| Date: 30 May 1968 |
| Aircraft type: F-105D Thunderchief |
| Serial Number: 60-0511 |
| Military Unit: 469 TFS, 388 TFW |
| Service: USAF |
| Home Base: Korat |
| Name(s): |
| Col Norman P Phillips (Survived) |
| Original text: A flight of F-105s on a Steel Tiger night strike in southern Laos spotted two trucks on a road near Ban Kate, 20 miles west of the DMZ. Col Phillips was strafing the trucks from an altitude of just 100 feet when his aircraft (call sign Master) was hit by automatic weapons fire. He zoomed up to gain as much altitude as possible before ejecting. He was rescued after dark by a USAF HH-53 SAR helicopter from Detachment 1 of the 40th ARRS. During the rescue the PJ, Sgt Thomas A Newman, was lowered to the ground. He sent the helicopter out of the area as he spent some time searching in the dark, risking detection by the enemy by calling out the pilot’s name. When Sgt Newman eventually found Col Phillips he called for the helicopter to return for what was a very difficult pick up under fire. Thomas Newman was awarded the Air Force Cross for his actions during this rescue. 60-0511 carried the name ‘Sweet Sal’ during its time at Korat.
Through the auspices of LtCol Joe Sechler, USAF (Ret.) and the F-105 historian, LtCol Howard Plunkett, USAF (Ret.), the following details of the SAR effort are provided. This kind of action was not unique to this one event but is provided as a means of bringing into focus all the efforts of the Jolly Greens and all the other SAR units that not only saved a lot of lives but gave aid and comfort to all of us flying missions in SEA: 30 May 68 Call sign: "Master 02". F-105D 60-00511. "Col Norman P. Phillips, 388 TFW Vice Commander, was rescued after ejecting from his disabled ... F-105 ... over the southern panhandle of North Vietnam. Col Phillips was later relieved of SEA duty and returned to [Clark AB and then to] the U.S. Naval Hospital in Boston MA for hospitalization for injuries [a dislocated shoulder and broken arm] he received during the high speed ejection." Col Phillips had a total of 33 combat missions, 2 of which had been in RP-6. On 21 June 1968, Col Phillips was replaced as the 388 TFW Vice Commander by Col Allen K. McDonald. Col Phillips was recovered by a Pararescueman from a Jolly Green Giant helicopter, USAF Sgt Thomas A. Newman, Detachment 1, 40 Aerospace Rescue & Recovery Squadron (ARRS) from Nakhon Phanom, Thailand. In November 1968, Sgt Newman received the Air Force Cross for his actions, the sixth USAF enlisted man to receive the award. He was also given the 1968 Cheney Award for heroism. In an official letter written to Col Phillips, Sgt Newman described the rescue: "On 30 May 68 ... we were scrambled to aid an F-105 pilot who had ejected over hostile territory. We took off immediately and, during the 1½ hour flight to his position, were notified that the pilot had sustained a broken arm and would require assistance in getting on the forest penetrator. Being the Pararescueman on "low bird", it would be my job to ride the penetrator to the ground, locate the survivor and assist him in getting up and into the chopper. ... Upon arriving in the area, and after a brief search, the survivor was located. I ... was lowered to the ground by the Flight Engineer. I established radio contact immediately and looked around for the survivor. When I couldn’t see him I started an expanding circle search and made one complete circuit without finding him, while the aircraft stayed in a hover. When the helicopter started picking up ground fire from above me, I instructed it to raise the penetrator and depart the area. As the penetrator was lifted off the ground, it became entangled in some brush. I began working my way up to it, but by the time I got there it had come loose by itself, and the chopper departed. As they flew over the ridge I was on, they received a great deal of automatic and small arms fire from the ground. Suddenly there was a blast and I caught a muzzle flash in my peripheral vision. I hit the deck and almost opened fire in the direction from which the shot had come, but as I didn’t have a target that I could see I decided that it would be better to not chance a miss and give away my position. I started crawling towards the shot when there was another. This time I pinpointed the muzzle flash and could see a person, and as the bullets didn’t come anywhere near me, I figured it might be the survivor. Once again I refrained from firing. With the man in my sights, I hollered, "Hey!", figuring that if he made an unfriendly move in my direction I could kill him with little or no risk to myself. He sat perfectly still and hollered back, "Up here!". I still wasn’t sure that it was the survivor, so I let him see a little movement from my direction, keeping him in my