Saving Bravo
Page 34
reactions to shootdown/deaths, 122–25
resupply purpose/Crowe briefing, 118, 120–21
switch to rescue mission, 120–21
weather and, 114, 115, 116, 119
Hambleton, Gil
after Gene’s rescue, 234
birth, 3
as father, 12
flight school/World War II and, 11, 12, 234
Hambleton, Gwen
after Gene’s rescue, 233, 247–48
children and, 12, 241
description/traits, 62
elopement, 10
Gene relationship, xiv, 8–10, 12–13, 16, 22, 122, 160–61, 171, 205, 220, 224, 225–26, 228, 230–31, 247–48
Gene’s Arizona arrival/photos, 230–31
golf and, 153
ground rescue and, 136
illness/death, 247–48
Mary Ann (sister), 9–10, 247
meeting Gene/relationship beginnings, 8, 9–10
notification of Gene’s rescue, 225–26
notification of husband’s shootdown, 62–63
Peoria and, 12
preparation for Thailand trip, 62
Vicky (niece) and husband, 237
visiting Gil/family, 234
See also Flessner, Gwendolyn Mae
Hambleton, Iceal, Sr.
childhood/college and, 3
description/traits, 3, 4
as father, 4, 111
on Gene/rescue, 232–33
Great Depression and, 4
marriage/children, 3
Midwest farm and, 3
Pam (granddaughter), 4
Percheron horses and, 4
Hambleton, Stella
children, 3
description/traits, 4
See also Wilbur, Stella
Hammond, Butch, 263
Hanoi Hannah (Trinh Thi Ngo), 93
Hanoi Hilton, 44
Harris, Bill
aborting mission, 91
Chapman and, 117, 118
Hambleton rescue mission, 89–90, 91
Jolly Green 67/Hambleton rescue mission and, 117, 118
See also Henderson, Bill/Hambleton rescue mission
Henderson, Bill
childhood/swimming, 86–87
college, 87, 181
description/traits, 86, 87–88, 95, 96, 103, 105, 181
father, 86–87
flying and, 87–88
marriage/child, 87
Henderson, Bill/Hambleton rescue mission
ejecting/landing, 96–97
enemy activity/invasion force and, 89, 90
flying and, 88–89
knowledge on invasion force and, 89
at location, 89
mission plan, 88, 89–90
refueling/second attempt, 95
SAM hitting aircraft/injuries, 95–96, 100
timing, 86
See also specific individuals
Henderson, Bill post-shootdown
Astorga and, 182
back in United States, 246
captors/interrogation and, 179, 181–82
change in, 246
Cobra attempt to rescue, 97, 98
ejecting/landing, 96–97
escape plan, 104–5
on Hambleton rescue, 246
health problems and, 245, 246
hiding places, 96, 97, 103, 104, 105
injuries and, 95, 103, 179
marches/transport to Hanoi, 106, 179, 180, 181, 245
NVA finding, 105
NVA/machine gun plan, 104–5
parachute and, 96–97
as POW/conditions, 179–82, 245–46
“why are you here?” question, 181–82
Heston, Charlton, 235
Heyser, Richard, 15
Hiroshima, 11
Hitler, 6
Hogan, Ben, 156
I
Icke, Harold, 124, 256
irritable stupor, 193
It’s a Wonderful Life (movie), 9
J
Jankowski, Bill/Hambleton rescue
Broadcasting call for help, 48
during parachuting and, 41
help call and, 48, 56–57
Huey shootdown and, 60–61
identification/questions, 47
parachuting and, 38–41
pinpointing position, 47
radio communication and, 40, 47, 51, 60
Jensen, Jay
shootdown, 44
torture/interrogation, 44–45, 46
tricking interrogator, 46
“jinking” described, 27–28
Joint Rescue Coordination Center
Easter Offensive knowledge and, 78, 84
location, 77
mission/power, 77, 79
See also specific individuals
Joint Rescue Coordination Center/Hambleton
no-fire zone vs. Easter Offensive, 79, 81–85, 106
top-secret background and, 80
Joker. See Joint Rescue Coordination Center/Hambleton
