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the link, choose a country, and start fighting your way to victory right now! Three B-52s scream across the sky on a bombing
mission to take out North Vietnamese Army (NVA) targets. For added protection from the NVA’s electronically
guided surface to air missiles (SAMs) the bombers are escorted by two Douglas EB-66s,
call signs Bat-21 and Bat-22. One of the main duties of the EB-66s is to
sweep for enemy radar and jam it. On Bat-21 is a crew of 6, a pilot, a navigator
and 4 electronic- warfare officers (EWOs). Unusually, the navigator on this mission is
a senior officer, 53 year old Lieutenant Colonel Iceal Hambleton. Generally he is responsible for scheduling
navigators, but as they were short handed, he took the position of navigator for this
flight. The NVA fires several missiles and the B-52s
as well as the EB-66s perform evasive maneuvers. On Bat-21 one of the EWOs calls out a warning
as a SAM heads towards them. The pilot assumes the missile is going to
go left and initiates a right turn for a SAM break--an evasive violent flying maneuver
that can cause a homing missile to exceed its gimbal limits and destroy itself as it
tries to follow the rotations of its target. But the missile flies right, so the plane
turns straight into it. The crew yells at the pilot to go left and
he tries to reverse his turn, but it’s too late. The missile explodes in a massive fireball
as it collides with the belly of Bat-21. The pilot makes the hand signal to eject. Having practiced it countless times before,
Hambleton automatically fumbles for the firing mechanism on his ejection seat. As the compressed-air cylinder under his seat
fires and rockets him away from the falling aircraft, a second missile hits. Suddenly Hambleton is 30,000 feet (9,144 meters)
above Vietnam. He’s spinning, something’s gone wrong
during ejection. Worried that he’s going to black out, he
pulls his manual ripcord. His upper body snaps back as his parachute
billows open and slows his fall. Hambleton looks around. There should be other parachutes in the sky,
but there are none. His eyes sting, he’s the only survivor. As he drifts lower, Hambleton realizes he’s
near a forward air control (FAC) 0-2 observersation plane. He takes out his survival radio and tries
calling using the call sign Bat-21. The pilot, 1st Lt. Bill Jankowski confirms
visual sight. He thinks about trying to snag Hambleton out
of the air, but his co-pilot dismisses this idea as impractical. Hambleton hits the ground hard. He quickly disentangles himself from his parachute
and looks around. He’s in the middle of a dry rice paddy. He can hear the thump of mortars being fired
nearby. Not good. He darts into a nearby shallow ditch. Hambleton’s bruised his back and there’s
a gash on his finger. But generally he’s okay. The 0-2 circles overhead and notes Hambleton’s
position, he’s landed in a bad spot, about a mile east of the village of Cam Lo, near
a huge buildup of NVA troops. Jankowski gets on the emergency frequency
and calls for any support available to help with a search and rescue (SAR) mission. Two Jolly Greens aka rescue helicopters, a
few Cobra attack helicopters and a couple of other aircrafts respond. But as they approach the area where Hambleton
is they take on heavy fire. A Cobra is shot down behind enemy lines. One crew member escapes the exploding helicopter
and is taken prisoner, the rest of the crew is lost. Due to how ‘hot’ the area is and the growing
poor visibility, the rescue is called off. The Joint Search and Rescue Command (JSARC)
orders 24-hour FAC coverage over Hambleton's position to watch over him. Also they order the 7th Air Force to establish
a standard 27 kilometers (17 mile) no-fire zone around Hambleton. Basically without approval from the JSARC,
no friendly artillery, naval gunfire, or aircraft engagement can take place in the zone. The FAC arranges for Hambleton’s position
to be ringed with CDU-14 “gravel” so he will be hard to access. These anti-personnel mines are about the size
of a lemon. They explode when stepped on. When it gets dark, Hambleton finds a wooded
area. Sitting under a tree, he inventories his gear. Among his supplies are a first-aid kit; survival
radio with extra batteries; flares, a loaded .38 revolver, a hunting knife; a signal mirror;
and a mini compass. Hambleton digs a hole big enough to lay in. Then he creeps around the area and does some
reconnaissance. He reports to FAC on enemy vehicles and troops
for several hours. Finally he creeps back to his hole, covers
himself with foliage and sleeps. April 3rd A SAR mission consisting of Jolly Greens and
