| Date: 16 February 1967 |
| Aircraft type: F-100D Super Sabre |
| Serial Number: 56-2907 |
| Military Unit: 309 TFS, 31 TFW |
| Service: USAF |
| Home Base: Tuy Hoa |
| Name(s): |
| Col Frank C Buzze (Survived) |
| The 31st TFW’s bad luck continued when it lost another aircraft the following day. A flight of aircraft was despatched into southern Laos to attack a truck park that has been spotted near Ban Talan Nua. Col Buzze (call sign Dusty 1) was making his first strafing run but flew into a barrage of automatic weapons fire that set his aircraft alight. He ejected close to the target and a USAF HH-3E (64-14233 call sign Jolly Green 56) was quickly on the scene. As the helicopter was hovering over Col Buzze it was hit by ground fire which killed the pilot, Capt Angelo Pullara and wounded the co-pilot Capt Jerrold D Ward. Capt Ward managed to fly the helicopter, which had been hit by 40 bullets, to Saravane in Laos and Col Buzze was eventually rescued under heavy fire by another HH-3E (Jolly Green 37). |
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