nice. i like the track that my theme music for working out. wasn't jessica lynch that supposely they used another solider's story to talk about her capture when it was something else?

Awesome vid and proof that they are truly quiet professionals, as all I have heard about the story is it was an all Army operation to rescue, but I knew better from the start and this is proof. Hats off!

Video is pretty good there, John.

You pick out the music yourself?

Good Lord. (Had to turn down the speakers to make it through.)

I had nothing to do with making of the tribute video. However, I am in the process of converting a lot of old SEA combat footage to digital video and putting on DVD.

Here's an example of some silent 16mm motion film footage I converted and added some noise too. It was the first such project I did.

PJ School at Eglin AFB-1964

The project I'm working on now incledes a combat mission that resulted in two WIA PJS. The narrative below is still a work in progess. I sent it out to the living PJs to get some more input.
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On April 9, 1971 an HH-53C of the 37th ARRS was sent to emergency extract a South Vietnamese Army ground team. A serious skirmish was being waged an the LZ between the 4-man team and the encircling enemy forces. Ground threat was so severe that a Sandy aircraft was shot down.

Two of the three PJs on the HH-53 were wounded. The most obvious wounded in action was Ervin A. Petty who took a .51mm hit to the right bicep that ripped away the entire back of the arm. It is unclear if it was the same round or a second round but something hit a finger and blew top of it off.

All attention was being given to Petty and it was unnoticed, another PJ, Duane Hackney had been hit in the helmet by a 51mm round until after Swerv Petty was sent off to the Army hospital.

The word was sent over radio from the Jolly that it was coming back with wounded crew onboard and this resulted in PJs Roy Taylor and Jim Scott being there to carry Swerv off the aircraft. These two and other PJs insisted Swerv be taken to a further away Army Hospital rather than the closure Marine Hospital. Since the PJs were getting medical training at both hospitals it was their belief the Doctors would not hesitate to amputate a limb rather than putting in all effort to save it.

At some time after Swerv was put on the Ambulance, Lt Col Harry S Copperthite began to notice PJ Duane Hackney’s loss of balance attacks that were clearly impairing his ability to stand and walk. It was then that it was noticed thee was a entry hole in the center of Duane’s helmet through the visors and a larger exit hole in the backside of the helmet. Looking at the helmet still on Duane’s head it looked as if the round must have traveled through most of his head.

The film footage shows this wound was unnoticed even after Erwin Petty was taken to the hospital for immediate emergency surgery. A red circle has been drawn around where the round exited the helmet on the left side slightly above and behind the ear. The footage also clearly show the attack of loss of balance Duane Hackney was experiencing.

This significantly unnerved Lt Col Copperthite who has significant concern the helmet not be taken off because he was afraid the top of Duane’s head would come off with it. Well the helmet was taken off and it was discovered the bullet had traveled between the top of the skull and the inside of the helmet and shred of it had made some small cuts on the back of his neck when it exited through the helmet.

Apparently Duane refused the Purple Heart or any didn’t want any news release as he had told his mother he was not flying any combat mission on this tour. I do not know if he did or didn’t get a purple heart for this wound.

The next day several PJ visited Duane and Swerv in the hospital and it is reported Swerv still had a lot of blood on his bandages and there is an unconfirmed report that the sight of all this blood caused one of the visiting PJs to feint. It is report that PJ Jim Muelchi politely pushed this PJ under Swerv’s hospital bed so Doctors and Nurses would not see a fainted PJ. There is probably more stories associated with this event, but the ending was both Duane Hackney and Swerv Petty survived to continue on with their military careers.

Erwin Petty recovered and continued to perform pararescue duties for another twenty-??? Years and retired as a Master Sergeant after a full and highly decorated career.

Duane Hackney was already a legend and by the time he completed all his combat tours he had become the most decorated airman in USAF history. Rhe recipient of 28 decorations for valor in combat (more than 70 awards and decorations in all) continued on in Parescue until a heart problem cause his medical disqualification to perform Pararescue duties. He cross trained to another career field and retired as a Chief Master Sergeant.

Donald J. Pecoraro was the third PJ on this mission and he also continued on perform pararescue duties until he retired in 1993.
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One of the replies I just got back is:

John:

An interesting antidote happened when Swerve was being Air Evacuated back to a hospital near his home (I forgot where it was). I had rotated back from 3rd Group HQ in Saigon in December 1970 and knew Swerve and his whole class that that came to DaNang and Udorn while I was there. I was back at Scott AFB at ARRS HQ working in the Surgeon's (SG) Office with Dr. Lockridge. We found out that the C-9 medivac plane that was bringing Swerve back would have to RON at Scott that night. When it got there, Dr. Lockridge went to the holding area that Swere was to spend the night and told them that he needed to bring Swerve to the hospital for some kind of an evaluation. Actually he brought him to the NCO Club where the NCO Wives club was having some big shindig. So Swerve spent the evening partying with us at the Club. I found a picture of Swerve, Nick & Mary Klimis, Pierrette (my wife) and me sitting at a table having a good time. I sent that picture to Swerve a few years ago you might ask him about it an see that huge cast he had on to keep his whole arm immobile.

Bill Vargas

Much better music there, Johca.