Rescue of Bat 21 Bravo

Lt. Col. Iceal Hambleton, whose call sign was Bat 21 Bravo, c. 1973

The rescue of Bat 21 Bravo, Iceal "Gene" Hambleton, from behind enemy lines was the "largest, longest, and most complex search-and-rescue" operation during the entire Vietnam War. On April 2, 1972, the third day of the Easter Offensive, Hambleton was a navigator aboard one of two United States Air Force EB-66 aircraft escorting a cell of three B-52s. Bat 21 was configured to gather signals intelligence including identifying the enemy anti-aircraft radar installations to enable jamming. Bat 21 was destroyed by a SA-2 surface-to-air missile and Hambleton was the only survivor, parachuting behind enemy lines into a battlefield filled with thousands of North Vietnamese Army soldiers.

Douglas EB-66E Destroyer in flight over Southeast Asia on 30 March 1970. This aircraft belonged to the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing, 41st or 42nd TEWS, based at Korat, Thailand.

Hambleton had Top Secret access to Strategic Air Command operations and was an expert in surface-to-air missile countermeasures. The North Vietnamese Army may have gained intelligence about him and his capture could have meant a huge bonanza for the Soviet Union.

To prevent friendly fire incidents, the Americans imposed a standard no-fire zone within a 27 kilometres (17 mi) radius of Hambleton and diverted aircraft to aid in his rescue. It is likely that additional South Vietnamese soldiers died as a result. Hambleton along with 1st Lt. Mark Clark, who was shot down during rescue operations, were finally recovered from behind enemy lines on two different nights in daring, covert, night-time rescues carried out by U.S. Navy SEAL Thomas R. Norris and VNN commando Nguyen Van Kiet. Norris was awarded the Medal of Honor and Nguyen was recognized with the Navy Cross for their actions. Nguyen was the only South Vietnamese naval officer given that award during the war.

The direct and indirect cost of rescuing Hambleton was enormous and became a watershed event in Air Force search and rescue. The Air Force did not put limits on what it took to rescue a downed airman. Five additional aircraft were shot down resulting in the deaths of 11 airmen, the capture of two others, and another air man trying to evade capture. As a result, the USAF altered the way search and rescue missions were planned and developed new techniques and equipment to improve their ability to rescue downed air men.

Operational background

Further information: Easter Offensive

File:EASTER2.jpg

The Easter or Nguyen Hue Offensive of 1972

At the time of Bat 21's mission, American combat forces had been vastly reduced in South Vietnam under President Richard Nixon's Vietnamization policy. The North Vietnamese Army (NVA) launched the Nguyen Hue Offensive against the South Vietnamese Army and U.S. military on Friday, March 30, 1972. It was their largest attack of the war and was timed to take full advantage of the bad weather typical during monsoon season, offering low clouds and poor visibility. About 30,000 heavily-equipped NVA troops from the 304th and 308th Divisions and three separate infantry regiments of the B5 Front crossed the DMZ into I Corps zone across the five northernmost provinces of South Vietnam.

In the 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) area between the Cam Lo Bridge and Đông Hà Bridge, they were supported by two tank regiments of 150 of the latest Soviet T-54 and PT-76 tanks, 75 tracked anti-aircraft vehicles, an artillery regiment of 47 towed 130mm guns, and the largest concentration of anti-aircraft weaponry of the entire war, including the advanced SA-2 anti-aircraft ballistic missile. Their main line of advance was along the axis of the north-south national highway QL-1.

When General Creighton Abrams' headquarters in Saigon learned of large enemy movement south of the DMZ, a number of B-52s had been sent on "Arc Light" missions without escort, but were experiencing significantly increased SAM activity. The 42nd Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron (42 TEWS) was tapped for assistance. The draw down of troops had left the unit shorthanded and Hambleton was the senior officer among a group of senior navigators. He assigned himself as navigator on the older EB-66C which was configured to gather signals intelligence. The newer EB-66E was tasked with jamming surface-to-air missile (SAM) radar guidance systems so their missiles could not accurately target the aircraft. The EB-66's mission was to troll for missiles, let them lock on to their aircraft, and then execute a SAM break, a violent turn and dive designed to throw off the pursuing missile. The SA-2 was the size of a telephone pole and carried a proximity fused warhead that was lethal within about 150 feet (46 m), but their guidance systems failed at about 2 Gs, while the A-1E could achieve 5 Gs in its avoidance maneuver. The crew had successfully pulled a SAM break more than 100 times. The presence of North Vietnamese surface to air missiles south of the DMZ had been tracked by Hambleton but not everyone agreed they were present that far south.

Aircraft shot down

North Vietnamese personnel scramble to ready an SA-2 missile to engage American aircraft.

On Easter Sunday, April 2, 1972, two EB-66s (call signs Bat 21 and Bat 22) were flying pathfinder escort for a cell of three B-52 which were given assignments to bomb Mu Gia or the Ban Karai Pass, the two primary access routes to the Ho Chi Minh Trail through Laos.

