Excerpts From
"One Day Too Long"
by Timothy N. Castle
Top Secret Site 85 and the Bombing of North Vietnam
Columbia University Press ISBN 0-231-10316-6
Webmasters note: This is an excellent book and a must read for any serious student of the Vietnam War
The rescue work at Lima Site 85
continued as JG 69, piloted by Captain Al Montrem, dropped onto the helipad at
8:46 A.M. Spence recalLima Site that although the wounded had been placed near
the helipad for evacuation, once the helicopter landed the aircraft was
quickly inundated with troops seeking to get off the mountain. Quick and
decisive action by the helicopter crew members and a not so gentle Major Souya
Yang got the situation under control and the wounded were placed on board.
Montrem then departed for Lima Site36 with thirty-two indigenous soldiers,
including three wounded.
For more than two hours, JG 67,
with Captains Cayler and Panza at the controLima Site, had been on orbit near
Site 85 listening to the radio chatter and waiting for orders to move in. As the
“High Bird,” JG 67 was assigned to stand by while the “Low Bird,” JG 69,
landed at the helipad. In the event of an emergency, JG 67 could then offer
assistance to the other helicopter. Following the evacuation of Etchberger,
Daniel, Husband, and Sliz, word was sent back to the rescue forces that “one
person might still be alive.” Bill Husband had told his rescuers about Jack
Starling. Acting on this information, an Air America Huey led JG 67 toward Lima
Site 85’s western cliffs and Starling’s probable position. Scanning the
rocks, Captain Cayler’s attention was quickly drawn to a flashing light. At
9:37 A.M. Russ Cayler placed the aircraft into a hover just off the cliffs and
pointed the helicopter to the southeast. From the right seat he looked across
copilot Joe Panza and saw the radar buildings off to his left. Turning his
attention to an area further north, he spotted what appeared to be a “dead or
wounded enemy soldier slumped over in almost a sitting position.” Looking down
along the cliff, Cayler saw “many bodies, many Americans” in a flat area
with large boulders. Twenty-seven years later, Cayler could still “see”
three of these American bodies grouped together near one of the boulders. Nearby
another American was lying on his side, signaling with a flashlight. As the
crew prepared to lower the pararescueman, Sergeant James J.
“JJ” Rogers, Cayler decided not to employ any suppressive fire. “We were
there to perform a rescue, not get into a firefight.” And, according to Cayler,
during the course of the rescue no shots were fired at the Jolly.
“JJ” Rogers had been in
Southeast Asia since September 1967, but this would be his first combat save. As
the Jolly Green approached the cliffs he was manning a machine gun mounted in
the left window. Rogers’s initial view of Lima Site 85, therefore, was to the
north and away from the Heavy Green area. As he stepped to the doorway on the
right side of the aircraft, however, Rogers could see the radar vans off to the
left. People, “crouched and hunkered down,” seemed to be moving around the
buildings. By their demeanor the pararescue specialist “sensed they were
enemy,” but they took no threatening action and he immediately focused on the
task at hand. Rogers had been told of a single, seriously wounded survivor and,
based on what he observed from the window during the approach, expected that he
would be dropped into a heavily wooded area. Instead, looking out the door, he
observed a drop of several thousand feet down a rocky slope. Weighted down with
a survival vest, medical kit, flak jacket, and an M-16 slung over his shoulder,
Rogers climbed onto the hoist and was lowered some 75 feet to a small ledge, no
more than 30 inches in width. Encumbered by his equipment and thrashed about by
the Jolly Green’s powerful rotor wash, the young sergeant fought to gain a
sure footing. Dragging the cable with him, he began to make his way south,
laterally across the cliff face, toward the vicinity of the bodies some thirty
feet away. As he approached the casualties, however, the ground gave way and he
slipped several yards down the cliff In the process, his rifle dropped off his
shoulder and fell some twenty feet before becoming entangled in some small
bushes. Rogers quickly decided not to retrieve the weapon and began to climb
back up toward the bodies. Pulling himself up on to the flat depression he could
see a number of figures in two groups, lying very close to one another.
Recalling the scene, Jim Rogers estimated there were at least “5-7 bodies”
and, perhaps, “twice that number” dressed in “similar, dark clothing.”
He had the feeling they were “Oriental” and “everyone was dead,”
although there was not a great deal of blood or trauma associated with the bodies.
Moving forward for a better look, Rogers was stunned when a hand reached out and
grabbed his right shoulder. Recalling the shock of the incident,
Rogers said, “It was a good thing I had lost my M-16, I probably would have
shot him.” It
was Jack Starling.
Rogers quickly gained his
composure and, having been told that there was but a single survivor, directed
his complete attention to the wounded sergeant. Trained to recover only the
living and aware that any moment they could become an easy target, Rogers could
not afford to devote time to an examination of the adjacent bodies. He lifted
Jack Starling onto the hoist, locked his arms and legs around the wounded man,
and radioed for them to be pulled up. Instead of immediately raising the two men
up into the hovering aircraft, however, the Jolly Green pulled away from the
cliff with Rogers and Starling suspended below. At a safe distance from Site 85
the aircraft slowed and the two men were winched to the door. While Rogers
remained on the cable, a second pararescueman carefully pulled Starling to
safety and laid him in a metal litter. Rogers was then brought aboard as the
helicopter sped toward Lima Site 36. At 9:46 A.M., JG 67 reported, “picked up
one wounded. Could not recover three dead round eyes.” The rescue had lasted
an eternity of less than ten minutes.
Arriving at Lima Site 36 some
twenty minutes later, the crew of JG 67 was ordered to remain inside their
aircraft as “Americans in civilian clothes” off-loaded the wounded
technician and carried him to a waiting fixed-wing aircraft. Within thirty
minutes the TACAN specialist was on his way to Udorn air base. Meanwhile,
JG 69 and JG 67 were being directed to return to Site 85. An interpreter was
placed aboard JG 67 and at 10:20 A.M. the two Jolly Greens lifted off toward
Lima Site 85. Reaching the mountain, however, had become extremely risky. A1E/H
“Sandys” and “Fireflys” reported heavy enemy fire and advised the
helicopters to “get the hell out of the area.” JG 69 and JG 67 complied and,
being told there was “no parking at Lima Site 36,” continued on to Long
Tieng. Landing just before noon, the crews received only a few hours rest before
being ordered back into a rescue orbit near Lima Site 85. Finally, at 4:15 P.M.,
the Jollies were released from their duties and turned toward Udorn air base.
After more than fifteen tension filled hours, the crew of JG 67 reached home
and some well deserved rest.