sights. When he still didn’t open fire at me, I started moving slowly towards him. As I came closer, I could see that he was an American, but still wasn’t satisfied to the point where I trusted him. It was only when I had given him a quick visual examination that I set my weapon down and began to get him out of his LPU, G-suit, and survival gear. Throughout this time there were occasional bursts of auto and small arms fire from the ridge above us. After every burst the survivor would tell me, "That’s only the fighters! That’s only the fighters, no sweat!". I knew it was enemy forces, but decided to let the pilot believe what he would. I believed that the enemy was shooting mostly at the aircraft with an occasional shot in our general direction, because none of their shots came within several yards of us. It was getting darker, but we could now hear people moving in the brush. It sounded like they were closing in, so rather than call the Jolly and subject it to close range ground fire and give away our position, I told the chopper that I was ceasing communications and would not transmit for approximately 10 - 20 minutes. I then shut off my radio, tried to get the survivor a little more comfortable, and kept watching the shadows for movement. When after about ten minutes, the noise in the brush hadn’t come any closer, I called the chopper and told them we were ready for pickup. As they came in they received only a minimum amount of small arms fire, so I talked them in until they were directly overhead, and told them to lower the penetrator. As they complied, I glanced away for a minute and when I looked back, the aircraft had drifted to the left about ten yards and I could no longer see the penetrator. I figured that they had probably raised it into the aircraft to clear the trees and make the correction I had given them. When I finally realized that the penetrator was on the ground, I decided it would be easier to move the survivor to it than to raise and lower the hoist. I got him on his feet, with one arm under his and helped him to where the cable came through the trees. I couldn’t see the penetrator, so I set the survivor down and tried to follow the cable to it. The area was covered with vines the same size as the hoist cable and, in the twilight, I couldn’t tell one from the other, and there was too much cable on the ground to follow. I then called the chopper and told them to take up the slack. I must have been standing in about four coils of cable because when it went taut, the sudden jerk threw me off my feet, making me drop my radio and weapon. As the radio was attached to my survival vest, I didn’t worry about that, but an enemy had moved up to within 50 - 75 yards of us and was firing either at us or at the chopper. As I was being lifted off the ground by my ankle, I tried to grab my weapon, but it was tangled in the vines and I couldn’t get it free before it was out of reach. As I went up into the first tree, I became entangled in the branches and my body stopped moving while the cable continued to pull on my ankle. I thought that my foot was being torn off, and I think I tried to scream but I couldn’t hear myself for the helicopter. Finally, I was pulled through by sheer force and up through another tree. I went through that one more easily, and once I was through I could get to my radio which was dangling below me. Trying to sound calm, I notified the aircraft that I was tangled in the cable and requested to be put on the ground again. When I was within about 20 feet of the chopper and 70 - 80 feet above the ground, they began to lower me again, still hanging upside down by my ankle. As I went through the first tree, I narrowly missed being impaled on a dead tree trunk by jerking my body to one side. When I went through the second tree, the cable slacked a little, my foot came loose, and I fell the last 20 feet, catching myself on my hands and digging my face into the ground. I got my ankle out of my mind, checked to see if the survivor was OK, and ran a quick search for my weapon as the enemy that had moved in close was still firing in our direction. After a minute or so, I gave it up as lost, drew my pistol, and moved up to the survivor, who was now holding the penetrator and shouting, "I’ve got it! I’ve got it!". He had one seat under his right leg and I put the other two down and got it situated under him. I got his worst arm between him and the penetrator in his lap and explained that I would sit on top, straddling him and hold him on. When this was done I called the chopper and told them that we were both on the penetrator and to bring us up. I think I repeated it about three times before we left the ground. On the way up through the trees, I pulled the survivor in to the penetrator as close as possible, locking