Image update, December 16th, 2011


190th Assault Helicopter Company and Charlie Company, 4th Battalion, 12th Infantry.

Special thanks to Jonathan Logan "Spartan 17," of the gallant 190th Assault Helicopter Company for providing the following story about the above 40th PIO image.  It was originally thought that this was taken in Cambodia at FSB Brown in May of 1970.  However, it was taken in a different location in Vietnam.

According to Logan, "that photo would have been taken on March 22nd, 1970, in Binh Tuy Province, west of Tanh Linh at coordinates YT929722.  Oddly, the burned out Huey on the left has the same tail number as the LOH on the resupply.  (Note the boxes on the loach are ammunition being hurriedly kicked out as this was a super-hot area.)

Logan continues.  "We were making single-ship insertions into this LZ.  I was the sixth or seventh helicopter in and we were hit with an RPG on the left side of the engine compartment.  I was sitting on the left side at the controls as the aircraft commander.  WO1 Michael Hatfield died on impact.  We were medevac'd out to Long Binh and the 93rd Evac.  My Purple Heart orders show PFC Royce Maples, PFC Gary Turner, and SP4 Mitchell Sprowso, all of C/4-12 were also on board and wounded.  The LZ was nicknamed, 'The Rock.'"


Charlie Company infantrymen hurriedly secure the wreckage and form a perimeter after the contact.

                           Charlie Company infantrymen boarding the slick that was shot down.


Tahn Linh Mt. 1970.jpg
                                                                Tanh Linh Mountain, 1970.


LZ Tahn Linh.jpg
                                    The LZ where the action occurred over three months later.


Spartan kids.jpg