| Tien Phuoc 1 |
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| The fatal crash of Tail Number 723 on 12/26/69 at Tien Phuoc. On short final to Tien Phuoc, Pilot Lt. Dave Bowling took a round of ground fire directly into his heart. The 'Bou went into a rice paddy. The Co-pilot, Lt. Patterson recovered. The Flight Mechanic, E. J. "Squeak" Welch, was crushed by the cargo as it broke free. After this shoot down, Tien Phuoc was approached with "FAC & Fighters" for quite a while. This photo shows one of the engines, with two blades of its propeller broken off. Story was that a broken blade struck a hooch and killed a villager. Note Santa Bou, my ride home, in the background. |
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