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Snipers in Box Canyon

Jim Ferguson

Dan Brady

Dave Cooper

Pilot

Crew Chief

Medic

Gunner

Unknown

Working from FSB Mace in the 1st Cav. Division area, we received a call for wounded from platoon trapped in a box canyon by a number of snipers. We scrambled with two AH-1 attack aircraft for the 15 minute flight to the box canyon near the town of Ham Tan. As we arrived on the scene we were told to orbit to the southeast because the unit was still under fire. About this time an OH-6 pilot was trying to burn out the snipers by dropping white phosphorus grenades on the sniper's location. Unfortunately the grenades bounced off the jungle canopy and landed on the pinned down US troops. There were numerous US troops with white phosphorus burning through their skin and as the stood up and screamed, the snipers would pick them off. Though we were ordered not to go in I asked the crew what they thought. All wanted to try a rescue using the rescue hoist. I told the gun birds we were going in and they set up their protective orbits. We flew in, hovered above the triple canopy and lowered the forest penetrator. Being in a box canyon, with high ground on three sides of us, we were easy targets for the snipers. The first thing to be shot out was the rotating beacon, them bullets came through each red cross. Ferguson and Cooper were shooting their M-60's as fast as they could but to no avail. A bullet came up through the boot of the door gunner (Cooper), bounced off the chicken plate of the medic (Brady), hit the transmission and then ricocheted forward striking me in the back of the helmet. When the bullet entered my helmet it threw me forward (I was flying) on the controls. At the same time, Cooper and Brady were shouting into the intercom that they were hit. The pilot, Goldsmith thought that two crewmembers in the back were hit and that his AC was hit. He took the controls and departed the area for a nearby fire support base. Upon landing at the FSB, Ferguson jumped out and noticed the fuel lines were hit and told us to shut the aircraft down. A sister Medevac (WO1 Gregg Simpson) then took over and attempted to complete the mission. His aircraft was also damaged before he could get any patients out. An aircraft from the 45th Med. Co. had been called as backup for our two aircraft. That aircraft was flown by 1LT Tom Lacy. By the time he got to the patients the snipers had departed and he was able to get the patients without any problems. More than half the platoon were killed by the snipers and almost everyone left was a casualty.