EC-47 43-48402Photos at the bottom of this page. "On 22 April, 1970, the 362nd TEWS lost Aircraft #402, with Eight (8) crewmembers on board, was hit by anti-aircraft fire (presumably 37MM) while flying a combat mission in eastern Laos. The Navigator was wounded by shrapnel from the explosion. The Pilot turned the aircraft on an easterly heading toward friendlier territory, but control problems prevented his success. The aircraft crashed near A Loui Airfield in South Vietnam. The Pilot and one Radio Operator were killed in the crash. The remaining crewmembers, although wounded, survived the crash and were rescued by helicopter. In order to assure destruction of the classified equipment on board, an EOD team policed the area and destroyed scattered components and the aircraft. Additionally, six Tactical Air Sorties were flown on the crash site." Wish I had the name of the Pilot and Radio Operator. I am going to try and find them. -- -- This Data provided by: Jon Ohman ((Additional Information.)) 22 April, 70 (S/N given as 34-58636, which is NOT an original C-47 S/N.) Casualties 1 USAFSS + 1 TEWS, 1st Lt. George M. Wall and SSgt Michael R. Conner, others rescued. Joe is interested in this one. The aircraft was out of Pleiku. John Fuertinger, a USAF mechanic, had this information on the EC-47's. "During my tour as a mechanic at Plieku and Da Nang from 1969 to 1970 we lost three aircraft to enemy action. One was shot down, with two KIA, the co-pilot, I believe his name was Lt. Wall, and an electronic console operator, whose name I don't recall. I heard that an A-1E air strike was called in to make sure the wreck was totally destroyed. The other two were hit by mortar fire on the ground. 804 gallons of 115/145 AvGas makes a good bonfire!. Although I would not have any way to confirm that air strikes were called in to destroy the wrecks, that was the scuttle-butt that went around. Maybe there is someone out there who can corroborate this." Joe Martin confirmed the names, 1st Lt. George M. Wall and SSgt Michael R. Conner.
Received 24 March, 2001 from Phil EhrhornI just found the website yesterday and can't wait to check it out in detail. I'm Phil Ehrhorn and was a SSgt on the flight that was shot down on April 22, 1970.
The information you have was somewhat accurate,
Crew: Aircraft Callsign - Cap 53 I have maintained contact with Danny Russell and the family of Mike Conner for the past thirty years. Mike's wife Judy was 8 months pregnant when Mike was killed. She named the baby Mike Jr. Danny Russell and I visited Judy, Mike Jr. and the rest of Mike's family about a year after the crash. Wonderful people. Judy raised Mike on her own and did a wonderful job. On April 22, 1995 several of us met in Washington DC for four great days together -- our visit to the Wall was very emotional. The group that met was Judy (Conner) Huiting, Mike Conner Jr and his wife Rhonda, Danny Russell, and Phil Ehrhorn. Alan Brack and his family were headed down to DC to join us, but his daughter got sick along the way and they had to head back home.