my arms and legs around him and trying to keep him under me. In a few more seconds we were in the helicopter and on our way out of the area. I gave the survivor 1cc of codeine, and with the help of the crew on the helicopter, splints were applied to his left arm and leg. A wound on his head was cleaned, he was treated for shock, and made as comfortable as possible. Upon arrival at home station (NKP), he was turned over to a medical team from the Dispensary." Sgt Newman was the PJ from an HH-3, Jolly Green 36, from Det 1, 40 ARRS. Other members of his crew were Capt James H. Platt, pilot; Maj Paul M. Reagan, copilot; and A1C Narcisco A. Otero, flight engineer. Both Col Phillips and Sgt Newman were picked up by the crew from another helicopter from the 40 ARRS. They were Capt Alfred C. Montrem, pilot; Maj Aharon Aharonian, copilot; TSgt Robert E. Hollen, flight engineer; and PJs Sgt Larry E. Palmer, Sgt David A. Kratz, and passenger helicopter mechanic Sgt Richard R. Laverty. (Bob LaPoint, e-mail 16 Jan 04.) The following is the Rescue Mission Narrative Report (1-3-56, 30 May 1968) submitted by Capt Alfred C. Montrem, Rescue Crew Commander. "Jolly Green 70, and HH-53B of the 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron, departed Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base (SAR alert site) at 1640L to proceed direct to Udorn RTAFB (home base). At 1700L, information was received that an airplane (later identified as Master 02, an F-105 from Korat RTAFB) was down 88 miles, 0830-degrees from Savannaket, Laos (TACAN CHANNEL 99). Jolly Green 70 diverted from his position (317 degrees/52 miles, CHANNEL 51), proceeding directly to CHANNEL 59 (50 miles, 040 degrees) and from there to the rescue site. "While en route, a climb was established to 9500 feet, the aircraft made rescue ready, guns armed and calculations made to determine hover capability, the possible need to dump fuel, etc. Weather en route and in the rescue area was no factor except for an isolated thunderstorm 25 miles east of CHANNEL 99, which was circumnavigated. Clearance into the rescue area was received from Crown 2 and at 1725L, Jolly Green 70 crossed the Mekong River south of CHANNEL 99. "At 1740L, Jolly Green 36L and Jolly Green 20H (HH-3Bs from CHANNEL 89) were visually spotted and radio contact established. With these helicopters on the scene, it was mutually agreed that Jolly Green 36 would attempt the rescue and be backed up by Jolly Green 70 and 20. "At 1755L, the rescue helicopters and Sandy 7 and 8 arrived in the area to join a number of F-105 aircraft and one or more O-2 FACs (call sign Nail). A later TACAN fix of 088 degrees, 88 miles from CHANNEL 99 had been received and this point proved to be 5 miles south of the survivor's actual position. His location later plotted to be 32 miles, 260 degrees from Khe Sanh TACAN CHANNEL 85. "The miniguns were test fired and the ramp gun experienced a feeder malfunction which made it inoperable for the mission. At 1810L, Nail 54 reported visual contact with the survivor's parachute and URT-10 contact was established. Jolly Green 36 descended at this time to Join Sandy 7 and 8 and Nail 54 attempted to vector Jolly Green 36 to the survivor. Jolly Green 70, 20, other A-1 and F-105 aircraft began an orbit at altitude over the SAR effort. Jolly Green 70, maintaining a tight turn over the SAR position, was able to observe the low-level aircraft and call out several ground fire sightings to the rescue force. Sporadic and often heavy ground fire was observed from the ridges above the survivor and from the valley and river to the west of the survivor's position. The Sandys strafed and quieted the heavier concentrations of ground fire, but scattered enemy gunfire was observed to continue throughout the rescue effort. "URT-10 contact with the survivor (Colonel Phillips) was valuable in that when the survivor could hear the search aircraft, he was able to direct them and the helicopter to his position. His calm directions helped immeasurably in his recovery. Late in the search the survivor was requested to fire a pen gun flare. He radioed that he was unable to do so because of a broken arm and he also requested ground assistance because of a broken leg. "When the survivor's position was pinpointed, Jolly Green 36 made three passes (1827 to 1837L) before he was able to establish a hover in the heavily wooded, steep ravine (hover altitude 1600 feet MSL, ???). In making three passes, Jolly Green 36 first dropped his external fuel tanks and then dumped fuel to reduce weight. On the third attempt the hover was successful and the Pararescueman (Sergeant Newman) was lowered to the ground (1837L). Upon touching the ground, the PJ reported he was being fired on and radioed for Jolly Green 36 to evacuate the area. Immediately