Fallen Hero's / Pedro 42 / 38th ARRS / HH-43

28th October 1966

Pedro 42

38th ARRS 

HH-43B #62-4511

It was the evening of October 28, 1966 and the U.S. Army 4th Infantry Division was in contact with the NVA forces, 38 miles west of Pleiku AB, near the Cambodian Border. Several of the “Grunts” had been seriously wounded and required immediate evacuation. This was a region of triple canopy jungle where Army “Dust-off” helicopters were unable to land. Since the medevac would require a hoist operation, a request for assistance was forwarded to the USAF 3rd ARRG Command Post at Tan Son Nhut. At 2115hrs local, Pedros 42 & 56 departed for the battle area. Once overhead, contact was established with the unit on the ground and the “hoist area” located. Procedures dictated that one H-43 hold a high orbit while the second, “Low Bird” was hoisting victims. This limited exposure and provided back up in the event one bird was lost. Trying to identify a hoist area in the jungle, at night, without lights and looking for a “Strobe Light” among the twinkling of ground fire is to say the least confusing. To add to that confusion, distracting strings of tracers reached up out of the jungle trying to locate the blacked-out Huskies. The deadly yellow and green lines seemed to be coming directly at each crewmember that observed them. It was decided that Pedro 42 would be the first bird in. They would lower their PJ, A2C Alan Stanek, to prepare the wounded and speed up the evacuation. After Pedro 42 had received all the casualties they could carry, they would be replaced by Pedro 56. As with most plans in a battle, fate would deny its execution. Pedro 56 climbed to a high orbit at 4000 feet, while 42 hovered and lowered it’s PJ to the jungle floor. Things seemed to be progressing normally with three of the wounded taken aboard and a fourth being prepared on the ground. Suddenly, the crew of Pedro 56 observed three strings of deadly tracers reach out from different directions and converge on Pedro 42. As everyone watched in the moonlight, the doomed Huskie faltered and settled into the jungle canopy. On the ground, A2C Stanek watched in horror as Pedro 42 tumbled 150 ft through the trees and came to rest and on fire. He rushed to the aid of his fallen comrades and with the help of some Infantrymen, pulled the two Pilots Capt Vermeys and 1/Lt “Spike” Bonnel to safety. Unfortunately, the fire consuming the aircraft was so intense that the Flight Engineer A2C “Dave” Rice and the three wounded could not be rescued. The downing of Pedro 42 was coordinated with a fresh attack on the besieged 4th Division soldiers. Due to the intensity of the ground fire, Pedro 56 was unable to assist their fallen brothers. Five-six continued to orbit until fuel was running low and was then “ORDERED” to return to Pleiku, refuel and await a break in the fighting. The fighting continued throughout the night. At dawn on the morning of the 29th, Pedro 56 launched to retrieve their friends and crewmates. Arriving back at the battle area, the two injured pilots and A2C Stanek were hoisted aboard and rushed to the 18th Army Surgical Hospital at Pleiku. 1/Lt Bonnel died of his injuries in November 1966 while still in the hospital at Clark AFB.

Co-Pilot-1Lt. George H. Bonnell III

Flight Engineer- A2C. Francis D. Rice