| Date: 25 July 1968 |
| Aircraft type: A-6A Intruder |
| Serial Number: 154166 |
| Military Unit: VMA(AW)-533, MAG-12 |
| Service: USMC |
| Home Base: Chu Lai |
| Name(s): |
| Maj Curtis G Lawson (Survived) |
| 1Lt Paul Gordon Brown (POW) |
| An Intruder (call sign Hellborn 20) was despatched on an armed reconnaissance sortie just north of the DMZ when it was hit by intense 37mm flak at 3,000 feet. Both crew ejected and came down about 10 miles northwest of Thon Cam Son. The pilot, Maj Lawson, came down in the Dai River and swam to the river bank where he stayed in the water and hid. Several hours later he contacted a Misty FAC that was looking for him. The area was too well defended to attempt a rescue until it could be softened up by air strikes. As it was getting dark Maj Lawson was told to stay put until the next morning. A Misty FAC put in a series of strikes after first light on the 26th. Following an abortive attempt in the morning, an afternoon mission saw Jolly Green 31, a HH-3E of the 37th ARRS flown by Maj C E Wicker and Maj R E Booth, approach the survivor over the river and come under heavy ground fire. The escorting A-1s and the helicopter’s door gunners put down a fierce suppressive fire as the helicopter swept along the river at 70 knots until it reached Capt Lawson. The fight engineer, SSgt J Enriquez and the PJ, Sgt S M Northern, continued firing with their M-60s as they deployed the jungle penetrator into the water. Capt Lawson swam towards the helicopter as it landed in the water and was dragged on board before a rapid departure under the protective fire of the four A-1s. The two crewmen had fired a total of 2,400 rounds from their M-60s before both guns seized due to overheating. 1Lt Brown was not so fortunate as his pilot as he landed in a populated area and was captured. He was sent to Hanoi and was released on 14 March 1973. |
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