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View Full Version : On this day in the Vietnam war June 29th



bobdina
06-29-2009, 01:15 AM
1964: First New Zealand troops arrive June 29, 1966 - Citing increased infiltration of Communist guerrillas from North Vietnam into the South, the U.S. bombs oil depots around Hanoi and Haiphong, ending a self-imposed moratorium.

The U.S. is very cautious about targeting the city of Hanoi itself over concerns for the reactions of North Vietnam's military allies, China and the Soviet Union. This concern also prevents any U.S. ground invasion of North Vietnam, despite such recommendations by a few military planners in Washington. CU CHI - Risking death, three 25th Division maintenance men saved two fliers from a burning, ammo-laden Cobra.
While on a technical inspection flight of a Huey (UH-I D) near here recently, three men from the division’s 725th Maintenance Battalion received a call for help from the pilot of a Cobra gunship which was attempting an emergency landing.
When the Huey pilot, Captain Robert L. Adams, of Columbus, Ohio, realized the crippled aircraft had not successfully landed, he immediately went to the area of the crash and set his helicopter down as close as possible to the burning chopper.
As Adams held his ship on the ground -- despite the flames roaring near the Cobra’s ammo - Specialists 4 Marc L. Knoles, of Stockton, Calif., and James E. Krause, of Philadelphia, rushed to the burning aircraft. They quickly removed one of the men, carried him to their helicopter and strapped him in place on the jump seats.
Both men started to return for the second man when the Cobra’s ammunition exploded, driving them backwards and onto the ground.
Without a moment’s hesitation, they scrambled to their feet and rushed to the aid of the injured man, who, by this time, had had all of his clothes burned off.
With the help of two officers who had arrived at the scene of the crash with a stretcher, they loaded the second man on Adam’s helicopter and immediately returned to the 12th Evacuation Hospital in Cu Chi.
Adams, Knoles and Krause received the Army’s Soldier’s Medal for their actions. They were responsible for saving the life of one of the men.