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Posted on 07/17/2004 12:13:46 AM PDT by snippy_about_it
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 are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
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| Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel free to address their specific circumstances or whatever issues concern them in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, brotherhood and support. The FReeper Foxhole hopes to share with it's readers an open forum where we can learn about and discuss military history, military news and other topics of concern or interest to our readers be they Veteran's, Current Duty or anyone interested in what we have to offer. If the Foxhole makes someone appreciate, even a little, what others have sacrificed for us, then it has accomplished one of it's missions. We hope the Foxhole in some small way helps us to remember and honor those who came before us.
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 With little help available because of weather, two captains in an OV-10 took on an enemy regiment and won. The night of Sept. 16-17, 1972, was not the kind pilots dream about when sleeping peacefully. It was the monsoon season, and some of the aircraft at Da Nang, where the 20th Tactical Air Support Squadron was based, had been evacuated because of a typhoon warning. Only one flight of tactical fighters was scheduled for Vietnam that night. Weather or not, the ground war went on. An Army detachment of 120 men at Mo Duc, near the coast about 90 miles south of Da Nang, was under attack by some 2,000 enemy infantry. Early that evening, the 20th TASS FAC team of Capts. Richard Poling and Joseph Personnett was alerted for a Quick Reaction Force launch to support the Mo Duc garrison, which had declared a tactical emergency. Since the Army troops could provide their own illumination, Poling and Personnett had their normal OV-10 load of flares replaced with marking, high-explosive, and flechette rockets.  By 9:50 p.m., the weather had improved enough for launch. Personnett in the front seat was on his 45th combat mission, Poling on his 105th. But neither pilot had worked the recently assigned Mo Duc area. They were informed that there was no safe bailout area in the vicinity. The situation at Mo Duc turned out to be even worse than the two FACs had anticipated. Its defenders had been forced to abandon a 105-mm howitzer that had been taken over by the enemy, who was shelling the compound with it and with rockets and mortars. Poling and Personnett immediately silenced the 105 with flechettes, then continued to strafe and rocket other targets until the tac fighters they had requested arrived. Intense antiaircraft fire could not be silenced since most of it came from a refugee center where the enemy had sited his guns. The FACs remained on station until their ordnance was expended. At about 2 a.m., they were forced to return to Da Nang to refuel and rearm.  While on the ground, they requested Naval and ARVN artillery support, gunships, and whatever tac air could be rounded up. At 3 a.m., they launched again with Poling now in the front seat. Enemy troops had completely surrounded the compound. With no USAF fighters on hand, they requested A-7s from an aircraft carrier, but were told that the Navy planes could not be there until 6:30 a.m. An ARVN relief force had been ambushed and stopped by enemy forces, with little prospect of reaching Mo Duc in time. It was up to Poling and Personnett to save the 120 Army men with their own ordnance and whatever other fire arrived.  The situation became so desperate that the ground commander requested friendly artillery to fire on his position. Throughout the remainder of the night, Poling and Personnett strafed and rocketed muzzle flashes, directed Navy and ARVN artillery, and marked targets for the Navy A-7s that arrived on schedule at 6:30 a.m. The FACs' OV-10 was under heavy AA fire on each pass, with one of many hits passing through the canopy, showering both pilots with splinters. As dawn broke, Personnett in the back seat was directing Naval and ARVN artillery while Poling was working two sets of Navy A-7s, another OV-10 with cluster bombs, and a fast FAC. The hostiles were now attacking in waves. Shortly after 7 a.m., the ground commander called in desperation for immediate strikes on enemy troops who had broken through the perimeter fence and were within 25 feet of his bunker--too close for the faster aircraft to attack. Poling immediately rolled in with a volley of flechettes as all the ground fire focused on the OV-10. He and Personnett made eight passes, taking many hits, but they stopped the enemy assault.  On the final run, with the enemy withdrawing, the OV-10's rudders and right engine were shot out. Both pilots ejected from 2,000 feet as their aircraft rolled into an uncontrollable dive. Both were fired at as they parachuted into a rice paddy that was surrounded by enemy forces. After a tense 90 minutes, they were picked up by Army helicopters. The first chopper that reached Poling was shot down as it lifted off, but a second succeeded under heavy fire. The ground commander later counted 265 enemy bodies on the perimeter fences and credited Poling and Personnett with saving his troops from annihilation. In seven hours of sustained combat, two gallant captains flying a lightly armed recce plane were primarily responsible for defeating a reinforced enemy regiment. For that extraordinary feat, both men were awarded the Air Force Cross.  Thanks to Maj. Jeffrey B. Floyd, author of "For Extraordinary Heroism: The Air Force Cross" (privately published), for opening his files to this writer.--J.L.F. By John L. Frisbee, Contributing Editor      |
First on deck, maybe?
Thinking of 1972, I had been out of Viet Nam a long time then.
LOL. You are first!!!
What year did you leave?
You even beat me today.:-)
Thanks Sam, nice painting of the OV-10.
Time to hit the sack. Good Night Snippy.
Me too. Good night Sam, goodnight Iris7.
So those Air Force guys left 265 NVA dead on the wire. Cool. Good shooting, especially at night.
Sure those boys weren't Navy?
Acting like a tough guy, sorry. Memories are making my hair stand on end, scalp pricking all over, beard as bad. Hair on arms, too. Quite a place that was. I have a lot of sympathy for Calley.
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To all our military men and women, past and present, and to our allies who stand with us,
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Good morning, Snippy and everyone at the Freeper Foxhole.
Yeah, I thought Vietnam was winding down in 1972 and there was absolutely no fighting at all. At least that is what I was told by people who weren't there in 1972. Those guys in that OV10 are lucky they didn't get popped with an SA7.
No, couldn't have been the Navy, they didn't bomb Da Nang Airbase. If you want that story let me know.
Off to work bump for the Foxhole
The OV-10 lives on as a lead ship for the California Division of Forestry(I think) aerial forest fire attack ships. I have a couple of pics of an OV-10 with a spiffy white and red paint job and an N number in my files somewhere.
Regards
alfa6 ;>}
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