REMEMBERED A note from The Virtual Wall Four men of Marine Light Helicopter Squadron 367 went down when their UH-1E (BuNo 155339) was hit by enemy fire in the vicinity of the SVN/Laotian border northwest of the Rockpile: MAJ Thomas B Hill, pilot 1ST LT Ronald James Janousek, copilot CPL Bruce Edward Kane, gunner LCPL John O Dean, crew chief Major Hill was flight lead for several helicopters conducting an emergency extraction mission in Laos. The aircraft was making an approach to a 3,400 foot ridge when it received intense automatic weapons fire. With the engine failing, the pilot commenced autorotation for a valley floor. Passing thru about 1500 feet, a severe explosion occurred and the cabin and cockpit were immediately engulfed in flames. Major Hill headed the aircraft for a pool in a mountain river, landing in water estimated to be twelve feet deep with a current so swift that the aircraft was immediately pulled backwards and rolled inverted in the water. MAJ Hill exited the aircraft and made it ashore. CPL Kane had jumped from the aircraft just prior to water impact and made it ashore. However, as Hill came to surface the first time, he saw CPL Kane re-enter the water to assist the remaining crew members. MAJ Hill and LCPL Dean were rescued by a "Kingbee" H-34 piloted by Captain Ahn (AFVN 219 Squadron). Captain Ahn air taxied 100 yards in an attempt to recover of the bodies of the apparently dead crewmembers but was forced from the area by enemy small arms fire. From VHPA and USMC Vietnam Helicopter Association data

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Last update 08/15/2019.