Hambleton was aboard Bat 21 over Quảng Trị Province, Vietnam, just south of the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Vietnam. The airmen were surprised by the intensity of the anti-aircraft fire and SAM missile activity. The NVA 365th Air Defense Division fired two volleys of SA-2 surface-to-air missile at the U.S. planes. The EB-66s successfully thwarted the first volley, but the NVA pointed their Fan Song radar at the B-52s, targeting them unsuccessfully with both missiles and radar guided anti-aircraft fire. When those missed, the NVA fired two more SAMS optically, only turning on the guidance and radar system after the missiles were launched, which delayed the aircraft's ability to detect and avoid them. When the missiles were spotted, the pilot assumed they had as usual been fired from north of the DMZ. He began a SAM break to the south until one of the EWOs called "Negative! Negative!", and the pilot flipped the plane over on its other wing. This time the pilot was unable to evade the missiles. The first missile exploded immediately beneath the aircraft striking it at 29,000 feet (8,800 m). Hambleton, whose call sign was Bat 21 Bravo, was positioned immediately behind the pilot, who signaled for him to eject. Hambleton pulled the ejection seat handles and had a moment to make eye contact with the pilot as his seat rocketed out of the dying plane. A moment later the aircraft exploded, struck by the second SA-2. The remainder of his aircraft's six-man crew—Maj. Wayne L. Bolte, pilot; 1st Lt.. Robin F. Gatwood, co-pilot; and EWOs Lt. Col. Anthony R. Giannangeli, Lt. Col. Charles A. Levis, and Maj. Henry M. Serex—were unable to eject and were killed.

Surrounded by enemy

An O-2B Skymaster dropping leaflets over Vietnam

A Lockheed HC-130P Hercules recovery aircraft refueling a Sikorsky HH-3E Jolly Green Giant helicopter, accompanied by four Douglas A-1E and A-1H/J Skyraider from the 602nd Special Operations Squadron.

Hambleton parachuted into the middle of more than 30,000 troops pouring across the border into South Vietnam. Maj. Jimmie D. Kempton from the 390th Tactical Fighter Squadron was leading a flight of four F-4 on a bombing mission when he got SAM warnings. He saw four SA-2 missiles emerge out of the clouds about 2 miles (3.2 km) ahead of him and saw one strike an aircraft.

At a lower altitude, 1st Lt. Bill Jankowski and Capt. Lyle Wilson in an O-2 (Bilk 34) forward air controller (FAC) aircraft saw Hambleton's plane explode. When Hambleton's URC-64 rescue radio beeped, Jankowski responded, and was surprised to learn that Hambleton was above him descending in his parachute.

Jankowski followed Hambleton down. Hambleton was concealed by a low fog bank as he landed, unseen by the NVA troops. As Jankowski observed Hambleton land in a dry rice paddy, his aircraft came under heavy antiaircraft fire. He was astonished at the huge number of NVA troops, equipment, and heavy weapons in the area. Hambleton found refuge in a group of bushes in the middle of the rice paddy. NVA troops were less than 100 metres (330 ft) away. Jankowski fixed Hambleton's location 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) north of the Cam Lo Bridge and just north of TL-88, a major secondary road.

Kempton and Jankowski relayed Hambleton's coordinates to King 22, a HC-130 search and rescue (SAR) aircraft operating just south of Quảng Trị. Recovering Hambelton quickly was essential, as the odds of recovering downed airmen dropped below twenty percent if the aircrew member was on the ground after four hours. But their efforts would be severely hampered by huge number of troops and large quantity of anti-aircraft fire in the area, some of it supporting the NVA's efforts to capture and protect the Cam Lo Bridge near Hambleton's position.

At about the same time that Hambleton was shot down, Capt. John Ripley, adviser to the 3rd Vietnamese Marine Battalion, blew up the key Highway QL-1 bridge over the Cue Viet River at Đông Hà. The NVA re-routed thousands of troops, dozens of tanks and other equipment along TL-88, immediately in front of Hambleton's position, to the Cam Lo River bridge 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) to the west.

Intelligence value

Further information: Iceal Hambleton

Lt. Col. Iceal Hambleton had 29 years of military service. He had served in the Army Air Force as a radio operator during World War II, though not in combat. After World War II, he was recalled to active service by the USAF in the early 1950s. During the Korean War he flew 43 combat missions as a navigator in a B-29 bomber. He then worked during the 1960s on various USAF ballistic missile projects including the PGM-19 Jupiter, Titan I ICBM and Titan II ICBM. He had been the deputy chief of operations for the USAF Strategic Air Command 390th Strategic Missile Wing before the Vietnam War.

In April, 1972 he was reassigned from the SAC to TAC and to the 42nd Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron (42 TEWS), 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, at Korat, Thailand. He was familiar with targeting both SAC missiles and SAC airplanes, was one of the most knowledgeable missile and electronic counter-measures experts in Vietnam, and it is likely that his situation was quickly reported to U.S. intelligence services. Very few Americans remained on the ground in Vietnam, and the NVA made it a point to track particularly valuable personnel, even in Thailand. The North Vietnamese were probably supported by the Russians with decrypting American message traffic and they likely knew exactly who had parachuted into their midst. This ability was likely enabled by the then unknown American spy CWO John Anthony Walker, who had given the Soviets a radio cipher card and other high-value intelligence. Hambleton's capture would be a terrific blow to American airpower around the world and a huge prize for the North Vietnamese and indirectly, the Soviets. Hambleton said after the war that he felt sure if he were captured that he would never have been taken to Hanoi.

Air rescue attempts

Four Douglas A-1E Skyraider aircraft fly in formation over South Vietnam on way to target on 25 June 1965. The aircraft were assigned to the 34th Tactical Group based at Bien Hoa, South Vietnam.

