Quang Tri Province, Vietnam, 15 July 1966, 1815 local time. On the opening day of Operation Hastings, EP-151, a CH-46 Sea Knight of HMM-265, goes down over the Song Ngan Valley after being hit with NVA 12.7 AA fire. Onboard were 16 souls. 12 were infantry Marines from 2nd Bn, 1st Marines, and four were crewmembers.
Hastings was the then-largest combined operation executed by Marines in Vietnam. The 3rd Marine Division exercised operational control with elements of the 3rd and 1st MarDivs, and the 1st ARVN division.
Song Ngan Valley was located about 8 km northeast of the Rockpile in the sector of the I Corps AO dubbed Leatherneck Square. The helicopter in this photo was the fourth lost on 15 July. Earlier in the day, three CH-46s collided while attempting to land into LZ Crow, a spot later deemed too small for the landing. In these three fully loaded helos, two Marines were killed, and seven injured. Considering the horrendous circumstances, the low death toll was nothing short of miraculous.
The Marines aboard EP-151 were not so fortunate. They were hit at about 1,500 feet and in the photo, you can see black smoke belching out the cockpit windows as flames roar through the fuselage. The crew was fighting to control the aircraft, but the damage proved so severe, they were unable to do so.
Thirteen of the Marines aboard EP-151 died in this incident. All of the infantry Marines numbered among them. The three survivors were all crew members.
Passengers on helicopters in combat almost never wore seat belts since they needed to get out rapidly when the birds touched down on the LZ. There’s simply no way to know who was alive and dead at the second AP photographer Horst Faas snapped this incredible photo. We can only hope their ends were swift. They were the heroes of Vietnam.
HMM-265 was the first Marine Corps CH-46 squadron to log 10,000 hours of accident-free flight. They were an outstanding example of discipline and devotion during their service in I Corps AO from 1965-69. Based out of Marble Mountain, they suffered 27 flight crew members killed in action before rotating out of Vietnam in October 1969.
On this day, all four of the downed helicopters in the Song Ngan belonged to the squadron. Marines renamed the location from its original name to Helicopter Valley.
Never forget, Mark
Photo credit: Associated Press, Horst Faas.