Last Son Tay mission helicopter retires after 38 years of service

Published April 9, 2008
By Tech. Sgt. Kristina Newton
1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- A mission to rescue approximately 50 American prisoners of war from the Son Tay prison camp in North Vietnam in 1970 became a watershed event for Air Force special operations.

After 38 years of service, the lead command and control helicopter for this historic the mission is retiring.

MH-53 Pave Low helicopter, tail number 68-10357, flew its final mission -- and last flight -- supporting special operations forces in Iraq March 28.

The mission, appropriately code named "Operation Mekong Harvest," also comes 64 years after Gen. Henry "Hap" Arnold formally established the provisional special operations unit the 1st Air Commando Group on March 29, 1944.

From Iraq, 357 will be transported to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, where it will sit on display in the Cold War Gallery.

"It's fitting that this aircraft's last mission was flown in combat before it is placed on permanent display at the museum," said Lt. Gen. Donny Wurster, commander of Air Force Special Operations Command and MH-53 pilot. "Aircraft 357 lead a formation of HH-53 and HH-3 helicopters on a daring raid into North Vietnam to rescue American POWs. Of those five 53s that participated, only tail number 357 is left."

Historical records indicate 66 prisoners were being held at the Son Tay camp, located 23 miles west of Hanoi.

Although the mission was considered a tactical failure because no prisoners were found at the camp, it was also considered a success because conditions for POWs held in North Vietnam improved after the raid.

Training for the Son Tay raid began in the summer of 1970 at Eglin Air Force Base under the command of Brig. General LeRoy Manor. There, an all-volunteer team of Army and Air Force conventional and special operations personnel planned and practiced flight and ground operations for a rescue mission deep into North Vietnam. The mission was repeatedly rehearsed using a full-sized compound mock-up near Duke Field, known as Auxiliary Airfield No. 3.

For "Operation Kingpin," HH-53 357, mission call sign "Apple 1," was flown by Lt. Col. Warner Britton and carried the operation commander, Army Col. Arthur "Bull" Simons and his team of highly-trained soldiers to the target. It is the only surviving -53 from the operation.

The crew of "Apple 1" was decorated with an Air Force Cross and four Silver Stars for their role in the raid.

Within a year-and-a-half of the Son Tay mission, three of the five HH-53s were lost, two in combat operations and one destroyed on the ground in Danang during a rocket attack by the Vietcong.

The fourth HH-53 was converted to an MH-53J and flew in a special operations role for many years. It was lost in combat in Afghanistan in 2002.

Although "Apple 1" changed call signs many times since 1970, it continued to fly in operations supporting U.S. national objectives around the globe.

"It is awe inspiring to know people sat in this very seat and created history," said Col. Brad Webb, 1st Special Operation Wing commander and MH-53 pilot. "I've flown this tail number periodically since 1988," Colonel Webb said. "The closest I came to combat while flying 357 was a combat search and rescue mission for a British aircraft shot down near Gorazde, Bosnia-Herzogovenia in 1994. I also flew it in Kuwait several times under combat support missions for Operation Southern Watch in 2001."

Inevitably, aircraft age and technology advances.

As a result, the MH-53 Pave Low's long and distinguished career will soon complete its service to the Air Force. The remaining MH-53s in the Air Force inventory will be retired as they return from combat duty.