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===Operations and losses===
===Operations and losses===


*25 December 1968, Jolly Green 17, an HH-3E was attempting to rescue the pilot of a downed jet, near Ban Lathama, Mahaxia District, Khammouan Province, Laos. Pararescueman Airman First Class Charles Douglas King descended by rescue hoist to rescue the injured pilot. With the pilot attached to the hoist, the HH-3E and Airman King were hit by enemy fire, seriously injured King instructed the helicopter to depart. King was posthumously awarded the [[Air Force Cross]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://militarytimes.com/citations-medals-awards/recipient.php?recipientid=3453
*30 May 1968, Jolly Green , an HH-3E was attempting to rescue COL Norman Phillips the pilot of a downed [[F-105]], near [[Savannakhet]], Laos. Pararescueman SGT Thomas A Newman descended into a hostile jungle environment to rescue the pilot. Hampered by darkness and concentrated automatic weapons fire, Newman requested the rescue helicopter to enter a nearby orbit, both for the safety of the crewmembers, and to prevent the hovering aircraft from establishing their location for the unfriendly ground forces. When the HH-3 returned, he secured the injured COL Philips to the forest penetrator and protected him with his own body as they ascended to the helicopter. SGT Newman was awarded the [[Air Force Cross]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://militarytimes.com/citations-medals-awards/recipient.php?recipientid=3593
|title=SGT Thomas A Newman, Air Force Cross
|work=Military Times}}</ref>
*25 December 1968, Jolly Green 17, an HH-3E was attempting to rescue the pilot of a downed jet, near Ban Lathama, Mahaxia District, Khammouan Province, Laos. Pararescueman Airman First Class Charles Douglas King descended by rescue hoist to rescue the injured pilot. With the pilot attached to the hoist, the HH-3E and Airman King were hit by enemy fire, seriously injured King instructed the helicopter to depart. King was posthumously awarded the Air Force Cross,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://militarytimes.com/citations-medals-awards/recipient.php?recipientid=3453
|title=A1C Charles King, Air Force Cross
|title=A1C Charles King, Air Force Cross
|work=Military Times}}</ref> his body was not recovered<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thewall-usa.com/info.asp?recid=28009
|work=Military Times}}</ref> his body was not recovered<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thewall-usa.com/info.asp?recid=28009

Revision as of 09:32, 12 February 2010

40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron
ActiveSeptember 1967 - January 1976
LandVereinigte Staaten
BranchUnited States Air Force
TypSquadron
RoleRescue & Recovery
Part of3d Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Group
Nickname(s)BUFF
EngagementsVietnam War

40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron (40th ARRS) was a helicopter rescue squadron of the USAF.

History

40th ARRS was was activated at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base in September 1967 with HH-3s which were nicknamed "Nitnoy." Later HH-53s arrived and these were nicknamed "Buff."

The 40th moved to Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base in July 1971 where it unit remained until 1975. The 40th moved to Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base in late 1975 where it was deactivated in January 1976.