Hambleton had received water survival training at Turkey Run, Florida, and escape and evasion training and survival basics at the Pacific Air Command Jungle Survival School in the Philippines.

He had shrapnel wounds from his aircraft exploding, a ripped finger, and four compressed vertebra from the force of the ejection. Hidden in a clump of trees in his hole, surrounded by enemy less than 100 metres (330 ft) away, Hambleton decided that with only nine months to go until his retirement, he was going to survive and return home. Hambleton coolly called in the coordinates of the enemy around him, watched the ordnance explode, and called in corrections to the FAC above who relayed the information to the A-1s and the fast movers, F-4 Phantom fighter-bombers.

Two Air Force search and rescue Douglas A-1 Skyraiders (Sandy 07 and Sandy 08) were in the vicinity after 1st Lt. Richard Abbot, whose FAC O-2 had been shot down, was picked up by the USS Hamner. The Sandys scrambled to cover Hambleton's position. When Capt. Don Morse, flying Sandy 07, first got the call, he thought that because the aircraft had gone down in South Vietnam, the SAR effort could be accomplished fairly quickly. When he got over Hambelton's position, he was shocked at the amount of ground fire he received. It was more intense than anything he had seen in the war. Some pilots reported that the intensity of the antiaircraft fire was equal to that around Hanoi. Although the U.S. and ARVN forces did not know it yet, the offensive was the largest combined-arms attack conducted by the North Vietnamese during the war.

VNAF UH-1H lands during a combat mission in Southeast Asia in 1970.

Morse called for emergency support which was picked up by a UH-1H slick (Blueghost 39) near Hue, piloted by 1st Lt. Byron Kulland from F Troop, 8th Cavalry, 196th Brigade. Normally based at Marble Mountain Air Facility near Da Nang, Kulland was in the area showing a photographer the developing battle. He had onboard with him Capt. Thomas White, the Troop operations office. After depositing the photographer and White at Phu Bai airfield near Huế, White directed Kulland to proceed north and contact the FAC (Jankowski) for information on arrival. White also sent two Cobra gunships, Blueghost 28 and 24, and then added Blueghost 30, a second Huey.

Blueghost 39 proceeded across the Song Meiu Giang 50 feet (15 m) above the ground towards Hambleton's position with the well-armed Blueghost 28 Cobra gunship following about 3,000 feet (910 m) behind and 300 feet (91 m) above. Blueghost 24 waited at the south side of the Song Meiu Giang for Blueghost 30 to catch up. As soon as Blueghost 39 and 28 crossed the Song Meiu Giang, Kulland and Rosebeary's aircraft were met by an immediate curtain of enemy fire from every direction, hurled against them with an intensity that defied belief. Rosebeary in his Cobra Blueghost 28 responded with rockets and 40mm fire but both helicopters were struck multiple times.

A Douglas A-1E Skyraider escorts an HH-3C rescue helicopter en-route to pick up a downed pilot in Vietnam in 1966.

Kulland flying Blueghost 39 tried to turn back south but only managed to crash-land his stricken aircraft, about 6.7 kilometres (4.2 mi) east of Hambleton and .9 miles (1.4 km) north of the river in an area full of NVA. When the helicopter smashed into the ground, the only mobile crew member was SPC5 Jose Astorga, the door gunner, who had been wounded. He tried but was unable to extract other hurt crew members. Paschall was pinned in the wreckage. Frink, who was seriously wounded, urged Astorga to get out and away from the aircraft. A few moments later advancing North Vietnamese soldiers fired on the wreckage with automatic weapons and the aircraft's fuel cell exploded with the remainder of the crew inside. Astorga was captured but pilots 1st Lt. Byron Kulland and WO John Frink along with Sp5c Ronald Paschall were killed.

Rosebeary flying Cobra Blueghost 28 called a Mayday but was able to safely exit the area and landed his severely damaged helicopter. His aircraft was totaled. He and Gunner Warrant Officer Charles Gorski were picked up by a HH-53C helicopter (Jolly Green 67), without incident. Rosebeary warned other aircraft against crossing the river. When Morse in Sandy 07 learned that the quick-snatch had failed, he and his wingman Sandy 08 broke off engaging the enemy and returned to Da Nang. Both Sandys were found to be so damaged they would take several days to repair. At 9:00 p.m., Nail 59, piloted by Gary Ferentchak who was flying a new version of the OV-10A aircraft equipped with the Pave Nail LORAN radar, took over FAC duties. The SAR efforts were suspended for the night and the U.S. and ARVN forces remained unaware of the true strength of the NVA offensive. Advised by FAC to remain in place, Hambleton moved to a safer spot in the jungle and dug a hole to hide in until morning. During the night, Nail 59 and King 27, an HC-130 commanded by Maj. Dennis Constant, stayed. They suddenly found themselves painted by Fan Song radar and narrowly missed getting shot down as well. At 53 years old, Hambleton was not a prime candidate to survive the cold, wet weather conditions.

