Bill Hartwell was my cousin Jay’s hoochmate and best friend. They both were UH-1 “Huey” Gun Ship Fire Team Leaders. [Hartwell L, Jay R]
Bill Hartwell and John Tingley with their Gun Ship in "frog configuration", 1967
The first page and a half of this document describes minor combat damage to the aircraft. The Helo was repaired in theater and immediately returned to service. The second page through page four details the destruction of the aircraft and Hartwell and Tingley KIA.
First off, what a set of balls it takes to fly into an overrun LZ less than 150 feet off the deck! Hartwell & Tingley did so while suppressing enemy fire to enable ‘Dust Off’ Medevac and ‘Slick’ troop transport Hueys to evacuate U.S. wounded and surviving infantrymen.
Hartwell & Tingley’s Gun Ship got shot to shit while softening the LZ, disabling the aircraft and killing Bill Hartwell. John Tingley survived the crash and helped drag the survivors to a treeline clear of the wreckage.
My cousin Jay, listening to all this on the radio back at Phu Loi, jumped into his Gun Ship and flew to the scene. Jay and John Tingley recovered Bill Hartwell’s body, along with the crash survivors and loaded into Jay’s Gun Ship and a Slick to exfiltrate. As they lifted off to head back to Phu Loi, John Tingley was shot in the throat by ground fire and bled to death during the flight back to base.
eot
