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Details from the "other bandit gunship"

By the Aircraft Commander CWO Garrett Ronning (US Army)

As we flew in to Nui Dat, it was routine to refuel immediately since we were there on standby in case an Aussie Field Team needed us for close air support.   We landed in the refuelling area and rolled the throttle back to idle, unbuckled seat belts and opened up our flack jackets for air.  The door gunner and crew chief got out to begin refuelling while the engines and blade were at idle.

I remember that Nick Alexander was my pilot that day.   I do not remember who was with Lowell Letts, the aircraft commander of the ship that burned.

 The first indication I had that we had a problem was a shout, and someone stepping in my lap to go out my door.  I remember us laughing about this later, because I had a size 12 foot print across my lap.  We could not figure out how Alexander, being 6’2" tall, could step in my lap and make it out what opening was left of my door - but he did it.

Anyway, when I looked at Lowell’s aircraft, it seemed to be on fire everywhere, and pilots and crew were running like mad.   I started to get out of my aircraft, then decided to roll the throttle back and fly out.   As was stated above, I came out of the refuelling area straight up and fast.  I moved about 100 yards away, set the aircraft down, and got out of the ship in time to hear the first explosions.  I watched a rocket go shooting across the runway into the Aussie Camp.  After several bullets whined overhead, I moved the gunship farther down the runway.

I remember thinking that the Aussie Fire Fighters were crazy, very brave, or both, because they ran right up to the burning ship with little fire extinguishers.  The ship was full of at least 12,000 rounds of 7.62 bullets, a case of hand grenades, 14 or more 2.75 rockets, and God only knows what other standard or non standard weaponry.

I don’t remember that any of the crew were injured.  It was amazing that we did not blow up any of our Aussie friends.  In the following weeks and months when we came to Nui Dat, we took quite a razzing from everyone there - from the tower operators to refuelling crews - for causing the worst attack on Nui Dat in years.  I still have the cyclic handle from that burned aircraft.

Above - Garrett Ronning stepping out of a Huey in Vietnam
Photo supplied by Garrett Ronning, 118 AHC (US Army)

Above - Aircraft and members of 118 AHC in Vietnam.
Garrett Ronning is second from the left.  Others unknown.
Photo supplied by Garrett  Ronning, 118 AHC (US Army)

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The 161 Possum Firefighters

By Firefighter Tony Welbourn (Air Crash Crew)

161 Independent Reconnaissance  Flight (161 Recce Flt) had half a dozen Bell 47 Sioux, three or four Cessna 180’s plus a US Army loan Cessna O-1 Bird Dog at Luscombe Airfield, Nui Dat in August 1968.   Kangaroo Pad, the main Nui Dat helipad also had a steady stream of aircraft movements throughout the day and a number of missions carried out during the night on a regular basis.

The area of responsibility for the 161 Recce Flt under manned and equipped fire and rescue section at Nui Dat was extensive.  The size and volume of aircraft movements on a daily basis was far beyond the resources of the 161 possum firefighters.

 In addition to our own 161 Recce Flt aircraft there were many Iroquois (Huey) flights plus C130 Hercules, both Australian and US, plus C-123 Provider, CH-47 Chinook, CH-54 Tarhe “Skycrane” and of course daily visits by DHC-4 Caribou aircraft. 

Sappers Rob Pearce and Tony Welbourn, were members of the Royal Australian Engineers (RAE) posted to the air crash rescue team at 16 Recce Flt.  On the morning of the 12 August 1968, the two national service soldiers were at their normal work area near Luscombe Field at Nui Dat.

The work day was just kicking off and the firefighting gear was being checked.  The team was dramatically under manned and under equipped, for the daily movements at the airfield, having one Landrover, with a few fire extinguishers, which included only one large dry powder suitable for a fuel fire.  Rob, the senior, was a civilian firefighter having been called up from the Adelaide Metro Fire Service and had complained a number of times about the lack of firefighting equipment for the team.

While Kangaroo Pad was not really the 161 Recce Flt responsibly, it appears the air crash rescue team was the only dedicated fire service personnel at Nui Dat in Aug 1968.   At about 0800 hours the team got an urgent call from the Air Control Tower located on Nui Hill (also known as SAS Hill) that a Helicopter was on fire at Kangaroo Pad.  Rob and Tony could not see any smoke from the Luscombe side of Nui Dat Hill but immediately responded, via the Luscombe Bowl end to the pad refueling point. 

On arriving, the Gunship was well alight and it was clear fuel had not been isolated from the main pad supply.  The few others in the area watching did not understand that if the fuel was not isolated, we would end up with a much bigger problem.  They managed to get close in near the burning Helicopter to the fuel taps and isolated the main fuel storage from the burning Gunship.   All they could do then, because of their limited equipment, plus ammo and rockets had started to explode in the fire was cleared the area and backed off.   After approx 10 minutes the Gunship exploded into a fire ball and bits of the aircraft were all over Kangaroo Pad.    After  the explosion it was just a matter of putting out the remaining spot fires and making the area safe from the bits and pieces of the aircraft all over Kangaroo Pad.

Above - 118 AHC Gunship Explosion at Kangaroo Pad
Photos supplied by Tony Welbourn (161 Recce Flt)

Looking back on the fire years later, Tony commented “How either of us was not killed or injured, when we were out near the burning chopper, amazes me!” 

The US Army Pilot, Garrett Ronning, in the Gunship that managed to fly out of harm’s way wrote “I remember thinking that the Aussie Fire Fighters were crazy, very brave, or both, because they ran right up to the burning ship with little fire extinguishers.”

Rob gave the OC, 161 Recce Flt a severe “dressing down” over the incident and distinct lack of firefighting gear, etc.   It would appear that the brass was a little embarrassed but in the wash up Kangaroo Pad was not really 161 Recce Flt problem - the team was only helping out!  That was the attitude on the day!   After this incident we were advised that a specialist air crash fire tender was on the way from Australia.   In fact, this vehicle was on its way in Aug 1968 but was “hijacked” by the RAAF for their use at Butterworth, Malaysia.  

The US Army offered 161 Recce Flt a crash tender from Vung Tau which was promptly ‘knocked back” by the brass for some unknown reason.  161 Possum Fire-fighters had to live with what they had until a very poor upgrading occurred later down the track.