Operations and losses

  • 30 May 1968, Jolly Green , an HH-3E was attempting to rescue COL Norman Phillips the pilot of a downed F-105, near Savannakhet, Laos. Pararescueman SGT Thomas A Newman descended into a hostile jungle environment to rescue the pilot. Hampered by darkness and concentrated automatic weapons fire, Newman requested the rescue helicopter to enter a nearby orbit, both for the safety of the crewmembers, and to prevent the hovering aircraft from establishing their location for the unfriendly ground forces. When the HH-3 returned, he secured the injured COL Philips to the forest penetrator and protected him with his own body as they ascended to the helicopter. SGT Newman was awarded the Air Force Cross[1]
  • 25 December 1968, Jolly Green 17, an HH-3E was attempting to rescue the pilot of a downed jet, near Ban Lathama, Mahaxia District, Khammouan Province, Laos. Pararescueman Airman First Class Charles Douglas King descended by rescue hoist to rescue the injured pilot. With the pilot attached to the hoist, the HH-3E and Airman King were hit by enemy fire, seriously injured King instructed the helicopter to depart. King was posthumously awarded the Air Force Cross,[2] his body was not recovered[3].
  • 18 January 1969, Jolly Green 67, HH-53B BuNo 66-14430 was hit by ground fire while on a CSAR mission for SANDY 02, an A-1H lost the previous day. Helicopter made an emergency landing 15km southeast of Tchephone, Laos. The crew and the A-1 pilot were rescued by Jolly Green 70. An airstrike was ordered to destroy JG-67
  • 28 January 1970, Jolly Green 71, HH-53B BuNo 66-14434 on a CSAR mission for the pilot of SEABIRD 02, an F-105G, was shot down by a missile fired from a Mig-21 piloted by Vu Ngoc Dinh of the 921st Fighter Regiment[4]. The 6 man crew were all KIA[5][6][7][8][9][10].
  • 30 June 1970, Jolly Green 54, HH-53C BuNo 66-8283 on a CSAR mission for the crew of NAIL 44 an OV-10A, over Savannakhet Laos was hit by ground fire and crashed. The 5 man crew were all KIA[11][12][13][14][15]. The crash site was excavated in December 1993 and remains were identified as a group on 7 March 1995[16].
  • 21 November 1970, 5 of the squadron's HH-53s took part in Operation Ivory Coast, the raid on the Son Tay POW camp [17].
  • 21 June 1971, Jolly Green 54, HH-53 BuNo 66-8285 was shot down over Laos while attempting to recover an AQM-34 Buffalo Hunter drone. Crew were all rescued.
  • 27 March 1972, Jolly Green 61, HH-53C BuNo 66-10359 crashed over Stoeng Treng Province, Cambodia, about 10 miles southeast of the city of Siempang due to unknown causes. A pararescue specialist was lowered to the ground at the site of the crash to check for survivors, but due to the intense heat from the burning helicopter, he could not approach near enough to determine if there were crew members inside the aircraft. Some three hours later a second rescue specialist was deployed in the immediate area, who reported the wreckage was still burning, precluding close inspection.The 5 man crew were all KIA-BNR[18][19][20][21][22].
  • 27 June 1972, Pararescueman SGT Charles D. McGrath was on a CSAR mission on Jolly Green 77 over North Vietnam. While penetrating dense jungle to rescue F-4 crewman, Captain Lynn A. Aikman, who had a broken leg, knee, elbow and jaw, SGT McGrath exposed himself to intense ground fire in order to drag the incapacitated Aikman to a suitable recovery area. Seeing JG73 crippled by the hostile fire, he directed air strikes against surrounding hostile ground forces until he was able to secure CAPT Aikman and himself to the penetrator of Jolly Green 57, the backup helicopter. Rising through constant accurate ground fire, he shielded CAPT Aikman with his own body until they were successfully recovered. McGrath was awarded the Air Force Cross[23].
  • 27 December 1972, Jolly Green 73, HH-53C BuNo 66-10788 on a CSAR mission for crew of JACKEL 22, an F-111A downed on 22 December 1972 over North Vietnam, lost its fuel probe due to enemy ground fire and crash-landed due to fuel starvation. JG-73 was then destroyed by an A-7 Sandy.
  • 14 June 1973, Jolly Green 64, HH-53C BuNo 66-10362 lost its tail rotor and crashed into the Tonle Sap, Cambodia. 3 of the crew were KIA[24][25][26] and 2 were rescued.
  • 12 April 1975 the squadron supported Operation Eagle Pull, the evacuation of Phnom Penh, Cambodia[27].
  • 29-30 April 1975, 2 of the squadron's HH-53s operating from USS Midway (CV-41) took part in Operation Frequent Wind, the evacuation of Saigon[28].
  • 15 May 1975 the squadron participated in the recapture of the SS Mayaguez[29].


Assignments

Bases stationed

Aircraft Operated

References

  1. ^ "SGT Thomas A Newman, Air Force Cross". Military Times.
  2. ^ "A1C Charles King, Air Force Cross". Military Times.
  3. ^ "CMS Charles Douglas King". The Virtual Wall.
  4. ^ Vietnamese Air-to-Air Victories, Part 2
  5. ^ "MAJ Holly G Bell". The Virtual Wall.
  6. ^ "CAPT Leonard C Leeser". The Virtual Wall.
  7. ^ "SSGT William C Shinn". The Virtual Wall.
  8. ^ "SMS William D Pruett". The Virtual Wall.
  9. ^ "MSGT William C Sutton". The Virtual Wall.
  10. ^ "SSGT Gregory L Anderson". The Virtual Wall.
  11. ^ "CAPT Leroy C Schaneberg". The Virtual Wall.
  12. ^ "MAJ John W Goeglein". The Virtual Wall.
  13. ^ "SSGT Marvin E Bell". The Virtual Wall.
  14. ^ "MSGT Paul L Jenkins". The Virtual Wall.
  15. ^ "SSGT Michael F Dean". The Virtual Wall.
  16. ^ "Leroy Schaneberg Air Force Cross". Military Times Hall of valor.
  17. ^ "COL Warner Britton, Air Force Cross". Military Times.
  18. ^ "CAPT David E Pannabecker". The Virtual Wall.
  19. ^ "CAPT Richard E Dreher". The Virtual Wall.
  20. ^ "SGT James Manor". The Virtual Wall.
  21. ^ "SGT Raymond J Crow". The Virtual Wall.
  22. ^ "A1C Raymond A Wagner". The Virtual Wall.
  23. ^ "SGT Charles McGrath, Air Force Cross". Military Times.
  24. ^ "CAPT Gilbert A Rovito". The Virtual Wall.
  25. ^ "1LT Francis E Meador". The Virtual Wall.
  26. ^ "MSGT David V McLeod". The Virtual Wall.
  27. ^ Dunham, George R (1990). U.S. Marines in Vietnam: The Bitter End, 1973-1975 (Marine Corps Vietnam Operational Historical Series). Marine Corps Association. p. 115. ISBN 978-0160264559.
  28. ^ Dunham, p. 186
  29. ^ Dunham, p. 239
  30. ^ http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=12440 Callsign Apple 1
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