The aircraft-carrier USS
Ranger (CVA 61) departed Subic Bay, Philippines (PI), on February 21,
after resupply and
returned to duty on Yankee
Station, arriving the February 24. While the downed USAF airmen struggled
to survive the rough sea conditions, two Navy aircraft patrolling the
coast off North Vietnam “accidentally” detected a beeper signal from an
emergency radio. One of the Navy airmen, Lt. Commander Clarence E.
Armstrong, flying A-1J Skyraider 140080 (VA-145), recalls the events.
Armstrong: “I was flight
leader of a two-plane A-1J mission. We were either returning to the USS
Ranger, or still
on escort duty along the coast of
North Vietnam, when we detected an emergency beacon/beeper. I recall
reporting the
beeper to the USS Ranger’s E-2 and
being told to disregard the signal, because it was coming from one of the
other carriers in the area. It is not unusual for a beeper to be tripped
during routine maintenance, but these instances are normally quickly
detected and rectified.
“Because the beeper
persisted along with a strong UHF/DF indication, I requested and received
permission to investigate. We homed-in on the beeper, flying between cloud
layers, until receiving indications that we were close to the signal
source.
C-54-type aircraft
in the area. Eventually, a helicopter appeared dimly in the far distance.
He fired several pengun
flares to signal them. The
helicopter soon hovered overhead and a crewman, using both hands together,
made a “diving
sign” to dump the parachute and
enter the water. Kodlick slid into the sea and with the rescue collar
secured, was soon raised up and on board to join the other rescued
members.
The recoveries occurred
approximately 45-nautical miles from North Vietnam.
Walker: “All the crew had
been recovered by the same helicopter except for Chief EWO, John Causey.
We never
knew what happened to John except he was
ready to eject downward when the third EWO left. John should have been
number four to go.”
The helicopter and aircraft
continued searching for Captain Causey. The destroyers USS England and USS
Mahon using
searchlights, and one patrol aircraft
having a two million-candlepower spotlight joined the search. Darkness
forced the
helicopter to return to the USS Ranger
at 1206Z with five very appreciative souls on board.19
Walker: “The Ranger first
appeared like a postage stamp all lit up, far below us. As the pilot
brought the chopper lower,
the ship became larger
and larger. And when we landed it had become huge.
“Our reception was
comparable to a hero’s welcome on Fifth Avenue with the flight deck lit
brightly like a
Broadway stage. It seemed every
sailor and officer on board gathered on deck to cheer and welcome us, or
more likely, just to watch the spectacle of their
first rescue in the gulf. The Navy even provided a full military
band smartly dressed in attendance playing the USAF
anthem as we disembarked from the Sea King.
“As I jumped from the
helicopter to the deck, my legs collapsed in pain. For the first time I
realized my
injuries were worse than previously
thought. I felt some discomfort while bracing myself in the doorway
of the chopper but ignored it as a trivial annoyance.
Now two sailors had my arms around their shoulders,
then managed me across the flight deck and down
ladders to sickbay.
”The Operations people said
the SAMs are obviously there, and we need to declare Vinh a SAM site.”
“The senior Intel officer declared adamantly, ‘No, there is no SAM there.
We’ve researched everything.’” “With that, General Moore said, ‘This
meeting is over. It’s a SAM site and declare it now.’” “He then turned to
the senior Intel officer and said, ‘I’ll
speak to
you later.’” “We are quite sure he received an interesting talk from
the general.”
James Thomson and Robert
Walker received the Purple Heart from Maj. Gen. James Wilson, commander of
the 13th Air Force, Clark AFB, Phillippines. (USAF photo from Robert
Walker)
Next day, both Thomson and
Walker boarded a C-130 for air evacuation to Clark AFB, PI, for
hospitalization. Several
days later, Major General
James Wilson, Commander of Thirteenth Air Force, presented Walker and
Thomson with the
Purple Heart. Next day, the men
flew via air-evac to the orthopedic ward at Tachikawa AFB hospital in
Japan. Soon after, Jim Beaty arrived from Takhli in excruciating pain with
an infected thigh from the lapbelt malfunction. Six weeks later Thomson
returned to Takhli to continue his combat tour. Beaty remained bedridden
for three or four weeks, then took leave in the USA before re-assignment
in Japan flying RB-57s.
After both knee caps
healed, the doctors fitted Walker with a walking-cast, allowing his return
to ambulatory status. One
day a message arrived
from the USS Ranger docked in Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan. The captain
invited Walker,
accompanied by an orthopedic
surgeon, for a VIP tour of the ship and dinner in the officers’ mess. The
Navy provided
ground transportation to and from
the carrier. How they learned of his hospitalization at Tachikawa remains
a mystery.
Upon discharge, Walker
obtained transportation to Clark AFB and finally Takhli AB for return to
duty. Here, the Flight Surgeons declared his legs unfit and grounded him
from flying status. They shipped him to Clark AFB where subsequent medical
evaluation confirmed this decision. Orders were issued, air evacuating him
by C-141 to Travis AFB, Calif., for further recovery and eventual return
to flying status.
