We Miss You Bud
Posted for: RICHARD C WORTHINGTON JR:
The mission as I remember was part of an on going operation called "Project Delta" which was the prelude to and the recon for "Lam Son 719", the Laotian invasion. On that day the plan was to insert a large force of ARVN on a hill top near the Laotian border . The plan was to prep an adjoining hill top with artillery CS gas while "smokies" laid down cover for us to insert on the hill without the gas.
Some one f**cked up and arty prepped the wrong hill. None of us had gasmasks and we were going into the LZ at least 3 abreast.... no one could see and it is a testimony to the skill of the pilots and crew that more of us did not die in that cloud of gas. All the while this is going on the "smokies" were doing their job weaving the smoke under us as we flew in and out of the LZ. I think that we flew in from the east and coming out did a u turn and exited back the way we came. As we were coming out we crossed over the smokies as they were flying north to south weaving, one behind the other. I heard my CE yell "NO SHIT" and looked to the rear and saw the lead Smokie going nose first into the trees the trailing ship looked like it went nose up almost in a flare and rolled to the right and into the trees. I it was obviously a mid air but I don't know who was trailing who... but the following ship struck the tail rotor of the lead ship. It is my opinion that the CS gas and the tactical confusion that day were the direct cause of the mid air. I do not recall any significant enemy fire that day although it certainly was a possibility .
That day and others have haunted me for more than 30 years and when I think that the Gov't turned their backs on those guys It upsets me to no end.
Frank Hernandez and Bill Weiss were my friends and they as well as Mr. Worthington and Mr. Kirk deserve to have the truth told about what happened to them and the Gov't needs to stop the lies and delays and tell the truth..... I was not the only one that survived that day and we all can remember.

Ted Irvine
Lancers 1970
Posted by: Ron Leonard
Email: webmaster@25thaviation.org
Relationship: We served together
Saturday, January 8, 2005
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