One-Zero School Brightlight !! Page 1

[Ambush Master]

Following is an actual AAR from a Brightlight Mission in RVN. This mission was manned with 5 students (myself included) from the MACV SOG Recon Teamleaders School (One Zero School) and 3 Instructors. This is the REAL DEAL FOLKS you can find the names that I left in the clear on "The Wall"(mine being the exception):


EYEWITNESS STATEMENT BY MSG ROBERT N. T., XXX-XX-XXXX, OF EVENTS OF 22 JANUARY 1971


On the 22 of Jan 71 at approx 0945 we were notified that a LOH helicopter was down and help was needed to secure the helicopter. We asked for volunteers to go with us on this mission. I started out with the lead helicopter with CPT S., SFC M., SSG H. and SGT Bennett aboard with me. The second helicopter behind us carried MSG G., SSG Lovelace, SGT Opperman, and SGT Celano. We went into the LZ first, which was a small troop ladder LZ, about 20 meters from the crashed LOH. I talked the pilot down as low as safely possible before dropping the troop ladders and they landed with 4 to 5 rungs on the ground. SFC M., CPT S., SSG H. and SGT Bennett quickly went down the ladders to the ground, I pulled the ladders back up into the helicopter before telling the pilot to move out as the area was such that I was afraid the dangling ladders would endanger the helicopter in trying to get out. I remained on board for this reason as I had direct communications with the pilot. As soon as we were safely out, the C&C ship with CPT M. aboard directed the second ship into the LZ. The pilot seemed to have trouble getting into the small LZ, as he was hovering too high for too long. The people on board had dropped the troop ladders and had climbed down to the end of them but were still too high to get off. About this time we heard over our radio that they were under fire and we saw the Slick move to the right and crash. SFC M. had moved towards the crash site when the second helicopter started taking fire and was not sure it had crashed until we told him by radio. We seemed to be the only one in the air that SFC M. could make commo with, so we stayed in the area as long as we had fuel. During this time SFC M. and the people with him had located two of the crew in the crashed LOH and moved them to the LZ for extraction. Both were found dead. They located the third member of the LOH in the crash and he was also dead. They then moved to the crashed Huey, finding the pilot dead, and the other three crew members alive but badly in need of medical attention. They did all they could for them while we got Dustoff ships to extract these people first. MSG G. was found alive but with broken ribs or other possible chest injuries. As they extracted the wounded, the team came under fire by B-40 rockets which hit the crashed Huey, seriously wounding CPT S., and also hitting SFC M. in the arm and body with small pieces of fragments. They extracted CPT S. on the next Dustoff. They then moved the bodies of SSG Lovelace, SGT Opperman, and SGT Celano to where they could be moved out by Dustoff ships. All three were found dead with the Huey crash. About this time the Reaction Force sent in by the 25th Division finally arrived at the crash site. SFC M. requested that we extract him, SSG H. and SGT Bennett by Stabo rig as they were too tired to walk out to a secure area to be taken out. We safely extracted them from the crash site.

Robert N. T.
MSG, XXX-XX-XXXX
Det B-53, 5th SFGA

EYEWITNESS STATEMENT BY CPT JAMES P. M., XXX-XX-XXXX, OF EVENTS OF
22 JANUARY 1971



On 22 January 1971 I was returning from an operation in my command and control helicopter when a call for assistance from the tower requested my helicopter to try and help a downed Light Observation Helicopter. Assistance in securing the chopper was also requested. I flew to the area and saw the downed LOH burning a few kilometers from the airstrip. I requested use of a team and assets from B-53. I left the area to refuel and returned to B-53 to brief the team leader. After briefing Master Sergeant G. I returned to the downed LOH. About 5 minutes later 2 UH 1H's with the teams on board arrived in the area. The first helicopter was inserted and the team went down the ladders with no problem. The second ship came in, dropped it's ladders and 4 men started descending. At this time the ship received small arms fire. The ship lifted slightly and then nosed into the ground. I then requested another team to standby. They were not used because a company was inserted 500 meters away. A command and con-trol from the ground assumed control. After contacting SFC M. on the ground, and briefing the new command and control on the situation, I re-turned to B-53.



James P. M.
CPT, Infantry
Det B-53, 5th SF Gp (Abn), 1st SF