More on Cap-53 from Danny Russell
By: Backender, Danny Russell
The Shootdown of Cap 53 22 April, 1970 As Told by: Danny E Russell (Crewmember)
22 April 1970 started out as most days in Viet Nam, get up early, eat some breakfast, go to OPS go to pre-flight briefing with 362nd TEWS and on and on. Well this wasn't going to be just another day so let's just start over!!!!!!!!!! I'm Danny Russell and I was a rear end crewmember with the 6994th Det 2 at Plekiu. With the help of Phil Ehrhorn, MY SEFE or as I learned on this great website, the mission leader, and I say that with great respect because Phil had been in Viet Nam sooooo long that his chin whiskers(((all 15))) were 4inches long and his teeth were black.. No seriously, Phil was and is to this day a very dear friend and we hope to tell this story and remember to the best of our ability, the details of this ill-fated mission. As you all know, our missions, sometimes we very classified and this will still leave some gray areas but I'm sure you will under- stand it with no explaination. OK HISTORY 101. Our flight 22 April 1970 - - End of April Cambodian invasion - - - - 3rd or 4th of May Kent State Does this kinda set the stage and put you in the right era? Our crew consisted of Lt George M. Wall Pilot, Lt Nasipak Co-pilot Capt Carl Lemon Navigator, SSgt Edward Mosely Flight Engineer all with 362nd TEWS and Ron Lawlor was our 203 , Phil was in charge of the back end crew cosisting of SSGT Michael R. Conner, and myself. Mike and I were in charge of scheduling and we were really excited about flying together and we had made it a point to hand pick this crew to fly with. Mike had just recovered from a broken finger and I had just came off DNIF due to hernia surgery. Speaking of that, about 6 hours after I had surgery they had a rocket attack near the hospital in Siagon where I went to be cut on and I had to climb under the bed. OOOOHHHH the gas had worn off too fast and that tile floor was cold.. As with most rockets, they landed and didn't go off and they weren't even close to the hospital. We took off after our normal routine, and flew an un-eventful mission I think we took off about 3:30 AM with a 6 hr mission. It was the kind that you knew who you were after and where he was supposed to be but he just didn't come up. We joked back and forth saying he knew WHO was up here and he was afraid to come up with all the EXPERTS up here ready to copy. About 10 minutes B4 time to RTB he came up and we asked the AC for permission to stay on site to get him. Permission, so we dug in and did our thing. Capt Lemon got on him and directed the plane into position, I think we had a fix on him when KABOOM. Reports say we got hit with 37MM but I looked down and saw at least a 4 inch hole right next to the doppler set. Capt Lemon was the only one hit.. I think a piece of schrapnel went thru close to his elbow-- not too much blood and he did an excellent job. He hung right there and between him and Phil, they got out the MAYDAY and gave our exact position. Rescue was johnny on the spot and other than me trying to clean my pants I think everyone did a fine professional job. Our first intent was to get to sea because the damage was to the rear end control and the front end crew didn't have alot of options. I know I'm going to get responses to this because you guys from the TEWS will see my lack of knowledge about what did and what probably happened that I know nothing about. But bear with me I'm a flat-lander from ILLINOIS. We lost one engine immediately and the other one was smoking pretty bad, so going over the mountains was out. Next I think they tried for a landing strip but rescue said it was VC controlled. Next option was to bail out so Mike and I went to the jump door and tried to open it.. Jambed due to the concussion. We tried and tried and finally the door just fell off!!!!!! We looked at each other and both agreed we were way too low to jump, and about that time Lt Wall looked back at us expecting the back end to be clean and ordered us to strap in and prepare for crash landing. As we went forward, Mike was ahead of me and he automaticly went to my seat so I took his rear seat. I had just buckled in and looked out the left window to see the wing hit a tree and break loose. I honestly don't know if I was knocked out or not, I did realize that something very heavy was on me when I tried to move, one of the consoles had broken loose and had landed on me. As I got free , I started hearing moans and groans so I knew someone else had made it also. As we slowly started to unpile each other I discovered my good friend Mike, who had went forward and had taken my seat was killed. To this day I still ask GOD why. This man was married and all he could do is talk about his wife and the baby they were about to have. Rescue was talking to a plane that had tailed us in and he had radioed