No fire zone

The Joint Search and Rescue Command (JSARC) was under the direction of the director of aerospace rescue, Col. Cecil Muirhead, who could restrict airspace activity for the use of search and rescue forces. He also commanded all the dedicated assets needed to assist with SAR. Muirhead ordered 24 hour forward air control (FAC) coverage around Hambleton's position to watch over him and soften up the enemy positions around him. To protect the downed airmen and the search and rescue forces, Muirhead also ordered the 7th Air Force to establish a standard 27 kilometres (17 mi) no-fire zone around Hambleton. It prohibited friendly artillery, naval gunfire, or aircraft from engaging any target within without JSARC approval. Three enemy divisions were attacking and the 3rd ARVN could not reply for several hours with artillery or request tactical air strikes in the area.

More aircraft lost

A HH-53B of the 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron refueling from a HC-130P over North Vietnam, 1969-70.

On April 3, air search and rescue forces attempted a first light rescue which can successfully achieve surprise with minimal force. A search and rescue crew took off from the 37th AARS based at Nakhon Phanom, Thailand. It consisted of two HH-53 rescue helicopters, Jolly Green 65 and 67, and two A-1 Skyraiders, Sandy 07 and 08. Sandy 05 and 06 joined them on the scene. The area was covered in a solid overcast, preventing visual control of air strikes by the on-scene OV-10A FAC, Nail 25. Capt. Rocky Smith and Capt. Rick Atchison coordinated the work of several F-4s who were directed to drop CBU-42 anti-personnel cluster bombs around Hambleton to help protect his position. When Nail 25 ran low on fuel, it was replaced by an OV-10 (Nail 38) from the 23rd TASS flown by Capt. William J. Henderson (Nail 38 Alpha) and 1st Lt. Mark Clark (Nail 38 Bravo, and grandson of World War II General Mark Clark ).

The NVA were very familiar with American SAR tactics and on the second day they may have begun to use the downed flyer as bait. They positioned a number of anti-aircraft and surface-to-air missiles in the area near Hambleton. One pilot reported that "SAM calls were driving us into the small arms threat. Ground fire was accurate and well disciplined... The NVA were very definitely monitoring and jamming our communications."

A U.S. Navy OV-10A Bronco from light attack squadron VAL-4 Black Ponies attacks a target with a 5 inches (130 mm) "Zuni" rocket in the Mekong Delta, South Vietnam, ca. 1969/70.

Henderson obtained LORAN fixes on Hambleton's position. Coast Guard Lt. Commander Jay Crowe, an exchange pilot on assignment to the 37th ARRS at Da Nang, was piloting Jolly Green 65. The helicopter broke through the clouds and rapidly dropped into the area where Hambleton was hidden. The aircraft was immediately struck by a wall of enemy gunfire. Enemy rounds tore through the aircraft, destroying the instrument panel. He struggled to get the aircraft out of the fire zone. With his instruments shot up, he had to rely on external visual cues to fly the aircraft. He nursed the helicopter south and was able to get to the Phu Bai airfield. Jolly Green 66 flown by Lt. Colonel Bill Harris followed, only to break through the low ceiling to face ten enemy tanks and a withering onslaught of ground fire. He fought the controls to bring his rescue helicopter within 100 yards (91 m) of Hambleton, his gunners firing the airship's three GAU-2/A 7.62 mm (.308 in) six-barreled miniguns, engaging the enemy on every side. A pilot flying support, looking for targets to engage, asked, "Where's the enemy fire coming from?" Harris replied, "From EVERYWHERE!" Somehow Harris managed to get his badly damaged aircraft to gain altitude, then limp back to safety.

Forced to fly in and out of cloud cover at perilously low altitudes, FAC Nail 38, piloted by Henderson was hit by enemy fire and shot down. Henderson landed on the north side of the Song Meiu Giang, about 500 metres (1,600 ft) from Hambleton. He hid in a bamboo patch until local villagers came looking for him and cut it down. He was taken north and became a POW. Clark parachuted to the ground safely on the south side of river and eluded capture. Later that same day, another UH-1H slick, unrelated to the rescue operation, was shot down in the same area carrying a crew of four.

After pinpointing Hambleton's location, the Air Force bombarded the area around him for the next three days. On April 4, a flight of ten Douglas A-1 Skyraiders attempted to pave the way for a SAR team, and it was badly shot up. Eight of the ten aircraft were damaged, two severely. The damage significantly affected the availability of the Skyraiders, as there were only 20 of the aircraft in Vietnam at this time.

On April 5, bad weather prevented any SAR activity.

On April 6 at 3:15 p.m., a third attempt was made to pick Hambleton and now Clark up. Four Douglas A-1 Skyraiders (Sandys 01, 02, 05, and 06) prepared the area around the survivors with extensive bombing and strafing. They were assisted by two HH53C helicopters (Jolly Green 67 and Jolly Green 60) from the 37th Air Rescue Squadron.

Capt. Peter Chapman volunteered to pilot Jolly Green 67, despite the fact he was "short", due to return home very soon. Capt. Boli in Sandy 01 decided they would pick up Bat 21 Bravo (Hambleton) first and Nail 38 Bravo (Clark) immediately after. At 5:10 p.m., Sandy 03 joined the group with a full load of white phosphorous that could be used to lay down a smoke screen. Sandy 01 called in additional strikes on targets around Hambleton's position and re-checked the area. Enemy response was limited. Aware it could be a trap, he nonetheless gave the go-ahead. As Jolly Green 67 crossed the Song Meiu Giang with Jolly Green 60 high and above guarding their approach, Jolly Green 67 began taking fire from all sides. As it approached Hambleton's position, they called for him to pop his smoke and reveal his position. The aircraft was pummeled with automatic weapons and anti-aircraft fire from all quarters. Hambleton hesitated, and the Jolly Green tried to pull away. Despite the best efforts of the remaining aircraft, Jolly Green 67 was critically damaged.

