Just Another Day In Viet Nam
by CW4 Bucky Buchanan
The mission was scheduled to have Maj Marc Poe, of the 4th Div, to fly as observer. First time "ride" in a Mohawk. This was to prove very interesting. The old "wish I knew then what I know now," may have helped. Marc had flown in a Bird Dog, Huey, and OH-6 before as an observer and on each of his "first flights" the aircraft has all taken fire and hits. His nickname was to become "Magnet Ass." Wonder why?
Like I said, I wish I knew then what I know now. Flew up to An Kae solo to meet with Maj Poe and get briefed on what they wanted. Nothing special, take a few pictures and try to find some bridges 40 clicks northeast of An Kae. Quick brief on the ejection seat, buckled in and we were off. Flight to the A/O was nice with the usual chatter back and forth about the plane, our tours, and what all was happening in this part of II Corps. Got to the area in about 15 minutes and set up a high reckon of the intended river in the valley. Planned routes and intended flight path and operation of the belly camera, a KA-30 as I remember. Departed the area and dropped down to 1500 feet and returned for the photo passes. As usual didn't see anything in the river. Charlie was no dummy. He built his bridges under water up to about a foot below the surface and marked them with bamboo. Thus the reason for the pictures, so our IIs could look at the flow patterns of the river and determine what the different ripples were being caused by. We weren't dummies either. All I saw was an empty river.
Finished up the photo mission and circled the area for a while. 1st mistake. We talked it over and decided to make a high speed low pass down the river valley, as I had in other areas many, many times before. 2nd mistake. Thought we might see something up close and personal. Sooo down we went into the valley. Remember "Charlie not being dumb" he wasn't. They had set up anti-aircraft defenses along the river to protect their bridge. But he didn't have to try and train follow an aircraft flying down the valley, he just fired across the valley and let who ever was flying through fly right into their fire pattern, and that is exactly what we did. Didn't see anything until we heard several wap-wap-wap sounds. I thought we had hit a flock of birds so did a rapid pull up to gain altitude and check things out. I tried to talk to Maj Poe on the intercom but nothing happened. Started looking around and discovered "holes" in the overhead canopy. I said "we’ve been shot." At that time Marc took the back side of his glove and rubbed it across my neck and held it in front of my face. Blood! I started looking around and found I was sitting in a pool of blood, mine. NOW I was scared. I realized I had no feeling in my left hand. It would move when I looked at it but with no feeling.
Looking at the gauges everything seemed OK except for the hydraulics. There was none. It is surprising how fast things go through your mind when you are scared. My first thought was "if" we had to punch out I was dead. We wouldn't come down anywhere close to each other and in the jungle 100 yards is like a 100 miles. I was most fearful of being captured should I survive hitting the ground.
At Max power it is funny how quick the Mohawk can fly. Only 40 clicks to An Kae, will we make it? I yelled at Marc, who had not even gotten a scratch, and told him we were heading home and to get on the radio and call for HELP! I dialed up guard and away he went. God is good, God is grace. A couple of F-4s out of Phu-Cat came up almost immediately and asked how they could help. Marc told them where we were and what had happened. They rogered and said they had ordinance on board and would be glad to get rid of it. They called out "Dustoff" and then headed for the river. Later we were to learn they went in and hit the area around the bridge and when the ground troops went in the next day found 14 KIAs and not much else left standing. So I guess we found the "Bridge." The hard way.
Anyway, good ole "05" held together and about 5 miles out of An Kae I yelled at Marc to get everybody out of the way we were coming in.
Now for the real story! I was not a Christian at that time, but when it came time to reach for the gear handle I prayed to the Lord to please give me landing gear. I reached for the handle, and that is all I remember till I woke up in the recovery room of the hospital some 7 hours later, with CO Maj Dick Axtel looking down at me. My first words, "Hi skipper how’s the plane?" He laughed and said don’t worry about it. Then one of the operating nurses said will you please tell him about that damned plane, all he has been mumbling about through surgery was the plane. But mama, I’m signed for it and I’m in trouble? More laughter from Maj Axtel. Later when I was more lucid we discussed what had happened. Capt Terry "Buzz" Brown had also come up to look over the damage to the plane. Not too bad, five rounds, mostly through the number 1 engine and the cockpit and me. He asked how I got the gear down? Since the hydraulics were all gone, and the air bottle had not been blown, and the up-locks had not cycled. At that time I had no answer. Today I know exactly what happened. God answered my prayer. He did and does do miracles, and on that day in Viet Nam He did a miracle for me. I had been hit in the shoulder, neck and chest and lost a lot of blood, guess that is why I don’t remember any of this, but having been told what had happened I am a believer.
Recovery was fairly easy and I was back at the 225th in several days with some unwanted souvenirs. Armor piercing round taken from the wedge pack in the ejection seat and shrapnel taken from inside me. Had I been sitting upright instead of bent forward the way I usually flew the round would have gone through my head instead of through my shoulder and blowing away the mike cord from my helmet, that is why I couldn't talk or hear anything. Lucky or blessed? I choose blessed. All this happened the day after my birthday, what a GREAT BIRTHDAY GIFT from GOD.
