OLAA Operating Date 10-Jan-1970

Roster

ROSTER… 12 Men

Lt. Col. James W. Wold (Jim)
Maj. Timothy L. Buttermore (Tim)
Maj. Dean E. DeTar (Dean)
Capt. Robert Karre (Bob)
Capt. Paul D. D. Houppert (DD)
1st Lt. Maurice A Coleman, Jr. (Mac)
1st Lt. John W. Weinig (JW)
1st Lt. James Seith (Jim)
1st Lt. A. Jackson Roberts (Jax)
1st Lt. Donald L Engebretsen (Don)
1st Lt. Warren C. Blanchard (Doc)
1st Lt. Larry L. Cavender

On This Date in OLAA History

10 January 1970 from VIETNAM AIR LOSSES by CHRIS HOBSON

0-2A     68-6863     20 TASS, 504 TASG, USAF, Pleiku, AB based crew

1Lt John A Lehecka (KIA)

SFC James Henry Zumbrun, US Army (KIA)

The highly secret and highly dangerous MACVSOG Shining Brass patrols along the Ho Chi Minh Trail were renamed Prairie Fire in 1969.  An O-2 on a Prairie Fire support mission was lost 20 miles west of Dak To, near the point where the borders of South Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia meet.  1Lt Lehecka and his SOG observer were controlling an air strike when their aircraft was hit by small arms fire and crashed, killing both the crew.

0-1G     51-7441     504 TASG, USAF, base …?

2 crew, names unknown (survived)

Another FAC aircraft was lost on the 10th when a Bird Dog crashed on take-off injuring the crew and destroying the aircraft.

Vietnam Air Losses, Chris Hobson

OLAA-ID: 62-1      
Flight Date: 10 Jan 70
Pilot: Robert Karre–03
Mission ID: 1634
Tail # 779-H
Location: OC
Team Name:
Hours Flown: 3+40 (3.7)
  
Remarks:
Tags:
OLAA-ID: 62-2      
Flight Date: 10 Jan 70
Pilot: James W. Wold–11
Mission ID:
Tail # 780-H
Location: 265/14/94
Team Name: Hay Maker
Hours Flown: 1+55 (1.9)
  
Remarks: Covey 580 Crashed - KIA and Hay Maker (Covey Rider Call Sign) See file on Covey 580
Tags:
OLAA-ID: 62-2      SAR
Flight Date: 10 Jan 70
Pilot: Larry L. Cavender–12
Mission ID:
Tail # 628-H
Location: IC
Team Name: Hay Maker#
Hours Flown: 1.90
  
Remarks: SAR - Covey 580 - No Survivors; # and Hay Maker
Tags:
OLAA-ID: 62-3      
Flight Date: 10 Jan 70
Pilot: Timothy L. Buttermore
Mission ID:
Tail # 810-H
Location:
Team Name:
Hours Flown: (4.00)
  
Remarks:
Tags:
OLAA-ID: 62-4      
Flight Date: 10 Jan 70
Pilot: Timothy L. Buttermore
Mission ID:
Tail # 618-H
Location:
Team Name:
Hours Flown: (2.70)
  
Remarks:
Tags:
OLAA-ID: 62-5      
Flight Date: 10 Jan 70
Pilot: Warren C. Blanchard
Mission ID:
Tail # 621-H
Location:
Team Name:
Hours Flown: (3.70)
  
Remarks:
Tags:
Covey 580 was the FAC for Jim Seith and Don Engebretsen on 5Jan70!!!!!!  GET MORE INFO! 1970 01 10 E-7 SFC James Henry Zumbrun 91B4S KIA, fixed wing shot down Laos; CCC, Covey, in O2-A #68-6863 20 miles west of Dak To while supporting a team on the ground EDIT THIS>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> https://www.honorstates.org/index.php?id=307027 For a long time, I sought information regarding Covey 580 and his Covey Rider because they were the FAC team that supported my 5Jan70 mission saving RT Vermont on two occasions.  As is always the case in these missions, the team was saved several times by the FAC, Army helicopters, A-1’s, and the valiant team members themselves.  Also note that the on-scene commander (in USAF vernacular) is the very experienced Covey Rider.  In this case it was SFC James Henry Zumbrun code named Hay Maker.  CHECK THIS RIDER NAME!!!   What now follows is a narrative from experienced SOG team member and 10 team leader, Lee Burkins.  I had contacted Lee in approximately 2013 after reading his moving book  Hi Don, (January couldn't be the month because I was on RT Iowa as a 1-2 that month)  Clarify the bright light was RT Iowa!) 'Zumbrun!' that was the covey rider! For some reason I thought his name or call sign was Winchester. Zumbrun was crushed between the engines and the 'wall' of radio equipment in the O-2. The pilot had a bullet hole right between his eyes. I guessed they must have been flying below the ridge lines when he caught the round... Pilot had been thrown through the windshield of the aircraft and his leg, from the calf to his foot was trapped in the tangle of engines (in the impact, the O-2 crashed down a sloped hill off the side of a ridge). I had to cut the pilots leg off at the calf (no easy task, as we heard the NVA group making their way up the slope toward the team. Air support engaged the NVA and we moved the body (Lehecka) (I carried him over my shoulders, I remember him being tall) up the hill to be extracted at the ridge top. Our Yard named Ghun caught a round in the neck as we, one by one, loaded up into the hovering slick into one side of it only. I also remember a Spad dropping the cluster bomb 'tubes' that 'unrolled' as it fell from the plane, spewing small finned balls of explosive that had random timing fuses. Miniature carpet bombing! It must have been an F4 that dropped the napalm. My call signs were varied: Burko and Birdman are what I remember. I'll continue my search for SixPack... More to follow...thanks so much Don.