Jolly Green 67 flew east at first, further into enemy territory, before it turned southeast for a few kilometers, when a fire broke out in the left engine. Pieces of the tail rotor struck the main rotor, and the aircraft rolled and crashed on its left side, burning ferociously. No rescue beepers were heard. The entire crew was listed as MIA and presumed killed: Capt. Peter Hayden Chapman II (pilot), Capt. John Henry Call III (co-pilot), TSgt. William Roy Pearson, TSgt. Allen J. Avery (para-rescuemen), TSgt. Roy D. Prater (Crew Chief), and Sgt. James Harold Alley (combat photographer). Hambleton's and Clark's spirits sank when they realized that six men died while attempting to rescue him. After a stern sermon from the FAC, Hambleton decided, "Hell, I'm going to get out of this, regardless." He camouflaged his hole, hiding there for seven nights and six days. He left the hole twice to scavenge for food and was almost caught the second time when he was spotted by a boy and his dog. NVA soldiers searching for him passed within 20 feet (6.1 m) of his hole twice.

The SAR task force mission leader, Capt. Fred Boli in Sandy 01, called the rescue off for now because it was too dangerous. The remaining aircraft exited to the south across the Song Meiu Giang. The area was just too hot. Hambleton and Clark would have to spend another night behind enemy lines. The North Vietnamese, alerted by the American's intense efforts to find the navigator, increased their efforts to find Hambleton. The fire consuming the helicopter was so hot it melted parts of the aircraft and continued to burn for three more days.

NVA strength prevents air rescue

All of the SAR teams were experienced in conducting rescues into what they described as "hot LZs", but the airmen were shocked by the quantity and intensity of the ground and anti-aircraft fire they had faced since the rescue attempt began. This included not only small arms fire and the previously used 23mm, 37mm and 57mm towed guns, but the 85mm and 100mm towed guns, along with the self-propelled, radar-guided 57mm AAA gun. Most surprising to the Americans were the large presence of SA-2 SAMs, and for the first time the use of the Soviet SA-7 Grail shoulder-fired, heat-seeking SAM. During April 6, 80 SAMs were launched by the NVA in the area around Hambleton. It was estimated that Hambleton and Clark were in the midst of five or six NVA battalions. The NVA air defense seriously challenged American air superiority and seriously blunted the success of close air support in the area.

Helicopter Squadron commander Lt. Col. Bill Harris was very upset. He concluded the air rescue could not be attempted at that time due to the heavy concentration of enemy forces in the immediate area around Clark and Hambleton. He called Col. Muirhead and told them they had to find another way. Hambleton was told to sit tight while they worked up an alternative plan. Hambleton had two survival radios, a first aid kit, an empty water bottle, two kinds of flares, a knife and a .38 caliber revolver, a compass and a map, but no food.

On April 7 at 11:15 a.m., a second USAF OV10A (Covey 282) from 20th Tactical Air Support Squadron was shot down. Piloted by 1st Lt.. Bruce C. Walker and accompanied by observer Marine Lt. Larry F. Potts, they were directing naval gunfire to protect Hambleton. Radio contact was initially established with both Potts and Walker, but they were too close to the enemy to attempt a rescue.

Clark hid on the south side of the Song Meiu Giang, Hambleton was on the north side of the river about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from the town of Cam Lo, and Walker was about 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) north of Hambleton. The disposition and location of Potts, Walker's backseat navigator, were unknown. It was Potts' 25th birthday. Conflicting accounts report that Potts was either captured while trying to escape or that he had been wounded, captured alive, but later died in Quang Binh prison.

↑Hambleton's position

↑Clark's position

This mosaic reconnaissance photograph was used by the 3rd Aerospace Rescue Recovery Group to plan Lt. Col. Hambleton and 1st Lt. Mark Clark’s rescue. The Cam Lo Bridge is shown at the far left. Hambleton was about 1,000 yards (910 m) above the river and Clark was near the river.

Ground rescue

After five days and multiple attempts to rescue Hambleton, five aircraft had been shot down and another 16 seriously damaged, 10 service members had been killed or were missing in action, two were POWs, and two were behind enemy lines also waiting to be rescued. On April 8, Gen. Creighton Abrams was briefed on the high losses in the several failed attempts to rescue Hambleton and Clark. He ordered that no further air CSAR would be attempted, but that given Hambleton's Top Secret clearance and knowledge of missiles and counter-measure technology, that every effort should be made to bring him out.

USMC Col. Al Gray suggested a covert, land-based rescue operation. and Lt. Col. Andy Anderson, commander of the Joint Search and Rescue Command, ordered a ground rescue. In Saigon, Navy SEAL Lt. j.g. Thomas R. Norris, one of the few SEAL team advisers remaining in Vietnam, had just completed an assignment in the Mekong Delta. He was waiting orders for his next assignment when the call came in for a commando operation to get Hambleton out. Norris was immediately given orders to lead an operation to rescue Hambleton. He joined a five Vietnamese frog-men Naval Advisory Detachment, Sea Commando team from Da Nang.