Douglas A-1 Skyraiders, aka Sandys, attempt a first light rescue, hoping to extract Hambleton
with minimal force. Unfortunately, the weather’s overcast making
it hard for the FAC to have visual control of positions and strikes. To make matters worse, most of the flight
crews receive a briefing that doesn’t tell them the extent of the battle developing near
Hambleton. Also, the NVA has a listening post in the
area where they monitor and jam US radio traffic. Once the aircraft fly through the bank of
clouds, all hell breaks loose. The rescue mission comes under heavy fire. One of the Jolly Greens is seriously damaged
and has to make an emergency landing at Phu Bai Airfield, which is actually also under
attack at this moment and doesn’t want them to land. They land anyway and avoid crashing by the
skin of their teeth. The rescue mission halts, but the Sandys continue
to drop ordinance to soften up the area. They also pinpoint targets to take out to
support the SAR effort. A few hours later a second rescue attempt
is made, but they also come under heavy fire. A second helicopter is forced to make an emergency
landing at Phu Bai Airfield. Further SAR missions are aborted, the area
around Hambleton is just too hot. Meanwhile on the ground Hambleton reports
on NVA positions when he can, but mainly stays hunkered down in his hole to avoid the troops
searching for him. April 4th Incredibly hungry and thirsty, at dawn Hambleton
goes foraging. He finds some berries and unripe pineapple. Carefully studying the ground to avoid mines,
he sneaks close to a village and steals a few ears of corn from the fields. JSARC is briefed with some bad news. From listening to chatter on North Vietnamese
radio broadcasts, the Air Force has learned that the NVA knows who Hambleton is. Not only do they want to stop his reconnaissance,
but capturing such a high ranking officer who’s a ballistic missile expert with a
Top Secret clearance would be a strategic feather in their cap. Hambleton needs to be rescued ASAP. The day is overcast. Hambleton creeps to his observation spot to
see how much damage the bombardment has done. A little Vietnamense boy playing in the woods
with his dog spots him. The kid heads back to his village, carefully
following the dog to avoid the mines. Hambleton watches as the kid tells some soldiers
and pointed in his direction. Soldiers come to investigate. But they have to make their way through the
minefield to reach Hambleton’s area. As it is midday, there’s no way he can get
back to his hole without being seen. Hambleton radios FAC, who quickly agrees to
create a diversion. They fly an 02 overhead and drop two white
phosphorous marking rockets, engulfing the soldiers in a cloud of choking white smoke. The soldiers panic, turn and race back towards
the village. A few of them step on mines and don’t make
it. Taking advantage of the diversion, Hambleton
crouches low, races back to his hole and frantically covers himself with leaves. He lay there panting until he falls asleep. Hambleton wakes thirsty and disoriented after
his nap. It’s afternoon, visibility has improved. A SAR mission with Jolly Greens and Sandys
once again has to turn back because of heavy artillery. F’4’s, Sandys and some other aircrafts
continue their bombardment of various targets. Unfortunately, some of them end up severely
damaged due to intense anti aircraft gunfire. One of the FAC observation planes call sign
Nail 38, is shot down by a missile and its pilots Capt. William J. Henderson and 1st
Lt. Mark Clark have to eject. Henderson lands very close to Hambleton, about
500 meters (1,600 feet) away. He hides in a bamboo patch, but that evening
NVA soldiers come to dig a pit for an anti aircraft artillery gun in a nearby field. Henderson’s forced to surrender when they
begin cutting the bamboo down. He becomes a POW. Clark parachutes to the ground safely, manages
to elude capture and hides out. He’s further away, on the other side of
Mieu Giang River, but within 2 kilometers (1.25 miles) of Hambleton. Now there are two soldiers who need rescuing. April 5th The weather is rainy. Hambleton catches some water and thirstily
drinks it. He also saves water in a small jug. The Air Force performs some strikes and blows
up several tanks and other targets a few miles from Hambleton, but mostly it’s quiet. The poor weather causes the SAR force to regroup
and strategize. They spend much of the day repairing their
aircraft. April 6th The sun shines with minimal scattered clouds--great
visibility. In the morning the SAR task force waits on
