Heavy Haulers - can you help??

[Larry Zok]

Comments: I was an enlisted FAC assigned to Mike Company 3/3 in 1968. I was the contact
on the ground for air support, both rotary and fixed wing. I am especially interested in
locating the heroic crew of a CH53 that answered my call for a medevac on 02 JUL 68 five
klicks below the DMZ at YD185700. The Marine they saved wants to thank them.

[Mike Amtower]

I'll check the AARs Larry and see what info I can come up with.

Here's the only HMH463 medevac I ran across on 2 Jul 1968. No
mention of YD185700. The second image is the back of the AAR
listing where the flights went. They only listed names not coords.

I'll have to dig into the 462 AARs

Update: In digging thru the Texas Tech digital archives, the earliest
AAR for HMH-462 is dated 21 August, 1968.

That means that the 53 in question most likely belonged to HMH-463.

[sutterwl]

Per 3/3 Command Chronology, on 2Jul68 1705H, M/3/3 was at YD 155700. They had engaged some NVA and suffered 1 US KIA and 4 US WIA. All were medevaced.

YD 155700 is 3 clicks SW of A-3 and 3 clicks West of Phu Tho. Definitely in the middle of bad guy country and never a secure LZ. Unless the rules changed after I left 3/3/3 in March 68, no H-53 would have been allowed to pick up a medevac at that location. I can hear the "thunk" of the NVA 82mm mortar tubes as I write this.

The HMH-463 AAR posted looks like a mission(s) primarily along Route 9 between the Rockpile and Khe Sanh.

Semper fi,

Wayne Sutter
Fighting Mad 1 - 4 Actual, Out