ARVN Brigadier General Vu Van Giai gave Anderson a Ranger platoon of about 20 men and three M-48 tanks that they used to set up a forward operating base along Highway QL-9 within observation range of the strategic Cam Lo Bridge. But Giai thought the mission was insane and refused to take responsibility for the mission once they crossed the Song Meiu Giang. Anderson, who spoke Vietnamese, obtained additional intelligence from the headquarters of the 1st Armor Brigade near Đông Hà.

Ad hoc code used

The U.S. rescuers knew the North Vietnamese were monitoring radio communications and understood English. Clark and Hambleton were several miles apart. A forward air controller told Clark, who was from Idaho, to "Get to the Snake, make like Esther Williams and float to Boston." In other words, get to the river and swim east.

Hambleton had to bypass enemy-occupied villages and gun emplacements. His rescuers learned that he was one of the best golfers in the Air Force and retained a detailed memory of the golf courses he had played. They came up with a code using a series of specific golf-course holes to guide him through the mine fields sown to protect him and to get him to the Song Meiu Giang. They radioed him, "You´re going to play 18 holes and you´re going to get in the Swanee and make like Esther Williams and Charlie the Tuna. The round starts on No. 1 at Tucson National."

Hambleton initially replied, "What have you been smoking?" But he broke the code. "It took me a half-hour to figure out they were giving me distance and direction," Hambleton says. "No. 1 at Tucson National is 408 yards running southeast. They wanted me to move southeast 400 yards. The `course´ would lead me to water."

Using the golf course code, he was directed towards the Song Meiu Giang. To save time, Hambleton passed through the abandoned village that concealed the guns which shot down his would-be rescuers. Although the village had been bombed, he was confronted by a North Vietnamese soldier. Hambleton killed him using a knife in hand-to-hand combat. At one point he was given directions to a "refreshment stand" where he would have to "tap his own keg." Physically exhausted, hungry and dehydrated, Hambleton found a banana plantation where he could tap the tree for drinking water. He got lost briefly, and then fell off a cliff, breaking his arm.

The U.S. command in Saigon ordered special high-altitude B-52 bombing raids on nearby targets to divert the Vietnamese from searching for the two men, who were several miles apart.

Commandos cross lines

Lt. j.g. Thomas R. Norris and Petty Officer Third Class Nguyen Van Kiet went behind enemy lines disguised as fishermen in a sampan to rescue Lt.Col Iceal Hambleton. Norris was awarded the Medal of Honor and Nguyen was recognized with the Navy Cross for their actions.

Anderson now planned to rescue Hambleton and Potts. Norris and Anderson called in air strikes in an attempt to weaken the NVA's resistance, but the NVA answered with mortar rounds and B-40 rockets that struck the team’s position. Lt. Col. Anderson, the senior American commander, and Lt. Tho Ngoc Vu, the senior Vietnamese commando, and all of the Vietnamese officers were hurt and had to be evacuated. One commando was killed. Norris was left with five Vietnamese commandos who spoke little English.

On April 9, his eighth day of evading the enemy forces all around him, FAC Harold Icke on Bilk 11 kept in constant contact with Hambleton. Icke directed Sandy 01 to drop a Madden survival pack containing food, water, ammunition and extra radios to Hambleton, but it fell 50 metres (160 ft) away, slightly above him, and he was too weak to climb up to it. Icke and the pilots of two A-1 Skyraiders were shocked to see Hambleton come out his hiding place and stand in the open on a sandbar in the river, waving a white flag at them above. Icke knew Hambleton's mental and physical health were precarious. Unknown to him, Hambleton was considerably weakened, having lost 40 pounds (18 kg) in the 10 days since his jet had been shot down.

OV-10 pilot Clark was closest to the team’s position and would be rescued first. Clark was relayed instructions to get in the water and float downstream where Norris and his team would intercept him. Anderson ordered Norris to take his team no more than 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) forward and wait for the survivors to come to them, but Norris defied the order, turned off his radio and avoiding numerous enemy patrols, went twice that distance. Anderson, Norris, and five Vietnamese commandos set up an overwatch position near the Mieu Giang River, which ran near the positions of both downed airmen.

Clark was seriously weakened by five days hiding from the enemy with little to eat. He floated down the cold river and at about 2-3:00 a.m., just as Norris was about to break his cover to pull Clark to shore, a six-man NVA patrol walked between them. Norris refrained from opening fire, recognizing this would compromise the covert mission and that they were outgunned. When the patrol was gone, so was Clark. Norris radioed Clark and instructed him to get out of the river on the south bank. On his own initiative, Norris left his team and searched the river for Clark for several hours before finally finding Clark hiding behind a sampan on the riverbank. Norris was able to re-link up with the rest of his team and safely deliver Clark to Anderson at the forward operating base. Clark was transported to Đông Hà by an ARVN M113 armored personnel carrier and then flown to Da Nang.

On April 11, Hambleton was too weak to move any farther. Norris could only follow parts of Hambleton's weak transmissions but knew he would have to go to him. Norris was already well past the 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) limit Anderson had imposed on him, but Norris weighed the risks and decided to try again. During their search for Hambleton that night, two of the commandos refused to press the mission further, saying they "refused to follow an American just to rescue an American." Norris was left with only three Vietnamese commandos who spoke little English. Approaching dawn, Norris was going to proceed alone when Petty Officer Third Class Nguyen Van Kiet volunteered to stay with him. They took an abandoned sampan and cautiously searched the river shore for two more hours without success. They reluctantly returned to their forward operating base to rest and hope they would be more successful the next night. Icke fixed Hambleton's position during the day so Norris could find him that night.

