The Unofficial U.S. Air Force HH-43B/F "PEDRO" Crash Rescue - Air Rescue Web Site
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The Unofficial U.S. Air Force HH-43B/F "PEDRO" Crash Rescue - Air Rescue Web Site
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Name: Major David Hunter Pittard Date of Birth: November 14, 1934 Home of Record: Raleigh, North Carolina Date of Casualty: September 27, 1968 Age at Loss: 33 years old Vietnam Veteran's Memorial Detachment #13, 38th Air Rescue and Recovery Squadron Aircraft Model: HH-43 Aircraft Tail Number: Call Sign: INCIDENT SUMMARYOn September 27, 1968, Major Pittard and his crew departed Phu Cat Air Base at approximately 5:45 P.M. local time. Their mission was to recover the crew of a downed Army helicopter located approximately 19 miles north of Phu Cat. At 5:55 P.M. they approached the pickup point. While at a height of 300 feet, the helicopter came under heavy attack from hostile forces on the ground. Major Pittard, the Aircraft Commander, was hit in the left side of the chest. He called out to the co-pilot that he was hit and to take over the controls. While the co-pilot took over, the medical technician on the crew started medical treatment, but noticed signs of death 2 to 3 minutes afterward. Although the aircraft was severely damaged, it managed to make the return flight to Phu Cat, arriving at 6:10 P.M. Det. #13 had been alerted to the emergency and had the other helicopter running when the damaged aircraft landed. Major Pittard was immediately transferred to the second helicopter and an additional paramedic was added to the crew. All possible human effort was made to save his life. These efforts never ceased. They continued using mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and heart massage. At 6:30 P.M., the helicopter arrived at Qui Non, about 15 air miles southeast Phu Cat, where Major Pittard was officially declared dead.
Sergeant Jose Gene Abara Staff Sergeant Milard Luther E. Bledsoe 2nd Lieutenant George H. Bonnell, II Technical Sergeant Harry Cohen Major Warren K. Davis Captain Von Miles Liebernecht Staff Sergeant Angel Luna Airman First Class William H. Pitsenbarger Major David Hunter Pittard Airman Second Class Francis D. Rice If you have any additional information regarding David or this incident, please contact me. This Web Page Was Updated March 26, 2008 |
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