SOGCast 045: Close Support for SOG. Don Engebretsen, The Skyraider.

Quick Overview

A-1 Skyraider pilot Don Engebretsen recounts the critical January 5th, 1970 mission supporting RT Vermont in Cambodia, detailing how he defied a direct order from his flight lead to drop CBU-25 cluster bombs directly onto the team's position to break a devastating NVA assault, ultimately saving the wounded Green Berets.

Key Points: Don Engebretsen, a Skyraider pilot from OLA (Operation Location Alpha), flew support for RT Vermont on January 5th, 1970, a mission for which team leader Franklin Doug Miller later received the Medal of Honor. The team was initially wounded by a tripwire explosion and subsequently engaged in heavy contact, leaving blood trails and equipment behind as they fought for survival against an estimated platoon-sized enemy force near a creek. Engebretsen heard the desperate pleas of the ground team, including the radio call from Forward Air Controller John Lee and the team's radio operator Ed Bllythe, while monitoring three separate frequencies. During his first pass, Engebretsen saw the smoke marking the team's position but his flight lead directed him far west; despite hearing his lead shout "Pull off. Pull off. Don't drop," Engebretsen chose to dump a partial load of CBU-25s directly on the rising smoke, fearing the lead's run would miss. After the initial CBU drop, which survivors confirmed hit solidly and inflicted heavy loss, reducing enemy fire by at least two-thirds, Engebretsen flew six more passes, including runs with 500 lb napalms, sustaining the pressure for over two and a half hours until the enemy broke contact. The first extraction helicopter, carrying Bobby Ross as co-pilot, received 40 bullet holes upon arrival at the designated 20-foot crater LZ, and team leader Miller yelled at them to leave due to the intense enemy presence. Engebretsen originally wanted to fly jets like the F-104 or F-4 but was assigned an A-1 Skyraider during pilot training selection at Williams Air Force Base in Arizona, despite viewing the propeller planes as inefficient compared to jets.