On the night of April 12, Norris and Nguyen found a deserted village and clothing which they used to disguise themselves as fishermen. They took advantage of the abandoned sampan to row quietly up the river. Even in the pitch dark and dense fog, they could see large numbers of North Vietnamese soldiers and tanks on the shoreline. Stopping to check his map at one point, Norris suddenly realized that two enemy soldiers were sitting about 10 metres (33 ft) away. Fortunately, they were asleep. Traveling upriver in the sampam, they broke out of the heavy fog and found themselves under the Cam Lo bridge. They had passed Hambleton’s position more than 30 minutes ago. Turning around, they finally found Hambleton sitting in a clump of bushes, alive but partly delirious. Sunrise was coming, and although Norris thought it best to wait until dark to return downriver, Hambleton needed to be evacuated immediately. Despite the risk, they hid Hambleton in the bottom of the sampan, covered him with bamboo, and started downriver.

Daylight evacuation

File:IcealHambleton2-.jpg

After his rescue, Iceal Hambleton is moved on a stretcher with the assistance of Tom Norris before his transfer to a hospital in Da Nang.

Their sampan was soon spotted by North Vietnamese troops, some of whom fired at them, but Norris and Nguyen could not afford to return fire. However, when they rounded a bend in the river, the enemy fired on them with a heavy caliber machine gun. They pulled the sampan to the bank and turned it over to provide some cover. Icke in Bilk 11 overhead called in air support and five U.S. Navy A-4 Skyhawks led by Lt. Denny Sapp from the carrier Hancock killed a number of enemy troops and provided cover for his final escape. Two A-1 Skyraiders also assisted, dropping both explosives and MK47 smoke bombs, providing a smokescreen. Returning to the river, the three men were soon able to receive support from South Vietnamese forces. Landing on the river bank, they met some ARVN soldiers who carried Hambleton back to their bunker. There, an M113 armored personnel carrier carried Hambleton, Norris and Nguyen back to Brigade Headquarters in Đông Hà.

News reporters were very aware of the intense rescue efforts to bring Hambleton home. When the rescue team and Hambleton arrived at Đông Hà, a reporter commented to Norris, “It must have been tough out there. I bet you wouldn’t do that again.” Norris replied, “An American was down in enemy territory. Of course I’d do it again."

From Đông Hà Hambleton was transported via helicopter to Da Nang. He was shortly afterward evacuated to the hospital at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines where he recuperated for a month.

Norris began to plan for the rescue of Walker, still behind enemy lines. Walker managed to evade capture for almost 11 days when on the night of April 18, without FAC coverage, he moved on his own accord and ran into a local villager who alerted the North Vietnamese. They began tracking him and the next morning the FAC saw the enemy very near his position. Walker radioed the FAC that rescue should not be attempted because enemy forces were closing in and he was under fire. Bilk 36, a OV-10A flown by FAC 1st Lt. Mickey Fain, reported that Walker was surrounded by more than 20 enemy soldiers and shortly afterward saw his body lying in the grass. Walker's body was never recovered.

Rescue cost

There were no rules to apply to determine when a search and rescue was no longer cost effective.

SAR priority

The Air Force remained fully committed to finding and bringing back every downed air man, regardless of the cost. Air crew's morale depended on it. Search and rescue was based on the premise that it was necessary "to secure the safety of pilots as valuable military assets and to enhance their effectiveness by boosting morale." On June 2, 1972, General John Vogt, commander of the 7th Air Force, sent in a huge task force of 119 aircraft to rescue Capt. Roger Locher, a F-4 weapons officer who during Operation Linebacker had been shot down only 64 kilometres (40 mi) from Hanoi. When he was picked up by a HH-53 from the 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron, he was within 5 miles (8.0 km) of the heavily defended MiG Yên Bái Airfield and had eluded capture while covering 19 kilometres (12 mi) in enemy territory for 23 days.

I had to decide whether we should risk the loss of maybe a dozen airplanes and crews just to get one man out. Finally I said to myself, Goddamn it, the one thing that keeps our boys motivated is the certain belief that if they go down, we will do absolutley everything we can to get them out. If that is ever in doubt, morale would tumble. That was my major consideration. So I took it on myself. I didn't ask anybody for permission. I just said, "Go do it!"

There were also political overtones to Hambleton's rescue. "U.S. personnel held as prisoners of war constituted a serious political liability to the U.S. government."

As many as 90 sorties a day were called in to suppress the enemy around Hambleton. In contrast, prior to the Easter Offensive, the number of daily sorties was about 10, and during the action, peaked at about 300. During the multi-day effort to rescue the men, the Americans hit the North Vietnamese with over 800 air strikes in direct support of the rescue. Search and rescue took priority over almost all strike targets.