Jones, Miss (teacher), 5–6
jungle survival school, Philippines, 31
Jupiter rockets, 14, 15
K
Kennedy, John F., 15, 26
Kennedy, Robert, 15
Khrushchev, Nikita, 15
Kiet, Nguyen Van
after Americans left Vietnam, 254
Clark rescue and, 148, 174, 175–76
description/traits, 148
family and, 254, 255–56
Hambleton rescue and, 148, 186, 191, 192, 195, 204
on leaving no one behind, 257
myth of rescue and, 256, 257
Navy Cross award, 255
Norris and, 255, 256
as refugee, 254–55
in United States, 255–56
See also Norris, Tommy (“Flipper”) and Hambleton rescue with Kiet
Kissinger, Henry
China relations and, 146
meeting with Soviets, 242–43
NVA invasion/Hambleton rescue and, 107–8, 109, 110, 145
peace negotiations/North Vietnam, 78
Soviet relations and, 107, 242–43
Knives (21st Special Operations Squadron), 88
Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand
clothing/fabric and, 22
danger and, 23–24, 26–28
fighter pilots and, 22–24
food/drink, 21–22
identification method, 23
maps of target areas, 24–25
nurse incident, 22–23
officer daily routine, 21–22
Roscoe (dog), 24
snakes and, 21
See also specific individuals
Korean War, 12–13, 80
Kulland, Byron
Astorga and, 245
background, 49–50
death, 53
description/traits, 49–50, 65
Hambleton rescue and, 48, 49, 50–51, 53
Hambleton’s talks and, 239
Harlan (brother), 49
Leona (girlfriend/wife), 49, 50
“missing” notification to family, 65
Silver Daggers and, 49
Vietnamese aviators/Hai and, 50
Kulland, Karen
background, 64
on brother, 49–50
father and, 65
notification of brother missing and, 65
Kulland, Leona, 49–50
L
Le Duan, 146–47
“leave no man behind” idea
history, 79–80
Kiet on, 256–57
Norris on, 257
Vietnam/motivation for, 80–81
Levis, Charles
background, 29–30
death, 37–38, 106
description/traits, 30
SAM mission, 29–30, 37–38
Literary Guild American, 234–35
Lorin, Martha
description, 265
See also Walker, Martha Lorin
McKinney, Thomas, 25
MACVSOG (Military Assistance Command, Vietnam—Studies and Observation Group), 125
Manhattan Project, 12
Mao, 146–47
March of Time newsreels, 6
Markle, Peter, 235
Marshall, Winton W., 131–32
Martin, Dean, 235
Martin, Graham, 244
Masters golf course, 156
Military Assistance Command, Vietnam-Studies and Observation Group (MACVSOG), 125
Moorer, Thomas, 108
Morse, Don
enemy activities in area and, 58–59, 60–61
Hambleton rescue and, 58–59, 60–61
Muirhead, Cecil, 78
N
Nakhon Phanom Air Base, Thailand, 86, 111
Napoleon, 141
New York Daily News, 10
New York Times, 243
Newport News (cruiser), 251
Newsweek, 93, 94
Ngo, Trinh Thi (Hanoi Hannah), 93
Nielsen, Ben
enemy attacks/mission abortion, 97–98
rescue attempt, 97
Nixon, Richard
election (1972), 243–44
nuclear arms race and, 146, 243
Nixon, Richard/Vietnam War
China relations and, 107, 146
diplomatic gathering (April 10, 1972), 146
escalation/views, 109–10
getting out of Vietnam and, 87
intoxication/Moscow dinner, 243
meeting with Soviets, 242–43
NVA invasion/Hambleton rescue and, 107–8, 110, 145
other leaders and, 146–47
Soviet relations and, 107, 145, 146, 242–43
Vietnamization, 16, 40
Norris, Tommy (“Flipper”)
after Hambleton rescue, 250–54
description/traits, xvi, 19–20, 140, 251, 252–53, 254
FBI and, 252–54
fear and, xvi, 19–20
Kiet (after rescue mission), 255, 256
as legend, 252, 253, 254, 256
