From Tony Poole

The top three pictures are of the two helicopters being retreived after having been shot down the night of March 18, 1969.

From Tony Poole

From Tony Poole

From Tony Poole

The small green ridge in the middle background is where we were just before dark when somebody saw a gook walk across the open area in the front of the picture.  The open area was created by a 500 lb. bomb.  We moved into this area and set up around the crater.  George Terry, Tom Yolkiewicz, David Call, and myself sat up by the dead, bare tree on the right middle.  Shortly after we got there all hell broke loose.  Tom, who had the first watch, was shot in the back in the first burst.  David Call was shot, also in the back, a few seconds later.  Tom drowned in his own blood lying there.  It was a horrible sound.  I think it will be with me until I die.  But he was gone in a minute or two. The chopper shown here actually sat down on the gook that shot it down according to Tony Poole. Clyde Saxon was also killed that night helping to land another chopper that got shot down.  He was the radio man and moved into the open with a light to try to help the pilot find the landing zone.  Clyde was given a Silver Star for his actions that night. Somewhere in that flat area is a small river, it may actually be in the shadow of the hill the picture was taken from.

Previous Page

Home

Next Page