BLATTEL DAVID LEE

Narrative

Here is some info from the 198th Inf Bde (Lt) Daily Staff Journal, prepared at LZ Baldy on 5 May 68 that concerns the shootdown of 66-17075: "Item: 59 Time: 1030 Incident: 1-6, minuteman shot down 0?7248. Item: 60 Time: 1045 Incident: Firebird shot down 075248 Item:100 Summary: . . .B/1-6 Inf secured area for dustoff of 2 helicopters shot down...." 6 May 68: "Item: 14 Time: 1100 Incident: B/1-6 BT 0725245 checking area of downed bird. Loc what they think parts of 4 bodies. Also ruck sacks, lighters, wallet, dot tags w/names. A/C burned to ashes." My comment after reading the log: numerous air strikes, gunship runs, and resupply flights in the area on 5, 6, & 7 May 68 received heavy AWF. A jet in air strike at BT 076 226 on 071025 took 50 cal hits in the wing tank, broke station and returned to Chu Lai. By 071155 May 68, B/1-6 located enemy 50 cal positions at BT 068 227, BT 070 225, BT 074 226, BT 074 224, and BT 075 225. At 071215 May 68, "1 fired [sic fixed] wing sky raider shot down at vic BT 070225 - pilot bailed out - recovery aid went to loc and picked up pilot vic 171153." The log also mentions the constant enemy contacts in the area during those hectic days when the NVA/VC chose not to run. It appears that the log entries and the information in your database are referring to the same incident. At first I was confused by the different grid locations, but they are only about 300 m to 500 m apart. The infomation came to me from LT David McBeth who was with B/1-6 on the ground at the time. He obtained copies of the logs at the National Archives II earlier this year and sent them to me so I could update our history page information about the 1st Bn 6th Inf participation in Operation WHEELER/WALLOWA. The Americal ORLL confirms that two helicopters and one fixed wing was shot down in the area near LZ Center. The intensive anti-aircraft fire in the area and later the capture of 12.7 mm AA gun indicated that the GK-31 AA Bn had been attached to or was operating in support of the 3rd NVA Regt. Hope this informtion is useful to someone. Wayne R. Johnston webmaster, 1st Bn 6th Inf site at http://hometown.aol.com/old16inf/index.html