31 Dec 1971

New Year’s Eve saw an event that came as close as any previous event to becoming the disaster the Troop had feared might occur. Charlie Horse’s “mission list” still included Recons of the western AO (the Khe Sanh Plateau) and the DMZ. New Year’s Eve saw the Team crossing the Khe Sanh Plateau low level near the abandoned air strip. December weather was typically foul at the higher elevations with low clouds and obscured hills. The absence of any observation from the now abandoned “Hickory” required Helicopter surveillance to monitor the growing threat developing west of the mountains around the airstrip at Khe Sanh.
Skirting the treetops and under the weather, the team proceeded west in trail formation. Leading the flight was the LOH with CWO Dwain Herrick, followed by the two Cobra Guns with the Huey in trail. The Huey #66-16158 piloted by CPT Noel Harvey as AC and 1LT Neil Flynn, pilot, was engaged by 51 fire wounding the gunner SP4 Ronnie Mickle. Continuing to receive 51 fire, they made a successful forced landing south of the abandoned airstrip at grid XD864379. Exiting the aircraft under small arms fire, the ARPs and the crew with the wounded Mickle, leaped into a nearby bomb crater and returned fire immediately. While dismounting his M60 machine gun, the CE, SP4 Robert Denmark was mortally wounded. The ARPs and the crew found themselves in very close proximity to a sizeable NVA unit. Rapidly engaging the enemy, they were able to keep from being overwhelmed. Operations was launching all the Charlie Horse aircraft that were staged at Quang Tri. One Team 20 already on an active mission was diverted to assist, but on arrival their fuel load was dangerously low so after quickly expending their ordinance, they had to depart for fuel. In the intense firefight, the Troopers were rapidly expending the ammunition they had brought with them. CPT Harvey, with the Infantry’s PRC-15, contacted CWO Herrick in the LOH and requested a resupply attempt of M60 ammo, grenades and whatever M16 ammo could be dropped into their location. The LOH came to a fast hover. As the CE, SP4 Neil Jones, was dropping ammo and grenades, he was hit with AK fire and died immediately. The LOH #68-17223 received numerous hits forcing CWO Herrick to execute a forced landing on the abandoned Khe Sanh strip at grid XD872364. Charlie Horse Operations contacted KING on guard and declared a “Prairie Fire” emergency. As Charlie Horse Cobras began arriving, KING diverted two USAF CH-53 “Jolly Greens” to the area to execute the extract of the Troopers on the ground.
Soon there were six Cobras on station. By rotating out to rearm, constant gun cover was provided to the surrounded survivors. Herrick and his Observer along with the KIA CE were extracted by a Charlie Horse Huey. By this time, KING had A-1 Skyraiders and F-4 Phantoms on station. They started making bombing runs. The Skyraiders and Cobras escorted the first Jolly Green in to attempt an extract. The ground fire from the small arms and 51s proved to be so intensive that the damage suffered by the CH-53 required it to withdraw with its wing ship for Quang Tri.  
Now with numerous air strikes going in and Air Force assets stacked providing continuous bombing runs, a second Jolly Green team was directed to hasten their arrival as it was by this time getting late in the afternoon and darkness was not far off. A Troop Huey was rigged with ropes to execute an extract of the team on the ground as they were in some high brush and trees. CPT Joe Hogg along with the ARP Platoon Leader, LT Bill Alf, were prepared to extract the downed crew and had loaded the Huey with small arms ammo and grenades.
KING had advised Harvey that if the second set of Jolly Greens was not successful in extracting his downed crew, he’d best be prepared to E&E (Escape and Evade) as it was growing dark. CPT Hogg informed Harvey that in the event the 53s failed to get them out, he was prepared with ropes to attempt an extract or would possibly join him along with 1LT Alf on the ground.
Thankfully the second Jolly Green Team were successful and affected the extract of all the downed Troopers wounded and dead. Both the Huey and the LOH were destroyed in place by Charlie Horse Cobra Guns.
In addition to the two previously mentioned KIAs, the WIAs were CPT Harvey, the Huey Gunner Ronnie Mickle plus all the ARP Squad, David Trimble, David McMillion, and George Cobb.
Thank God that day for the Air Force Search and Rescue. Without those Air Force assets Charlie Horse would have been totally alone in the effort to extract that downed team.
Happy New Year Charlie Horse ~ Happy 1972.

20 Jan 1972

In the western AO, sensors and intelligence continually reporting increasing NVA activity crossing the Laos border and truck traffic on the Khe Sanh plateau. This activity again required the 101st to order Recons by Charlie Horse directed at the border crossing and the abandoned road network left from the LS 719. Any aircraft flying anywhere west of Camp Carroll was guaranteed to draw fire from anything from AK fire to 23mm and 37mm. The Troop also remember what they still believed was a SA-7 heat seeking missile attack on Aug 12th.
The last mission of the day was completed and while re-fueling at Quang Tri, a mayday call was relayed to the Team. An F-4 had been shot down just west of Khe Sanh. Both pilots had ejected and were on the ground requesting recovery. Proceeding west and just passing Khe Sanh, the Team had been shot at by several 51’s. As they proceeded west, they encountered a medevac Huey that had been on a maintenance check ride and had diverted just ahead of the Charlie Horse Team. They recovered the Air Force pilots.
Turning back to the east, the Team was in trail formation as passed the abandoned Khe Sanh Airfield. There they were engaged by numerous anti-aircraft sites. It was later determined that one of the NVA weapons was a 14.5 towed gun system. The heavy AA was directed at the Huey #69-16717 which quickly caught fire. The ARPs along with the CE and GR were forced forward by the flames. Several exiting the cargo bay to stand on the skids to escape the fire.