Just another day in Viet Nam? A day I will never forget.
Editor's note: Bucky served with the 225th Surveillance Airplane Company from November 1969 to October 1971.
Like I said, I wish I knew then what I know now. Flew up to An Kae solo to meet with Maj Poe and get briefed on what they wanted. Nothing special, take a few pictures and try to find some bridges 40 clicks northeast of An Kae. Quick brief on the ejection seat, buckled in and we were off. Flight to the A/O was nice with the usual chatter back and forth about the plane, our tours, and what all was happening in this part of II Corps. Got to the area in about 15 minutes and set up a high reckon of the intended river in the valley. Planned routes and intended flight path and operation of the belly camera, a KA-30 as I remember. Departed the area and dropped down to 1500 feet and returned for the photo passes. As usual didn't see anything in the river. Charlie was no dummy. He built his bridges under water up to about a foot below the surface and marked them with bamboo. Thus the reason for the pictures, so our IIs could look at the flow patterns of the river and determine what the different ripples were being caused by. We weren't dummies either. All I saw was an empty river.
Finished up the photo mission and circled the area for a while. 1st mistake. We talked it over and decided to make a high speed low pass down the river valley, as I had in other areas many, many times before. 2nd mistake. Thought we might see something up close and personal. Sooo down we went into the valley. Remember "Charlie not being dumb" he wasn't. They had set up anti-aircraft defenses along the river to protect their bridge. But he didn't have to try and train follow an aircraft flying down the valley, he just fired across the valley and let who ever was flying through fly right into their fire pattern, and that is exactly what we did. Didn't see anything until we heard several wap-wap-wap sounds. I thought we had hit a flock of birds so did a rapid pull up to gain altitude and check things out. I tried to talk to Maj Poe on the intercom but nothing happened. Started looking around and discovered "holes" in the overhead canopy. I said "we’ve been shot." At that time Marc took the back side of his glove and rubbed it across my neck and held it in front of my face. Blood! I started looking around and found I was sitting in a pool of blood, mine. NOW I was scared. I realized I had no feeling in my left hand. It would move when I looked at it but with no feeling.
Looking at the gauges everything seemed OK except for the hydraulics. There was none. It is surprising how fast things go through your mind when you are scared. My first thought was "if" we had to punch out I was dead. We wouldn't come down anywhere close to each other and in the jungle 100 yards is like a 100 miles. I was most fearful of being captured should I survive hitting the ground.
At Max power it is funny how quick the Mohawk can fly. Only 40 clicks to An Kae, will we make it? I yelled at Marc, who had not even gotten a scratch, and told him we were heading home and to get on the radio and call for HELP! I dialed up guard and away he went. God is good, God is grace. A couple of F-4s out of Phu-Cat came up almost immediately and asked how they could help. Marc told them where we were and what had happened. They rogered and said they had ordinance on board and would be glad to get rid of it. They called out "Dustoff" and then headed for the river. Later we were to learn they went in and hit the area around the bridge and when the ground troops went in the next day found 14 KIAs and not much else left standing. So I guess we found the "Bridge." The hard way.
Anyway, good ole "05" held together and about 5 miles out of An Kae I yelled at Marc to get everybody out of the way we were coming in.
Now for the real story! I was not a Christian at that time, but when it came time to reach for the gear handle I prayed to the Lord to please give me landing gear. I reached for the handle, and that is all I remember till I woke up in the recovery room of the hospital some 7 hours later, with CO Maj Dick Axtel looking down at me. My first words, "Hi skipper how’s the plane?" He laughed and said don’t worry about it. Then one of the operating nurses said will you please tell him about that damned plane, all he has been mumbling about through surgery was the plane. But mama, I’m signed for it and I’m in trouble? More laughter from Maj Axtel. Later when I was more lucid we discussed what had happened. Capt Terry "Buzz" Brown had also come up to look over the damage to the plane. Not too bad, five rounds, mostly through the number 1 engine and the cockpit and me. He asked how I got the gear down? Since the hydraulics were all gone, and the air bottle had not been blown, and the up-locks had not cycled. At that time I had no answer. Today I know exactly what happened. God answered my prayer. He did and does do miracles, and on that day in Viet Nam He did a miracle for me. I had been hit in the shoulder, neck and chest and lost a lot of blood, guess that is why I don’t remember any of this, but having been told what had happened I am a believer.
Recovery was fairly easy and I was back at the 225th in several days with some unwanted souvenirs. Armor piercing round taken from the wedge pack in the ejection seat and shrapnel taken from inside me. Had I been sitting upright instead of bent forward the way I usually flew the round would have gone through my head instead of through my shoulder and blowing away the mike cord from my helmet, that is why I couldn't talk or hear anything. Lucky or blessed? I choose blessed. All this happened the day after my birthday, what a GREAT BIRTHDAY GIFT from GOD.
Just another day in Viet Nam? A day I will never forget.
Editor's note: Bucky served with the 225th Surveillance Airplane Company from November 1969 to October 1971.