Joe MacCartney

Ed Young (Bandit 22)

Lots of activity was going on in the Ban Me Thout area. A large combat assault was planned with the 281st AHC being tasked to provide four slicks. Upon arrival we only had to provide three ships for the CA work and were told to provide one for province support at Gia Niah. John Wehr, Bandit 26, assigned that mission to me. I’d had a pretty rough tour to date (was the unit magnate-ass) and had only returned to flight status several weeks earlier after being wounded during a mortar attack. Thus the easy mission. Upon arrival, the province senior advisor ask if we could make a drop (kick-out) of water, medical supplies, and radio batteries at an outpost just south of the SF camp. There was no pad within safe reach of the outpost. (That should have alerted me.) The SF camp had been undergoing a weeklong attack. He also said that the area near the SF camp was quite now, but radio contact with the outpost had been lost. Thought it was due to batteries running out. He suspected bad guys were still in the area.

I told him that if he would provide someone to kick the stuff out and had it stacked in the left door (top heavy = quick kick out = less time in danger), we would take a look. Over flew the place at about 2000 AGL. It was triangular shaped, very small, on a knoll, and full of 292 antennas. Certainly to small for a moving drop. There were no gun ships available for support due to the big CA in progress. Following the VR, I flew on for several miles and did a combat hover check. (If you can hover at 2000 AGL then you can hover at 30 feet, no problem.) The real worry was some high ground located several hundred meters to the east of the outpost. We were getting ready to break all the rules, no gun cover in a known hot area, and no radio contact with the supported unit. These guys needed help. I ask the crew what they thought and all replied that they were with me and ready.

We made a fast decent going away, then turned inbound placing the outpost between use and the high ground, trying to mask our very low and fast approach. We did a pop-up, came to a hover in the middle of the antennas, and I yelled for the Kicker to do his thing. He had no sooner started than there was a loud bang. I’d started to dive off the knoll when Bill Meehan yelled that the blades had only cut an antenna wire. (Not my first set of blades, and wouldn’t be the last.) I had no sooner put the brakes on and reestablished a hover when a loud groan came over the ICS. I knew then, and dived off the outpost heading away from that high ground. It all happened very fast. Looking back I could see Bill hanging over his gun. The Kicker pulled him off the gun and I headed for the SF camp, landed and jumped in the back to help get him onto the cargo deck. He had a very ugly wound in the left side of his neck (side towards the high ground), and was bleeding from a wound in his back. He did say he was hurting really badly and to do something for the pain. Nothing could be done. We thought he was hit in the chest but could not find the wound. Did a very quick bandage job to stop the bleeding and the SF medic told us to get to Ban M Thout fast. We did, keeping the EGT running in the high yellow. Piss on the torque. We went FAST. Called ahead and had several doctors standing by. They stabilized Bill and shipped him right on to the hospital in Nha Trang.

We had taken only two hits. Bill receiving one. When we returned to Nha Trang that evening Maj. Miller ask me a question that I’ll never forget. “Did Meehan have on a chicken plate?” ( Note: Bill had been leaning out over his gun doing his job, as usual, and the round struck him in an area that would have not been protected by the chicken plate.) I was dumb struck. I did not know. He told me to find out. Neither the CE nor Gunner had been wearing one. Their plates weren’t even on the ship (saved weight). He told me not to worry about it, or the mission. AC’s were out there to make decisions. He then announced that no Intruder Aircraft was to fly again without chicken plates aboard for each crewmember, no matter what type mission. I went to the hospital the next day to see Bill. Only got in because of the time I’d spent there. He was in a full traction rotary machine. The round had hit him in the neck, damaged his spine, punctured a lung, and came out his back. On the flight to Nha Trang, the medic had recessed him twice. He was paralyzed from the neck down.

We flew many missions together and I always considered Bill a typical 281st crewmember, OUTSTANDING, and so willing to do the non-typical.

Afterthought: I knew in my soul that we would take fire from that high ground. I could feel and taste it, and should have had Bill placing fire on it with his M-60. The way we were hovering placed he and I on the side towards the hill. Guess I still justify not doing so to the fact that the SF was out in the area and I didn’t know where they were.
Ed Young (Bandit 22)
Oct 67 – Oct 68

COL. ANDREW J. (JOHN) MILLER
COMMANDER, 281ST AHC 1968-1969

281st AHC Remembrances of Col. Miller
From Jeffrey Murray:

Jack, Here's my favorite memory of COL Miller. Did you know he commanded a brigade in Germany, After that he came to Ft Rucker as the Chief of Staff.

