Remembering - Eagle Bird Down

by Bill Russell - B/2/17 Cav - Banshee 27

Steve, good story (Eagle Bird Down). My recollection is that the extensive NVA complex encompassed all of Dong Ap Bia (HH), and points north and northwest for about 2 clicks....There is a river about two clicks northwest of the hill(mountain) that leads west into Laos. You guys were shot down (again memory is slightly foggy) on what would be the lower northwest slope of what became known as Hamburger Hill. We had several of our scouts take hits in that area for the next two days before we were suddenly pulled out of the AO and sent to Chu Lai / Tam Ky in support of the 1st Bde 101st on May 15, 1969. The Americal had declared a tactical emergency..

Back to the NVA complex where you were shot down.....It was an incredibly large and well fortified supply and training complex....and a major way station on the Ho Chi Minh Trail...Some of the bunkers were two story...Virtually every time a scout went in we could see enemy tracers seeking out the LOH from multiple directions. The blessing and the curse from a Cobra standpoint was that we had a hard time picking out specific targets due to heavy jungle and steep terrain laced with gulleys. The blessing was that we could roll in on the enemy anti-aircraft positions (including triangulated 50's) that we could spot and when breaking off target we would be just as invisible to them as they were to us. Very helpful on occaision!

One personal note about the river to the north that I mentioned earlier...Probably the day after you went down someone had the bright idea (and I can't remember why) that we would send a LOH and two Cobras low level up that river into Laos for a couple of clicks. I was in the front seat of the lead Cobra (i.e., the Map Reader!). Anyway, we we just crossed the border when I happened to hear on FM about an artillery mission destined for the same coordinates. I informed my back seat (CRS who that was but I think it was a Lt. named Greg Johnson) and we kept pressing west while he asked a few questions of the multiple layers of C&C's up above (and back over the valley :-)). To make a long story endless, my life and flying career just about ended in the next few seconds before the "friendly fire" was cut off. We all made it back to Currahee (sp?) without a scratch but it was an early lesson for an FNG front seater...

Anyway, you were in on the original "bloodying" of B Trp 2/17th (air). Those days in the middle of May 1969 impressed upon me that this war was for real...On the other hand, our new found confidence just about proved our undoing during the next few weeks in the foothills west of Tam Ky