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Helicopter retires after service
in
Vietnam ,
Iraq
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by Tech. Sgt. Kristina Newton
1st Special Operations Wing Public
Affairs
4/10/2008 - HURLBURT
FIELD, Fla. (AFPN) -- MH-53
Pave Low helicopter tail number 68-10357 flew its final
mission and last flight supporting special operations forces
March 28 in
Iraq after 38
years of service.
The helicopter was the lead command
and control helicopter for a mission to rescue approximately 50
American prisoners of war from the Son Tay prison camp in
North Vietnam in
1970, which became a significant event for Air Force special
operations.
From
Iraq , the MH-53 known as 357 will be transported to the
National Museum of
the
U.S. Air Force in
Dayton , Ohio , where it will sit on display in the Cold
War Gallery.
"It's fitting that this aircraft's
last mission was flown in combat before it is placed on
permanent display at the museum," said Lt. Gen. Donald C.
Wurster, commander of Air Force Special Operations Command and
an MH-53 pilot. "Aircraft 357 led a formation of HH-53 and HH-3
helicopters on a daring raid into
North Vietnam to
rescue American POWs. Of those five 53s that participated, only
tail number 357 is left."
Historical records indicate 66
prisoners were being held at the Son Tay camp, located 23 miles
west of
Hanoi .
Although the mission was considered
a tactical failure because no prisoners were found at the camp,
it was also considered a success because conditions for POWs
held in
North Vietnam improved
after the raid.
Training for the Son Tay raid began
in the summer of 1970 at
Eglin Air Force Base,
Fla. , under the command of Brig. Gen. LeRoy J. Manor, who
retired as a lieutenant general. There, an all-volunteer team of
Army and Air Force conventional and special operations members
planned and practiced flight and ground operations for a rescue
mission deep into
North Vietnam . The mission was repeatedly rehearsed
using a full-sized compound mock-up near Duke Field, known as
Auxiliary Airfield No. 3.
For Operation Kingpin, HH-53 357,
mission call sign "Apple 1," was flown by Lt. Col. Warner
Britton and carried the operation commander, Army Col.
Arthur Simons and his team of Soldiers to the target.
The crew of "Apple 1" was decorated
with an Air Force Cross and four Silver Stars for their role in
the raid.
Within 1.5 years of the Son Tay
mission, three of the five HH-53s were lost, two in combat
operations and one destroyed on the ground in Danang during a
rocket attack by the Vietcong. The fourth HH-53 was converted to
an MH-53J and flew in a special operations role for many years.
It was lost in combat in
Afghanistan in
2002.
Although "Apple 1" changed call
signs many times since 1970, it continued to fly in operations
supporting U.S.
national objectives around the globe.
"It is awe inspiring to know people
sat in this very seat and created history," said Col. Brad Webb,
1st Special Operation Wing commander and MH-53 pilot. "I've
flown this tail number periodically since 1988," Colonel Webb
said. "The closest I came to combat while flying 357 was a
combat search and rescue mission for a British aircraft shot
down near
Gorazde , Bosnia
-Herzegovenia in 1994. I also flew it in
Kuwait several
times under combat support missions for Operation Southern Watch
in 2001."
Inevitably, aircraft age and
technology advances.
As a result, the MH-53 Pave Low's
long and distinguished career will soon complete its service to
the Air Force. The remaining MH-53s in the Air Force inventory
will be retired as they return from combat duty.
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