These pics I took while on a recovery mission ten days after the bird was shot down on May I, 1967. It's the CO's Kyle Townsend's ship which had "Dutch" Holland and Tommy Hughes as the crew. I was high bird as Townsend went low to draw fire. I believe it was a recon insert at the time. When We went back to recovery the machine, it seemed as though nothing was changed. We thought that the NVA should have gotten to it by then but amazingly there was no evidence of any contact. Any way the ordnance guys told us to hold up so that they could check it out . They found nothing. Guns and rockets were still there. As you can see this was going to be a tough recovery. A CH-53 showed up and tried to lift it out but in was so sunk into the canopy of brush and jungle that the decision was made to leave there. I think the Grunts burned it later. 

     Anyway his bird went down and a big fight between the ground and my bird began. (An other war story later) We stayed until they were lifted out almost leaving Dutch down there because he ran out with his M-60 to secure a perimeter. I remember allot of other thing about that day but I've got to back up and save it for an other day.

       So do what you can with these and I'll send more in some kind of sequence. Hey if you look hard enough you'll see the "KUJ". He's the one with the helmet

Yours.........Vick