MY LAST FLIGHT WITH THE
ROBIN HOODS
The combat experience of Miguel
de Toro
email: vietnamcombatvet68_69@yahoo.com
Member of the Robin Hoods 2/69 - 8/69
For the record, I actually came from a construction battalion, not an infantry
outfit. I had two months left with the CB unit when I extended six months in
order to be a door-gunner. I was with the 173rd Assault Helicopter Company for 8
months, from Feb. '69 to August '69 (Yellow Flight, tail number 964). On August
20, my helicopter and I were shot down on our last extraction of the day.
Interestingly, I was flying in someone else's place that day. I forgot the
name of the door-gunner I replaced. I do remember he was an African-American
soldier who had volunteered to be a door-gunner from a transportation
outfit....a genuinely nice guy. I was about 3 weeks away from going on R&R
to Australia and then home. I remember that time as if it were yesterday......
SSG Garcia: (About 0700 on 20 August 69)"Hey del Toro, have I got a deal
for you."
"Yeah?" (I was on my way to catch the "Ash and Trash" to Tan
Sa Nhut AFB for some R&R on my day off....play a few hours of basketball,
eat a steak meal, have some soft ice cream for desert, see a movie in an air
conditioned theater, then back home....the Air Force really knows how to fight a
war!)
"I forgot I had assigned SP4 to KP today and I need a door-gunner to take
his place. We will be flying missions until about noon today. So you get the
afternoon off plus I'll give you tomorrow off."
"Okay. Good deal." .....that was the last time I spoke with SSG
Garcia, or saw Sherwood Forest.
During an extraction of 1st Infantry Division troops near Lai Khe (I could see
it when we were at altitude) during our descent while I was riding in Yellow
Flight #3 in a trail formation, we received automatic weapons ground fire. I was
hit in the right leg and our helicopter started to rapidly lose altitude as the
"RPM LIMIT" light on the console came on. I YELLED into my mike,
"I'm hit, I'm hit, I'm hit", but then shut up as soon as I saw the
"RPM LIMIT" light go on.
I figured (rather quickly) that if we crash and burn my wound won't make much
difference to me or anyone else. The pilot was flying the aircraft in initially
but when we got hit the aircraft commander took over and did a magnificent job
of "auto-rotating" to a crash landing (I think that is the word.) We
broke a skid and tipped over to the left a bit with the main rotor striking the
ground several times but did not burn.
We landed right in the middle of our troops so security was not a problem. I
don't remember the crewchief's name (I was in someone else's helicopter) but I
do remember that he was a buck sergeant, Hawaiian. He opened the door on the
pilot's side (right side of the helicopter) and then the AC's door on the left
side but he never looked my way. Thinking about it later, I surmised he didn't
know what he would see, so he chose not to look. The AC jumped into my gunwell
and asked what I think was a brilliant question, "Are you hit anywhere
else?" He could see my obvious wound, which was apparently not life
threatening, but I may have been hit elsewhere not so obvious to him and perhaps
more critically, thus his question. I appreciate that to this day....not to
mention his landing of the ship. He and the pilot then carried me to a waiting
Yellow Flight helicopter and I was transported to the 2nd Field Hospital in Lai
Khe. Looking back, it is clear to see God's hand providentially working in this
and all situations. He obviously put me in that other soldier's place and then
spared me from greater injury and death to the praise of His glorious grace.
One of my greatest regrets is not hanging on to my damaged flight suit....the
medical people didn't offer to give it to me either. An official description of
the above can be found on the 173rd's website.
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