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A/C 67-18458 A/C 67-18483 Submitted by Earl Evans

LZ Professional had been under fire for quite some time and was getting dangerously low on ammunition and water. 178th ASHC had received the call to send two ships to said location. Two trips each of water and ammunitions. Cobra gunships and jet support was also called to help make sure all supplies would arrive safe and sound.

Boxcar 483 and 458 were the two aircraft picked for the mission. When we arrived at the LZ, the gunships and jets were still pounding the southwest corner, where the VC were reported to have two 50 cal. machine guns located. Boxcar 483 was the first aircraft to head for the drop-off zone. All eyes were on the southwest corner, waiting for the VC to try to shoot us down. All quiet... Banking around the northeast corner, on the final approach, only about 100 feet off the ground, everyone is thinking, "PIECE OF CAKE". Then all hell broke loose. Two twin-50 cal. machine guns opened up on us, plus several small arms fire. Boxcar 483's top side rocked over as one 50 cal. round hit the upper part of the aircraft. Never before had I ever seen as much gunfire going off and knowing they were all trying to hit me. Tracers and small arms fire bounced off the ground and flew past our windows without another hit. Our load was released on the run. We were never lower than 50 feet from the ground as the load fell to the landing pad. We pulled power and climbed out of there. We could feel the vibration in the upper pillon area where the 50 cal. round had hit. At that time we also were not sure if we had taken any hits from all the small arms fire.

The gunships and jets really started pounding the area from where the shooting had come. It was like a mini war zone. Gun fire going both ways.

Boxcar 458 started her descent to the landing pad. Through the smoke and haze we could tell that she had taken some major hits. They were unable to pull power and disembark the area. As she settled to the ground, small arms bullets were hitting the aircraft all over. A major fire had erupted as the crew ran for safety in the LZ. That was the end of Boxcar 458.

As we circled from above, watching 458 burn, we hoped the crew were safe and no one hurt.

As it turned out, all of the crew of 458 were safe and sound-- but very much shaken from the ordeal at LZ Professional.

As for Boxcar 483, we were very lucky as well. The anti-aircraft 50 cal. round that had hit her, hit the forward transmission mount pad, which is about a 6" square. The anti-aircraft shell cut a 5" groove deep into that mount pad. A couple inches one way or the other and Boxcar 483 would have finalized at LZ Professional as well.