the ground while several F4’s and B5’s with permission to fight in the rescue zone
destroy several previously identified targets. Both Hambleton and Clark see some of the action
from their respective hiding places. In fact, the action gets so close to Clark
that he radios FAC and asks them to back off a little. The Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF) also launches
several devastating strikes just outside of the no fire zone. In the afternoon, a SAR force of two Jolly
Green and four Sandys takes to the skies. The Sandys drop ordinance, again softening
up the area for a rescue attempt. One of the Sandys is rigged to drop a survival
resupply kit for Hambleton, but the arming device fails and the pilot doesn’t realize
that the kit didn’t deploy until after he had landed. As the SAR force flies towards Hambleton,
he gets out a flare, poised to dash into the clearing. One of the helicopters suddenly breaks into
an evasive maneuver, but it’s too late. A strike hits the fuel line of Jolly Green
76 and it explodes into a massive fireball. Both Hambleton and Clark witness the destruction. The six men aboard are lost. The survivors feel guilty that men were lost
trying to save them. The Air Force is able to pinpoint where the
deadly ground fire is coming from, it’s a nearby village. The Air Force and VNAF bombard the area, taking
out the artillery in the village and several other targets. April 7th While directing naval gunfire from the destroyer
USS Buchanan against NVA tanks, a USAF plane called sign Covey 282 is shot down by a SAM
just a few miles from Hambleton. The two crew members survive the crash, but
fly over attempts to pinpoint the survivors’ locations are bombarded with SAM strikes. As a result, rescue attempts have to be halted. Sadly, neither survivor is ever seen again. This is the final straw and Gen. Creighton
Abrams, commander of military operations in Vietnam, declares that no further helicopters
are to be used for SAR missions to pick up Hambleton and Clark. Lt. Col. Andy Anderson, commander of the Joint
Personnel Recovery Center in Saigon, begins working on plans for a rescue by ground. If Hambleton can get to the river some 2 miles
south of him and float down it a couple miles, they can get a team to rescue him. Clark would need to do the same, but as he
is nearer to the river, his journey should be quicker. Anderson has a team of Vietnamese commandos
that he has been working with that he can assign to the mission, but needs an American
to go along as an adviser. Navy SEAL officer Tom Norris has recently
finished an assignment as part of a team training Force Recon Marines to run covert special
operations. He is quickly dispatched to lead the rescue
operation. Anderson briefs the commanding ARVN Brigadier
General Vu Van Giai on the rescue mission. In the last few days, the ground war has really
ramped up and Giai has his hands full battling NVA troops. He thinks the mission is insane and tells
Anderson that he cannot guarantee the operation’s safety especially when they cross the Mieu
Giang River. However, Giai agrees to provide them transportation
to his most forward unit. This is a Ranger platoon of about 20 men and
three M-48 tanks at a forward operating base along Highway QL-9 within observation range
of the strategic Cam Lo Bridge. During the evening Hambleton is notified that
he’ll no longer have a ‘babysitter’. FAC patrols are being scaled back due to how
hot the region is. Sometime later Hambleton hears the roar of
B52’s. He hunkers down as they heavily bomb near
his area. For the first time he wonders if he’s being
left behind by the war. In reality the B-52 raid was carefully planned
around where Hambleton was hiding. They hit several big gun emplacements, destroy
a SAM site, and some ammo dumps. April 8th-13th It’s known that English speaking NVA are
monitoring radio communications, so coded instructions for the survivors are prepared. In fact SAR contacts the commanders of the
survivors’ parent units and asks them to create a message based on each survivor's
background that would clearly tell him to move to a specific location in a way only
they would understand. They discover that Hambleton’s an avid golfer
with a photo-like memory of golf courses. FAC radios Hambleton and tells him"You´re
going to play 18 holes and you´re going to get in the Suwannee and make like Esther Williams
and Charlie the Tuna. The round starts on No. 1 at Tucson National.” Hambleton is puzzled. They have to repeat the message a few times. It takes him about 30 mins to break the code. The Suwannee is a river made famous by a song,
