "other bandit gunship" on the day. My memory may be faulty in thinking back 35 years to that day but this is how I remember it. As we flew in to Nui Dat, it was routine to refuel immediately since we were there on standby in case an Aussie Field Team needed us for close air support. We landed in the refuelling area and rolled the throttle back to idle, unbuckled seat belts and opened up our flack jackets for air. The door gunner and crew chief got out to begin refuelling while the engines and blade were at idle. I remember that Nick Alexander was my pilot that day. I do not remember who was with Lowell Letts, the aircraft commander of the ship that burned. The first indication I had that we had a problem was a shout, and someone stepping in my lap to go out my door. I remember us laughing about this later, because I had a size 12 foot print across my lap. We could not figure out how Alexander, being 6’2" tall, could step in my lap and make it out what opening was left of my door - but he did it. Anyway, when I looked at Lowell’s aircraft, it seemed to be on fire everywhere, and pilots and crew were running like mad. I started to get out of my aircraft, then decided to roll the throttle back and fly out. As was stated above, I came out of the refuelling area straight up and fast. I moved about 100 yards away, set the aircraft down, and got out of the ship in time to hear the first explosions. I watched a rocket go shooting across the runway into the Aussie Camp. After several bullets whined overhead, I moved the gunship farther down the runway. I remember thinking that the Aussie Fire Fighters were crazy, very brave, or both, because they ran right up to the burning ship with little fire extinguishers. The ship was full of at least 12,000 rounds of 7.62 bullets, a case of hand grenades, 14 or more 2.75 rockets, and God only knows what other standard or non standard weaponry. I don’t remember that any of the crew were injured. It was amazing that we did not blow up any of our Aussie friends. In the following weeks and months when we came to Nui Dat, we took quite a razzing from everyone there - from the tower operators to refuelling crews - for causing the worst attack on Nui Dat in years. I still have the cyclic handle from that burned aircraft.
Above - Garrett Ronning stepping out of a Huey in
Vietnam
Above - Aircraft and members of 118 AHC in
Vietnam.
Acknowledgement While the above details are etched in the minds of the many witnesses from the Task Force at the time, it does not appear in the Official 1ATF records. Peter Murray's (547 Sig Tp) research to help a fellow veteran located the photos and confirmed the details recorded above. Well done Peter. Also many thanks to Garrett Ronning for sharing his memory of the incident. Footnote Peter Murray was the OC of 547 Sig Tp during most of 1968. 547 Sig Tp was separated for disciplinary purposes and its principal task of SIGINT but was located in the 104 Sig Sqn area. Peter has stated that 547 Sig Tp owed a debt of gratitude to 104 Sig Sqn for its support over the 5 years both units were deployed to South Vietnam.
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