after hearing these instructions, Jolly Green 70 observed two tracers come from a position within 100 yards of Jolly Green 36 and pass very close to the hovering helicopter. Jolly Green 36 pulled off the target, and as he departed, reported that his hoist was inoperative. "With Jolly Green 36's rescue capability gone, Jolly Green 70 dove from his 9500 foot orbit directly above the survivor. During the fast descent, the PJ on the ground was called and asked to provide gunfire information and the advisability of Jolly Green 70 going in to hover over the survivor. No information was received and in the interest of getting over the target before complete darkness, an immediate straight in approach was executed. At this time, the forward right minigun was stowed because of its interference with the hoist. As the hover position was approached, Jolly Green 70 was hit by small arms fire. Hover information was then received from the PJ on the ground and Jolly Green 70, observing gun flashes from the right, returned gunfire from the rescue door with an M-16 while the Flight Engineer directed the hover and lowered the jungle penetrator into a small hole in the dark jungle canopy. "After Jolly Green 70's return gunfire, additional ground fire while in the hover was not observed. The hover location was below the ridge line, in a steep ravine with heavily wooded slopes. Night time darkness and no lights on the helicopter provided Jolly Green 70 with cover and prevented receiving heavy concentrated ground fire. All 240 feet of the rescue cable was extended with no evidence that the penetrator had touched the ground. With the crew giving tree clearance information, Jolly Green 70 was turned 150 degrees, repositioned slightly and lowered 40 feet until the wheels were in the tree tops. In the complete darkness that followed (1855L), the hover was maintained by reference to a grey tree trunk immediately outside the pilot's window. "No radio information was received from the ground for several minutes and the hoist was raised in response to what appeared to be a tug on the cable. A yell was received on the radio to 'lower me' and this was done. Later it was learned that Sgt Newman had caught his foot in the excess coiled cable on the ground and was dragged feet first about 80 feet up into the trees. After being lowered, a call was soon received to 'raise me slowly' and this was accomplished (1901L). Both survivors emerged from the tree tops and were quickly pulled on board (1902L). Before moving off the hover it was necessary, because of the darkness, to establish between RCC and RCCP the direction to move in order to clear the surrounding wooded hillsides. The blackout departure was successful and instructions to climb south to avoid heavy ground fire were received from Sandy 7. After attaining altitude, a direct course was established for CHANNEL 89, the nearest medical facility. "Emergency medical treatment was administered to Colonel Phillips immediately upon his being pulled on board. His left arm was broken in two places and his right arm was dislocated. Pneumatic splints were applied and morphine administered in addition to first aid treatment of his minor scratches and wounds. Sandy 7 joined up to escort Jolly Green 70 and Sandy 8 joined and escorted the slower Jolly Green 20. En route to CHANNEL 89 at 9500 feet, Jolly Green 20 reported sighting gun flashes at both his and Jolly Green 70's position. At 1942L, Jolly Green 70 experienced a Second Stage Servo Out Warning Light, but all systems operated normally and an uneventful landing was made at CHANNEL 89 (2005L). "The survivors were released to the medical facility and, following a careful inspection to determine battle damage and the cause of the Servo Out Light, Jolly Green 70 departed for home base, arriving there at 2300L. Aerial refueling was not utilized and no fuel was dumped. The one extra crew member on board was a mechanic being transported home after being TDY at Ubon. Battle damage consisted of one small arms hit which entered the bottom of the left sponson forward of the internal fuel tank, passed up through the cabin and out the upper right side of the fuselage just aft of the number two engine. "The names of the survivors are: a. Colonel Norman P. Phillips, 469 TFS, Korat RTAFB. b. Sergeant Thomas A. Newman, Detachment 1, 40th ARRS, Nakhon Phanom RTAFB. "Jolly Green 70 crew: RCC, Captain Alfred C. Montrem RCCP, Major Aharon Aharonian FL, Technical Sergeant Robert E. Hollen RS, Sergeant Larry E. Palmer RS, Sergeant David A. Kratz HM, Sergeant Richard B. Laverty" Sources: 388 TFW History, Apr - Jun 68, USAF microfilm NO584, frame 1209 & 5 Jun 1968 letter, from Sgt Thomas A. Newman to 388 Combat Support Group (DMI) |
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