back that didn't think anyone could have survived but we sure straightened him out in a hurry. It's surprising all the strict radio procedures you forget when your in a life & death situation!!!! We were really a rag tag mess to look at, we all had head wounds and you all know even a scratch on your head bleeds heavy. I kind of laughed to myself as I saw Phil and Ron trying to wrap Captain Lemons head. What a HOOT that was. We formed up next to a crater about 12 ft across . Rescue had no trouble seeing us there. As we were moving around, my D ring got hooked on some twigs and my belly pack exploded out in front of me, What a mess. I,m glad I didn't have to repack it. Rescue would have been fun to watch under different circumstances. I think all 4 branches were there. Here again I hope I don't screw this up but I THINK there were F4s A6s Spads cobras, sandys and even an ov10. They were great and I can honestly say they worked to precision.. They told us what was going to happen and it happened exactly as they told us. My memories of the next few moments were intense. I went back to the plane to try to help anyone I could find but my back started to really act up. I guess my strength had been used up and I finally heard someone asking for help but I could hardly function on my own so I hollered back to stay put and I would report their location. I think it was Mosely but I'm not sure.. Man that was tough to not be able to function when someone needs you. As I got back to our rescue area, the air rescue support did their thing. Cobra gunships were blazing and rockets were impacting really close. This made me realize we weren't down here alone. Charlie was trying to get us. The first rescue chopper came in and a couple guys got on or maybe all three (Phil, Ron ,and Capt Lemon). The next one came in and lifted right back out. They told me they were taking small arms fire, assuring me they would be back. Then the show started all over. Under any other circumstances it would have been fun to watch. F-4's unloaded, Cobras set and fired rockets. A-6s straifed. I think the OV10 had his side arm out(Ha Ha) It was good to know AMERICANS FIGHT FOR EACH OTHER . A small LOCH came in and I got on, we got about 20 ft in the air and Charlie hit the rotor and down we went TWICE IN 20 MINUTES???? COME ON ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!!
Here we go again. Now let me talk about CHOPPER CREWS THEY ARE
CRAZY
After sanitizing the area again, rescue came in again and got me
out.
Upon reaching the hospital I learned that Capt Wall has also been
killed in the crash.
Ron , Phil and Capt Lemon were all accounted for and visually
seen. I never saw Lt Nasipak or SSGT Mosely.
After returning to base and starting to work we learned that
Mike's widow had given birth to a son one month to the day after
the crash Mike Jr.`was born 22 May, 1970.
WE took up a collection and started a college fun for him, and
I must say 63 guys gave til it hurt. I'M so proud of them.
Upon returning stateside Phil and I and Alan Brack and his wife
went to Tennessee to visit the widow and son who never got to
see DADDY. Mikes parents and his widows parents also attended.
I do not use their names only for their privacy.
25 years later we all went to THE WALL for a gathering. The
little baby I held in 70 was now a married man. We went to the
wall at exactly at 9:35AM the time of our shoot down. We held
each other and cried. After about an hour we started moving
towards the Lincoln Memorial, Mike and I were kinda dragging up
the rear and we passed a t-shirt stand . A t-shirt with a
hologram of a soldier looking out of the wall towards a little
5 year old caught our attention.>>>> The shirt said "Here Daddy
I Brought you a present" We both lost it again !!!!
After a long day we all returned to our motel. Phil and I stayed
together and there was a knock at our door. It was Lil Mike.
Guys, my Mom has told me stories, my grandpa has told me stories,
but would you please tell me a story about my DAD?
I have never cried as much as I did that vacation.
Recapping.. NEVER TAKE YOUR FRIENDS FOR GRANTED (TELL THEM HOW
MUCH THEY MEAN TO YOU, WATCH YOUR BACK AROUND CHOPPER PILOTS,
(HA HA). TEAM WORK REALLY WORKS. MOST OF ALL BE PROUD THAT YOU
SERVED.
Thanks to all of you who fought side by side with me and my crew
Forgive me if I have mis-stated anything.
Yours for a better tomorrow Danny.
GOD BLESS AMERICA!!
This was forwarded to me by Danny for adding to the site. It is a letter
to him from Richard Bonazza, with a note from Danny back to Richard.
Ben, I just had to send this to J.C. This kind of stuff makes his web
site so valuable to me.
Danny, My name is Richard Bonazza. I was called Ben over in Nam. I was at
Pleiku from March 69 to the 1st of May when I went TDY and then permanent
to NKP in Thailand. I had to know you in Nam from damn if I can place you.