Esther Williams is a competitive swimmer and Charlie Tuna is the cartoon mascot for StarKist
brand canned tuna. The No. 1 hole at Tucson National is 408 yards
running southeast. So the code meant that they were going to
guide him to the Mieu Giang River using the courses of 18 specific golf holes. At the river he would need to swim. His first task is to move southeast 400 yards. The other survivor, Clark, also receives a
similar type coded message. Hambleton quickly discards some items since
he needs to travel lightly. He takes his knife, revolver, first-aid kit,
radio and boots. Everything he leaves behind he buries, attempting
to wipe away all traces that he had been there. Hambleton checks his compass and makes his
way through the foliage, trying to move quickly without making too much noise. Hundreds of yards away he can see soldiers
gearing up for another mine sweep. He finds his way to a path and counts off
the approximate number of yards. The first hole is right where there’s a
fork in a path. Hambleton rests in a clump of brush at the
intersection and clicks on his radio. FAC tells him that his next play is hole number
five at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. The first 4 holes go well. Hambleton has a terrible fright when he stumbles
over something in the dark that turns out to be a dead pig. The 4th hole takes him near an abandoned village
that concealed the artillery guns that shot down Jolly Green 76. Around dawn Hambleton hides under a pile of
hay in the outskirts of the village to rest and wait for darkness. He falls asleep and wakes in the afternoon. During the fifth hole, Hambleton passes by
a seemingly abandoned small hut. A scrawny chicken scratches in the doorway. Meat. Hambleton gets out his knife and pounces at
the bird. A man collides with Hambleton and they wrestle
on the ground. The man stabs Hambleton in the shoulder, but
he fights back and shoves his knife into the man’s chest. Hambleton backs away in horror from the crumpled,
bloody figure on the ground and runs. He hides under a pig trough. Hours later when he’s calmer and it has
become apparent that no one is searching for him, Hambleton crawls out. He unzips his flight suit to check the wound
on his shoulder. Thankfully it’s not too bad. He uses his first aid kit to dress it. He’s exhausted, but ready to go when it’s
time to check in with FAC. The SAR task force receives photos from a
reconnaissance drone that flew over the area where Hambleton originally hid. Several armored personnel carriers are in
the photo. The NVA made it through the minefield, searched
for Hambleton, and found him missing. So they have brought in additional troops
for an extensive search. The U.S. command in Saigon orders special
high-altitude B-52 bombing raids on nearby targets to divert the NVA from searching for
the two survivors. Clark makes it to the Mieu Giang River and
floats downstream. Norris and his team of commandos take a dangerous
journey skirting several NVA patrols to intercept him. Thankfully they are able to rescue Clark on
the night of April 10th and deliver him to Anderson at the forward operating base. Clark is transported to the last outpost on
the Cua Viet River at Dong Ha by an ARVN M113 armored personnel carrier (APC) and then flown
to Da Nang. Meanwhile Hambleton completes a few more holes,
then gets a little lost. He falls off a cliff and breaks his arm. Finally, he makes it to the river and per
FAC instructions floats downstream. It’s mainly willpower keeping Hambleton
moving at this point. He’s cold, wet, stressed, and has gone over
a week with minimal food and water. Finally, he reaches his destination spot. He crawls out of the water and hides in the
undergrowth near the shore. Later, Hambleton wakes up stiff and sore. He hears splashing and realizes that someone
is paddling. Several soldiers are coming down river in
a sampan, guns in their laps, shining flashlights on the shore. Hambleton’s heart beats frantically, it’s
a long moment before soldiers move on. Anderson calls in air strikes in an attempt
to soften the area, but the NVA fights back with mortar rounds and B-40 rockets. Some rockets strike the team's position. One commando is killed. Anderson, Lt. Tho Ngoc Vu, the senior Vietnamese
commando, and all of the Vietnamese officers are hurt. Anderson and the wounded Vietnamese troops
have to be evacuated. Navy Seal Norris is left with five Vietnamese
commandos with limited English speaking skills. After dark, Norris and his team set out, but
the NVA attacks again.Two of the five remaining ARVN commandos are killed. Norris and team regroup, they’ll try again
