|
The
readiness skills and dedication of the men who maintain the
boats
was demonstrated on the night of 9 May 1972 when the Duty
Lifeboat Crew rescued four survivors of a downed helicopter at
approximately 2200 hours off the Providence fantail in the Tonkin
Gulf. As Per Cruise Book 1970-72
Hi Sam,
They say the knees go first, but I think it is the memory that goes first. My recollection of the helo crash is that
the Providence was somewhere off of the Chinese island of Hainan. It was night time, I remember I had just hit
the sack. The CPO quarters was just below the helo deck , on the opposite side of the ship from where the helo
hit. I remember it as the helo was supposed to have lost power just a few feet from the helo deck, struck the side
ship, flipped over and landed upside down in the water. I heard the chopper blades digging into side of the ship,
it sounded like a BIG chain being dragged across the helo deck. There definitely were chunks on the side of the
ship where the blades struck. I seem to remember that the crew of the helo survived. The admiral and his staff
were lost because as the helo was coming in, they had removed their seat straps and were preparing to
disembark the helo. I think manoverboard was passed, I remember having to go to the OE Division 'ET Shop'
which is only accessed from the weather decks, and it was dark, dark out.
|
I sure thought the Providence made more than one raid on Haiphong Harbor. The ship would head north from the
gunline and the "shootin" would start around midnight. Afterwards, the ship would get back on station in EARLY
morning. The CPO mess would have what BTC Jim Bullock called a "cowboy breakfast", plates of pancakes,
scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage. Mighty good. Many years later I kind of thought of the cowboy breakfasts as a
Pavlov's Dog drill. The one run north I do remember, the Providence went north with the Newport News and several
destroyers. Four North Vietnamese small boats made the unfortunate mistake of being in the wrong place at the
wrong time. They more than likely were coming back from a fishing trip, but they caught hell from everybody, even
the Air Force got in the act. One or two were sunk and the others limped away. One of the chief's who was on the
bridge said the Newport News and company looked like a fourth of July display.
Regards,
John Bunn ETCM USN (Ret)
Sam, when we had that helo crash here is what I remember. I had just
been relieved off flight quarters by BMC Joe Kolb, and had hit my rack
aft under the helo deck. The flight quarters crew said, the helo sounded
like it lost an engine as it was coming over the deck. the tail wheel
went in the after starboard corner safety net, the right side duel wheel
went in the nets, then she rolled over to starboard sheering the rotor
 blades off on the ships hull, landed upside down, remained afloat for
about six minutes, tail wheel only visible. The three man crew was
picked up by our motor whaleboat. RAdm. Robinson, Captain Taylor
and Commander Leaver all died. The last word was that,
Commander Leaver was the only recovery. We were on our way
to Haiphong Harbor when this happened. Because the Admiral,
his Chief of Staff, and Flag Secretary were killed, we had to regroup
and embarked another staff a couple days later; then went and did
our business.
Remember the Newport News' center gun explosion?
I think 20 deaths was the result. How about the Benjamin Stoddart;
they had a hot gun situation. They opened the breachblock , cooking
off the powder, killed all but two of the gun crew plus the Weapons
Officer.
They brought the two survivors to us, a chief and a 3rd class. the CPO died
onboard the Prov., the other sailor survived and sent to Clark AFB.
Don Greenaway
Story received June 2007
Hi Sam,
I am sending you my recollections of two surreal nights I spent aboard the Providence in May of 1972. I was an HM2 with the Medical Department. I was short, due to be discharged the first of June 1972.
I was a section leader and had duty on the night of May 9th 1972. We had been going with very little sleep so I had been catching some rack time when flight quarters were announced on the intercom. I was still half asleep but jumped out of my rack and ran up the ladder ways to the main deck to take my place with the flight quarters crew. I remember someone at the front of the line yelled run and I got knocked down in the scramble off the fantail. It sounded like the helo engines were missing or sputtering and then nothing but the helo falling out of the night sky onto the fantail. It bounced once or twice and then flipped over the side upside down with the rotors hitting the aft side of the ship and breaking off. No one could believe what we were seeing. I think the ship announced GQ for all hands and we turned to recover survivors. I reported to the boat decks. HM3 Reichert and myself boarded the whaleboat with a Marine and a Boatswain. We were lowered into the South China Sea to pick up survivors. I remember huge swells that lifted us up where we could see the strobe lights on the crew’s life vests.
Then we dropped down into deep troughs where we could only see pitch black. We were able to pick up all four crewmembers of the helo and return to the ship. The picture I sent you is of HM3 Reichert the Marine and me putting a blanket on the helo pilot, (not visible in the photo). Reichert and I took the pilot below to the sick bay where he received sutures in a gash on his head from Dr. White. He gave me his gloves as a memento, which I still have. I learned later that Admiral Robinson, Captain Taylor and Commander Leaver were aboard the helo and were knocked out and drowned. I was told Navy divers recovered their bodies before the helo went under. I kept a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach for the rest of the time I was on board the Providence.
A few nights after that horrible night Captain Haynes came on the intercom and told the entire crew about "Operation Freedom Train” Mines being placed in Haiphong Harbor. Then the Providence, Oklahoma City, New Port News and two Destroyers going into shell targets within the harbor itself. I kept thinking to myself I am too short for this crap. The Captain had requested a Corpsman be on the bridge and I always liked to think he requested me, but I am pretty sure my Chief knowing that I had two tours in Vietnam with the 3rd and then the 1st Marine Divisions as an FMF Corpsman, volunteered me.
When I arrived on the bridge the only place for me to stand was at the end of the navigation table with the navigators. As we made entrance into Haiphong things happened very fast. We fired in rapid succession. The North Vietnamese returned fire with rounds exploding between our ships and some airbursts. One such burst exploded near our observation turret causing a plastic map holder to shatter lacerating a Marine Second Lieutenant's cheek. I had to leave the Bridge go up to the Observation turret and take the Lieutenant to sickbay for sutures. I think he received the Purple Heart on board the Providence a short time later.
I was awakened to flight quarters again May 27th 1972, (my 22nd birthday and was noted on the Ship's plan of the day) to catch my freedom bird to the USS Coral Sea, the Philippines and then back to CONUS for discharge from active service. Thirty-five years have passed and I have forgotten a lot but I will never forget those two nights aboard the Providence, The Captain and the crew. God bless them all.
Best Regards,
Jon Stang
HM2 Medical Department
Providence 1971-72
jbsjon@msn.com
Jon B. Stang & Associates, LLC
Insurance Group
www.stanginsurancegroup.com
info@stanginsurancegroup.com |
return to:
http://www.ussprovidence.org/OTHERLINKS.html
or
http://star77.com/prov-combat1972.html
|