No-fire zone enforced

To protect the downed airmen and the search and rescue forces, Col. Cecil Muirhead ordered the 7th Air Force to establish a standard 27 kilometres (17 mi) no-fire zone around Hambletona shortly after he went down. it remained in effect until 10:00 p.m., and while in force it prohibited friendly artillery, naval gunfire, or aircraft from engaging any target within without JSARC approval. The no-fire zone encompassed nearly the entire combat zone of the ARVN 3rd Division including the crucial Cam Lo Bridge. As a result, the South Vietnamese Army in the area was severely hampered in its efforts to stem the NVA offensive against Đông Hà and Quảng Trị City. During this six-hour period, thousands of NVA troops pushed into the region, designated Military Region 1.

When it was seen that enemy forces were pouring through the gap unimpeded, it was reduced at 10:00 p.m. that night, but not before the action generated considerable debate. One ranking adviser commented, "When viewed in relation to all the events of the day, a worse decision could not have been made." The 3rd ARVN had lost most of its artillery in the first two days of the offensive, and in fact had surrounded two of their batteries intact to the enemy. Hambleton commented after the war, "If the taxpayers and my neighbors knew what it cost me to pull me out of there, they'd probably shoot me."

Maj. David A. Brookbank, a U.S. Air Force liaison with the 3rd Division, reported, "The operation cost the 3rd ARVN dearly." He concluded that the restriction gave the enemy "an opportunity unprecedented in the annals of warfare to advance at will." He stated, "It seems logical to assume that many South Vietnamese troops died because air and artillery support were not available." He warned his superiors that the 3rd Division's officers resented the fact that the 7th Air Force would put thousands of South Vietnamese soldiers' lives at risk to rescue one of their own.

American response to the NVA operation virtually ground to a halt as air resources were diverted to support the recovery, and for a few days defense of the northern border area was second in priority to rescuing Hambleton.

Casualties

As a direct result of the rescue operation, five aircraft were lost, 11 people were killed, and two were captured. Additional aircraft were seriously damaged. Hambleton wrote from an Air Force hospital after he was rescued. "I had to stand by and watch six young men die trying to save my life. It was a hell of a price to pay for one life. I'm very sorry." His rescue was, according to Stars and Stripes, "the biggest U.S. air rescue effort of the war."

During the entire Vietnam War, search and rescue forces saved 3,883 lives at the cost of 71 rescuers and 45 aircraft.

Aftermath

The rescue of Bat 21 was a watershed event for the military and led them to find a new approach to high-threat search and rescue. They recognized that if a SAR mission was predestined to fail, it should not be attempted, and other options such as special operations, diversionary tactics and other creative approaches tailored to the situation had to be considered. Recognizing the need for an aircraft that could deliver better close air support, the Air Force introduced the A-7 Corsair. The military also improved the night capability of helicopters and area denial munitions.

Hambleton received the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal and a Purple Heart for his actions during this mission. For their heroic actions in rescuing Hambleton behind enemy lines, Lt. Thomas R. Norris was recommended for and later received the Medal of Honor, although he initially declined to submit the paperwork. In 1975, Clark's and Hambleton's rescue was declassified. Navy investigators reviewed the action, interviewed participants, and recommended Norris for the Medal of Honor. He received it from President Richard Nixon in a White House ceremony on October 15, 1973 attended by Micheal Thornton, another Navy SEAL who had saved Norris' life on October 31, 1972.

Norris readily supported nomination of Petty Officer Third Class Nguyen Van Kiet for the Navy Cross, the highest award the navy can give to a foreign national. Nguyen was the only South Vietnamese Naval member awarded the Navy Cross during the Vietnam War, and one of only two South Vietnamese to receive the award.

Hundred of individuals from dozens of units assisted in Hambleton's rescue, and participants in the operation received a total of 234 individual medals.

Astorga and Henderson were released in March 1973 after the war ended. The remains of the rest of the crew of Bat 21, Hambleton's EB-66E Destroyer— Bolte, Gatwood, Giannangeli, Levis, and Serex—were never recovered. Gatwood left behind a 13 week old son he had never seen, Robin F. Gatwood III. The remains of Kulland, Frink and Paschall were recovered and returned to the United States in 1995, where they were buried at Arlington National Cemetery. The bodies of Potts and Walker were never recovered.

The remains of the crew members of HH-53C Jolly Roger 67—Chapman, Call, Avery, Prater, and Pearson, and Alley—were returned to the United States on October 1, 1997. The six were honored on November 19, 1997 in a full military funeral at Arlington National Cemetery and a headstone commemorating all six airmen was placed at the site. Prater's remains were buried with full military honors on June 19, 2010 by his family. Alley had two weeks remaining on his tour of duty before returning home. He was buried with full military honors in Florida.

In popular culture

Two books were written about the search and rescue operation to bring Hambleton out alive: Bat-21 (1985) by William C. Anderson, and after considerable classified information was released, The Rescue of Bat 21 (1999) by Darrel D. Whitcomb.

The Lt. Thomas R. Norris building at Naval Special Warfare Group Two in Little Creek, Virginia was named for Norris.

The film Bat*21 starring Gene Hackman as Hambleton was a highly dramatized depiction of Hambleton's rescue.

Additional media

• Peter Markle (Director) (December 19, 2000). Bat*21 (Motion picture). ASIN 978-0440613947. {{cite AV media}}: Check |asin= value (help); Check date values in: |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
• Whitcomb, Darrel D. (April 1998). The Rescue of Bat 21. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: U.S. Naval Institute Press. p. 196. ISBN 978-0-440-61394-7.

External links

• Rescue of Bat 21 Bravo at Find a Grave