| Date: 8 May 1968 |
| Aircraft type: A-4E Skyhawk |
| Serial Number: 152005 |
| Military Unit: VA-56 |
| Service: USN |
| Home Base: USS Enterprise |
| Name(s): |
| Lt Dennis Arthur Lawrence (Survived) |
| During an armed reconnaissance mission, a section of Skyhawks attacked a group of trucks 12 miles south of Ha Tinh. Lt Lawrence fired his 2.75in rockets and pulled up but as his aircraft (call sign Champion 406) was climbing through 3,500 feet it was hit by ground fire. The engine started vibrating and the aircraft caught fire. Within seconds the engine stopped and Lt Lawrence was forced to eject. He was rescued by a Navy SH-3 which penetrated 20 miles inland to pick up the downed pilot.
HC-7 Rescue Helicopter Combat Support Squadron SEVEN (HC-7) was established September 1, 1967. While simultaneously providing several fleet support activities in the Gulf of Tonkin, HC-7 assumed the responsibility for North Vietnam naval combat search and rescue. HC-7 prepared for action using UH-2B Kaman Sea Sprite helos inherited from HC-1 and were stationed in detachments aboard small boys, destroyers (DDs) and Guided Missile Frigates (DLGs), patrolling off the coast of North Vietnam primarily for the purpose of Search and Rescue (SAR) duty. The information at the following link was compiled by Ron Milam, the historian for HC-7, from ship's deck logs, official HC-7 Rescue Reports, other official and unofficial documents, interviews with crew members and survivors, and other sources, including the Chris Hobson book upon which this site is based. The details for the rescue associated with this fixed wing loss can be accessed by clicking on this link. |
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