Medal of Honor, 251, 252, 254
SEALs decision and, 18–20
Sikh terrorists and, 253–54
Vietnam injury/recovery, 250–52
Walker rescue possibility, 135, 267
Norris, Tommy (“Flipper”) and Clark rescue
Anderson progress report and, 163
Anderson questioning, 175, 177–78
missing Clark on river and, 173–75
rescuing, 175–77, 252
team travels to river, 162–64
traveling to position with Anderson, 147
See also Clark, Mark rescue “ground” mission
Norris, Tommy (“Flipper”) and Hambleton rescue
Andersen meeting, 140–42
commandos mutiny and, xvi, 192, 203–4
commitment to, 135–36, 142
concerns about South Vietnamese commandos, 148–49, 184–85, 192, 195, 200
concerns about weapons, 147–48
FACs and, 200, 201, 209
on Hambleton/rescue, 234, 235, 257
Hambleton’s talks and, 239
military commitment and, 140
NVA hitting bunker area/casualties and, xvi, 184–86
preparation for second night, 202
realization of difficulties/risk, 142
reporter after rescue, 257
reporters and, 202–3, 257
restriction area and, 141–42, 163
selection as team leader, 135–36
team turning back first night, 195
travel to position, 147
travels to river, 191–92, 208
See also Hambleton, Gene rescue/“ground” mission
Norris, Tommy (“Flipper”) and Hambleton rescue with Kiet
air support and, 215, 218–19
decision to go together, 204
disguise, 208, 209
FACs and, 215, 218, 219
finding sampan, 208
gun fire and, 217–19
NVA soldiers spotting/actions, 216
NVA soldiers/tanks near river and, 209, 210
relationship, 200, 203–4
return trip with Hambleton, 214–19
river channels and, 209
sampan idea, 200–201
sampan travel to Hambleton, 209–10, 212–13
strike call, 219–21
travel to position, 147
Norris, Tommy (“Flipper”) childhood
description/traits, 17, 18
hurricane and, 17
locations, 17
vision and, xvi, 18
wrestling, 17–18
O
“Old Folks at Home,” 144–45
Only Angels Have Wings (movie), 8
Operation Paperclip, 14
P
parachuting
hypoxia and, 38
spinning/stabilizing and, 38
Paris Peace Accords, 243
Paschall, Mark, 64
Paschall, Ronald
Astorga and, 245
background, 48
death, 53
Hambleton rescue and, 48–49, 53
“missing” notification to family, 63, 64
Paschall, Ruth
background, 64
notification of son missing, 64
Pearson, William Roy, 122
Percheron horses, 4
Phantom, F-4, 71–72
Pierre (dog), 47, 137, 225, 226
Podgorny, Nikolai, 242–43
Potts, Larry
Aunt Louise/description/traits, 262
Aunt Louise/Uncle Samuel and, 262–63
childhood/family break up, 262–64
Delaware State University, 263
description/traits, 262, 263, 264
family notification of death/reactions, 272
signing up with Marines/reasons, 264–65
Potts, Larry/Hambleton rescue attempt
assumed dead, 129, 135
shootdown, 129, 135
Powers, Francis Gary, 26
Prater, Roy, 122
Presley, Elvis, 93
Q
Quang Tri, 58, 82, 105, 145, 168
R
Radio Hanoi
description of broadcasts, 93–94
report on downing of Hambleton’s EB-66C and, 93–94
Reader’s Digest, 18, 235
Recovery Studies Division
Hambleton/Clark information/rescue and, 126
record, 125–26
rescue role, 125
See also Andersen, Andy
Redstone Arsenal
during/after World War II, 14
Hambleton and, 13–15
weapons/rockets and, 14–15
Reed, Donna, 9
Reed, Jerry, 235
rescue missions
changes/lessons learned, 228, 256, 268, 269
photographers and, 115
See also specific rescue missions
rescuers/Hambleton
remains and, 239–40
See also specific individuals