I knew Phil real well. I was flying on a 2 seater in the area just west of
Cap 53 when you got hit. Our plane had taken enemy fire earlier but
thankfully "Charlie" missed us. I can still hear Phil's SOS going out over
secure radio. And then our plane flying over to see your plane smoking and
the choppers coming in. We were low on fuel so we couldn't stay long. On
our way back to base we heard "cap Killer" on it's way to destroy the
plane. Since I left a few days after the crash I never got to see any of
you guys again. Your story filled in a lot of blanks for me on what
happened that day. I often wondered what became of Mike's son. Now thanks
to you I know. Take care and if you remember me please e-mail. Would love
to hear from you. Rich
Recently J.C. was in contact with the 101st and they gave him information on the
rescue effort involving CAP53, 22 Apr 1970.
Being 30 some years ago, some of that info was invaluable to our history.
Phil Ehrhorn and I stay in touch all the time, and we are best of friends with
the Conner family - - Mike KIA in that crash.
J.C. asked me to assess the info the 101st provided and put my recounts and the
journalized report (minute by minute) the army sent him.
Rather than start all over you can go to BOX #4 Mission losses, and see my recount,
I will just start in the middle with this (where in rescue began).
Our first shoot-down was 9:30 A.M. I will start their info prior to that.
08:25 AM 101st reports weather in vicinity 400ft to 1000ft ceiling? 1 1/2 to 2 miles
visibility. A-Shau valley has 100 ft ceiling.
09:22 AM a UH-1H and AH-16 enroute to "" SNIFFER MISSION ""
OK guys, here is something I had no clue on - In 1970 the U.S. had a helicopter
that could actually sniff out the V.C. My contact told me they could locate them
by smelling their URINE. NO KIDDING!!!!!!!
09:33 AM Sniffer mission cancelled due to fog.
09:45 AM LTC Molinelli Commander of 2/17 Cavalry is arriving in area
10:45 AM intelligence 101st Airborne reports a downed aircraft - - type and general
location. ********* I'm really confused here, 32 yrs ago I thought we were rescued
a whole lot quicker than this ************
10:45 AM G-2 reported us as an AC-47 that would have been nice, but we were armed
with ONLY 38 caliber. I honestly don't Ever remember having M-16's on board!!!!!!!
11 AM B troop 2/17 reports command and control and a Heavy Pink team- - (2 AH-1G
Cobras and 1 OH-6A Loach) are enroute to crash site. C.O. or X.O. probably onboard.
11:05 AM Command and Control notifies troops that radios and equipment MUST be
extricated or destroyed. Also Aerial Rocket Artillery &troops enroute. OH-6A has
also been downed.
11:10 AM Notified Fire Direction Center to cut off artillery in vicinity of the 2 downed
aircraft.
11:16 AM 2/17 reports Air Rifle Platoon (B-Troop) deployed. ( I assume from choppers. )
Cpt Kirby request DRF ((?????)) be stood up.
11:20 AM Command reports having crew of EC47 in sight.
They will""""PREP""""""" the area.
BLIK 16(USAF Forward air controller) arrives on station.
He talks with "Cheyenne Phantom"code for LTC Molinelli
11:29 AM report 8 crewmembers on ac47
11:30 AM Artillery cav Liason officer reports 2 people being extracted.
Command request names of people as they are logged"extracted"
11:44 AM reported 5 extracted from ac47 reported 2 from OH-6A and man from AC-47.
(That was me-Danny)
11:55 AM this is a little mixed up but I'll let you see it from artillery Liason,
OH-6A extracted 2 from downed OH-6A, 4 extracted by the first UH-1H and 1 extracted
by 2nd HUEY.
As you can see the count is off. Things were so intense, they had trouble counting
noses, let alone fingers and toeses!!!!!!
12:05 PM all Cap53 crew accounted for.
12:10 PM report "CATKILLER" downed OH-6A is on fire.
Landing zone (GREEN) clear.
Sniffer mission complete.