the next night. Meanwhile, Hambleton is fading fast. He’s erratic and not checking in on the
radio. The next night Norris and his team head upriver
more than 4 kilometers (2.5 miles), evading several NVA patrols. Upon seeing the extremely large number of
North Vietnamese forces, two of the commandos balk, saying they "refused to follow an American
just to rescue an American". Norris manages to convince them to stay by
saying that the only way they would get back to safety is to stay with the team. Unfortunately they don’t find Hambleton
and after a few more hours of searching return to the forward operating base. The next day FAC pinpoints Hambleton's new
position for Norris; he's moved 50 meters (160 ft) overnight. A Sandy drops a survival pack containing food,
water, ammunition and extra radios to Hambleton, but it lands 50 meters (160 ft) away, on a
hill. Unfortunately, due to rough terrain and exhaustion,
Hambleton can’t retrieve it. FAC and two Sandy pilots flying over are shocked
to see Hambleton come out of his hiding place and stand in the open on a sandbar, waving
a white handkerchief at them. FAC convinces/orders him to go back into hiding
and wait a little longer. Hambleton’s mental and physical health are
giving out. That evening, Norris realizes he can’t force
the commandos to go on the mission, so he asks for volunteers. Petty Officer Third Class Nguyễn Văn Kiệt
steps forward. The two man team sets out. While walking upstream they come up on an
empty, destroyed village and find an abandoned sampan and some clothing. The two disguise themselves as Vietnamense
fishermen and quietly paddle up the river. It’s a dangerous journey. It’s pitch dark and eerie dense fog hangs
low. Several times they pass NVA troops and tanks
on the shoreline. When they break through the fog, they find
themselves under the Cam Lo bridge. They’ve overshot Hambleton’s last known
position by half an hour. They quickly turn around and paddle back. Norris and Kiệt find Hambleton lying in
some bushes on the shore. He’s weak and delirious. It’s close to sunrise and Norris thinks
about hunkering down and waiting for night, but Hambleton needs medical attention ASAP. It takes both Norris and Kiệt to get Hambleton
into the bottom of the boat. They cover him with bamboo before paddling
down the river. Soon they are spotted by a NVA patrol, some
soldiers fire, but the rescue team furiously paddles away using the current to their advantage. Unfortunately, their luck soon runs out. As they round a bend in the river, NVA soldiers
fire a heavy caliber machine gun from the north shore. The commandos pull the sampan over to the
opposite bank and turn it over for cover. They call for air help. Five A-4 Skyhawks from the carrier Hancock
immediately answer. The fighters drop ordinance and completely
obliterate the NVA on the opposite bank. Two Sandys also assist, dropping both explosives
and MK47 smoke bombs, to provide a smokescreen. Norris and Kiệt move Hambleton back into
the sampan and quickly paddle. As they get closer to the outpost they receive
support from South Vietnamese forces. When they land on the bank, they are met by
some ARVN soldiers. Hambleton is unable to walk so Vietnamense
commandos carry him into the bunker. Once inside they lay Hambleton on a stretcher
and give him first aid. Norris radios for an M113 armored personnel
carrier to carry him, Hambleton and Kiệt to Brigade Headquarters in Dong Ha. While waiting for the carrier to arrive, Hambleton
smokes a cigarette given to him by a Vietnamense soldier. When the three arrive at Dong Ha, a reporter
comments to Norris, “It must have been tough out there. I bet you wouldn’t do that again.” Norris stares him down and replies, “An
American was down in enemy territory. Of course I’d do it again.” Hambleton is transported to hospital where
he recuperates for a month. During his 13 day ordeal, he lost 45 pounds
(20.5 kg). As a direct result of attempts to rescue Hambleton,
five aircraft were lost and several more were severely damaged. Eleven people were killed, and two were captured. Ultimately, the operation changed how the
military approaches high risk rescues. For his heroic efforts and putting his personal
safety at risk to report on targets while in hiding Hambleton is awarded the Silver
Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal and a Purple
Heart. Lt. Thomas R. Norris receives the Medal of
Honor and Petty Officer Third Class Nguyễn Văn Kiệt receives the Navy Cross, the highest
award that the navy can give to a foreign national. Thanks again to our sponsor Conflict of Nations,
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