11 Man Rescue Team has its Magic Number

ONE-A-DAY RESCUEMEN—Eleven crew members of Detachment 10, 38th Air Rescue and Recovery Squadron, Binh Thuy AB, recently established a one-a-day average in combat rescue saves. During an eleven-day period the rescuemen picked up a total of eleven men who had suffered injuries inflicted by hostile forces during combat operations. Nine of the crewmen who participated in the combat rescue flights were front, left to right, Maj. Harold Pickering, rescue crew commander and detachment commander; Sgt. James A. Crawford, flight engineer; SSgt William L. Crawford, flight engineer; and Capt. Laurence W. Conover, rescue crew commander. In the back row, from left, are: Airmen First Class Ronald E. Sholes, pararescueman; and James L. Parks, pararescueman; Capt. William J. Haugen, rescue pilot; Capt. Albert E. Tollefsen, rescue pilot; and Sgt. Gary G. Harold, pararescueman. (USAF PHOTO)

Jan 17 1968

"BINH THUY" Four elevens is the success story told by members of Detachment 10, 38th Air Rescue and Recovery Squadron Binh Thuy AB. Eleven members of the unit flew to perform eleven combat saves in an eleven-day period of the eleventh month.

The unusual "11" story started at 10:46 a.m. on the morning of November 4, when a crew was called from Binh Thuy to pick up a pair of U. S. Navy men who had been injured by ground fire while on routine river patrol.

Almost at the end of the 11th day Nov. 15, the unit was again called upon to pick up another U. S. Navy man after he had received a combat injury. During the time in between these dates the unit made eight other combat saves to complete the unusual "four-elevens" accomplishment.

Crew members among those of the first pick-up were Maj. Harold Pickering, commander, Det 10, 38th ARRS; Capt. Albert E. Toffefsen, 27, Rancho Cordova, Calif., pilot; SSgt. William L. Crawford, 29, Republic Pa., flight engineer; and Sgt Gary G. Harold, 21, Hyndman, Pa., pararescueman.

Other crew members involved in the eleven rescue saves in eleven days included Capt. Laurence W. Conover, 33, San Francisco, and Capt. Donald E. Van Meter, 29, Lawton Okla., rescue crew commanders; Capt. William J. Haugen, 26, Dayton, Ohio, pilot; Sgt. Larry E. Hawkins, 26, Nashville, Tenn., and Sgt. James A. Crawford, 21, Garland, Tex., flight engineers; Airmen First Class James L. Parks, 19 Sarasota, Fla. And Ronald K. Sholes, 20, Jacksonville, Fla., pararescuemen.

Third of the 11 saves was accomplished later on Nov. 4 as a Det. 10 helicopter landed in a rice paddy and a wounded U. S. Navy man boarded the HH-43 Huskie rescue helicopter for delivery to the Dong Tam hospital.

A crew flew two missions to make three combat saves Nov. 9. Two injured U. S. Navy men were picked up from a moving boat on the first mission of the day and a U. S. Army member was picked up on the second mission of the day.

On Nov. 14 another U. S. Navy member was picked up after he had received combat injuries.

Three injured Vietnamese Army (ARVN) members were picked up on the morning of Nov. 15, and less than an hour later the detachment completed its eleventh combat save since entering the eleven-day period of rescue efforts.

Detachment 10, 38th ARRS had 64 combat saves in 1967.

(I was the FE on 9 of the 11 pickups, Bill Crawford)

(This article appeared in the 7th Air Force News)