12:15 PM General Brown USAF says Aircraft will be completely destroyed. Army Major
reports his elements talking to survivor who stated no individuals bailed out of
hit aircraft. Mike Conner and I were at the jump door, we both agreed we were way
too low to bail out.
12:23 PM Ltc request explosives - - C-4 blasting caps, thermite grenades to destroy
aircraft.
12:35 PM AERIAL ROCKET ARTILLERY receiving fire from 300 meters west of aircraft.
13:25 PM Gen brown says not do destroy equip until further orders; oh-oh 99% gone already.
13:41 PM Permission given to burn and blow.
14:00 PM Reported parachute observed (no connection- not related to our crash unless
prop wash blew my chute away. My d-ring got hung up and the chute popped out in front
of me as we were forming up after escaping the crash.
14:40 PM Aircraft blownup end of Cap53.
14:55 PM Airstrikes called in to insure total destruction.
Recapping: Cap53 8 man crew, Loach 2 man crew, Untold numbers of Pilots , Gunners, FAC's ,Artillery Troops,
Ground Troops - - ALL with the same mission, To help each other to complete a very hazzardous task.
Thanks to all of them.
Thanks also to Randy White from the 101st who has helped me greatly in telling this from years past.
If you know which side of your bread has the butter on it you know WE ALL were in harms way each and
everytime we launched, and if it weren't for people like him and his comrades, some of us would not
have had a chance to tell our stories. The A-Shau Valley was not in our control, and we, CAP53,
Were just minutes away from capture, After we got out, the VC just kept coming.
This is a story about teamwork to perfection.
Everyday I wake-up I am blessed, cause I've been given that second chance.
Thanks again friends LIFE IS GOOD.
Danny
Captain Carl Lemon joined "Ours Gone" in 1994
The pic of him in the grass is from the rescue copter. I remember dad telling me that one of the guys who rescued him took a picture, this was it.
There is also a caption on an index card below the picture in his scrapbook that reads: SAVED BY UH_! HELICOPTER OF THE 101ST AIRBORNE.
He also has an Airborne patch under the picture. There is no name associated with who actually rescued him but I'm sure we will eventually find out.
Another index card under the pic of him running in the grass says: EC-47 #402 HIT BY 37MM ANTI AIRCRAFT. IN THE CRASH 2 MEN DIED. SIX OF US GOT OUT ALIVE. GOD WAS WITH US THAT DAY. (Dad always wrote in caps.)
I will bring the scrapbook with me to San Antonio next year for the reunion Danny told me about. Thanks again for the informative site! I feel like we have just begun climbing the EC-47 documentary mountain and am looking forward to making the journey to the top with you all.
Thanks,
chuck
This photo added 3 March, 2007. Thanks to Carl's son Chuck.
Added, 7 March, 2007
Danny Russell has raised a question on the photo about what could be a wrapping on Capt. Lemon's left arm in the photo. Brian Cornett's reply: Looking at the picture in the grass- - - if that is a wrapping on his arm, this picture is reversed- - he was hit by scrapnel in the right arm as it was resting on the drift meter. Pretty good observation for a morse code guy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have tried to enlarge the photo to see if that is what appears to me to be a wrist watch on his arm, can't tell. Maybe in time, we will have a better idea. If indeed the photo is reversed (a mirrow image it appears to me to have been reversed before it was place in Capt. Lemon's photo album.
J.C.
A Special thanks to Randy White of L Company Rangers, 101st Airborne,
U.S. Army for suppling the Event Log. Thanks to John Williams and
Larry Allen for the photo of the burning hulk after the demolition,
photo of Danny's Rescue Chopper Type, and the Site Map of the
incident.
Received this forwarded to me by Danny Russell, Feb. 17th 2003.
Danny
That was our playground because we did recon of that area every day and was
familiar with the enviroment. I knew the only way to get all of you out
was to do it fast.
Great to hear from you.
Bruce Taylor
Banshee 28 02/16/2003 08:24
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