One fine spring day I was flying as a Bandit Peter Pilot when we landed back at Nha Trang and settled into our revetment, wrapped up the post-flight inspection and prepared to go eat. All we needed was some JP-4. In the next revetment sat Ken Whisnant, another WO1 awaiting refueling so he could attend to more suitable matters, like chow. But Ken didn't like waiting and began sounding off to whomever was within earshot that he was sick and tired of always having to wait on a refuel truck. After all, he had worked all day and having to sit beside his helicopter afterwards was not what he came to Vietnam for. Well, along came then Major Miller, the CO, who asked Ken what the problem was. Ken gave it to him with both barrels, he did not like the response time of the POL Section and he felt he had better things to do than sit around and waste his and the crew's time. I'll never forget MAJ Miller's response, which was to immediately name WO1 Ken Whisnant the new 281st AHC POL Officer. Thereafter every day when I came back to Nha Trang I still saw WO1 Whisnant out in the revetment area but he was by this time directing a fleet of fuel trucks around. Good old MAJ Miller had a solution for everything. It probably wasn't the solution Mr. Whisnant was seeking but it sure taught me to keep my mouth shut.

Carl E. Miller SSAN: 236-44-9487, DOB: 21 Dec 1931, Date of Death: 15 May 2002, Last residence: Seale, AL

Paul E. Mitchell
SSAN: 251-74-9403, DOB: 02 Jun 1947, DOD: 21 Aug 2002,
Last Address: Columbia, SC, SSAN Issued: South Carolina

Raymond Kenneth Moncrief
281st. Motor Pool NCO 1/1966 - 5/1967

Raymond Kenneth Moncrief July 1, 1927 - January 23, 2005 PHENIX CITY, AL — SSgt Ret. Raymond Kenneth Moncrief, 77, a native of Kirkland, Ga., and resident of Phenix City since 1973, died on Sunday, Jan. 23 at his residence. Graveside services with Full Military Honors will be held 2 p.m. today at Fort Mitchell National Cemetery with the Rev. Randy Comer officiating, according to Vance Memorial Chapel, Phenix City, Alabama. Mr. Moncrief was born on July 1, 1927 to the late Joseph Malcolm Moncrief and Margaret Hewitt Moncrief. Mr. Moncrief (SSgt Retired) was a veteran of the U.S. Army for over 21 years. His distinguished career covered a vast number of military assignments. He was a veteran of the Korean Conflict and Vietnam Conflict. SSgt (Ret) Moncrief accumulated numerous military medals and ribbons to include the Bronze Star Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Good Conduct Medal (with 5 bronze stars), Army Occupation Medal and Germany Clasp, National Defense Service Medal and Bronze Star Attachment, with Silver Star Attachment, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal (with device), Korean Defense Service Medal, Expert Badge and Carbine Bar, Sharpshooter Badge and Rifle Bar, and Driver and Mechanic Badge and Driver Bar. He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Mary E. Moncrief of Phenix City; one son, James C. O'Brien of Columbus; one sister, Gladys Miller of Buford, South Carolina; one granddaughter, LeAnne O'Brien of Columbus; numerous nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, other relatives and friends. The family would like to offer a special thank you to Dr. Melvin Oakley for providing medical care for over 18 years.

Bill Montgomery
Judy (wife)
709 Mockingbird
Lawton, OK 73507
Tel: 580-355-1327
e-mail: judysmerc@aol.com

MAJ. STANLEY J. (RUDY) MORUD
CMDR 483rd MAINT. DET. JUNE 66 - MAY 67

Capt. Stanley J. (Rudy) Morud was the first Co of the Maintenance Det. Commander and deployed the detachment to Vietnam. Ruddy was a World War II fighter pilot with a reputation for operating construction equipment with the best of them. He was responsible for a lot of the grading and prep for laterite for the maintenance area and initially setting the maintenance tent up on 55 gal drums in which some of the heavy maintenance work was done. Rudy was medically evacuated to Japan and retired upon returning to the states.

Stanley J. Morud
Morud Stanley J., 79, of Mpls, passed away Wednesday, February 25, 2004. "Stan the Man" was a retired Major of the US Army, serving in WWII, the Korean Conflict, and the Vietnam War. Stan was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and was a member of the Richfield American Legion. Preceded in death by his parents, Sigrud & Ragna (Fureseth) Morud. Stan is survived by friends, Katherine Paciorek, Inez Montgomery, Abby & Walter, and Ruby Bartlett. Funeral services will be 10 AM Saturday, Feb. 28 at Sunset Funeral Home & Cemetery, 2250 St. Anthony Blvd., with a gathering 1/2 hour prior to the service. SUNSET 612-789-1535

Bill Meehan’s Last Flight (DFC) by

Ed Young (Bandit 22)

Bill Meehan’s Last Flight (DFC)
by