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Det. #2 (Provisional) Historical Log
The May 1964 directive from the Joint Chiefs of Staff that
ordered the introduction of search and rescue forces and plans to deploy them,
inaugurated the air-sea rescue service in Southeast Asia. The North Vietnamese
backed increase in Pathet Lao activities in mid-1964 and the build up of US
forces to monitor these activities through reconnaisance flights over the
heavily protected areas placed new demands on the Air Rescue Service. The
Pacific Air Rescue Center did not have the the resources to meet the demands,
making it necesssary to order stateside rescue units to Southeast Asia.
August 1964
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Det. 10, Eastern Air Rescue Center, Maxwell
AFB, Alabama; Det. 1, Central Air Rescue Center, Glasgow AFB, Montana; Det.
2, Central Air Rescue Center, Minot AFB, North Dakota; Det. 4, Western Air
Rescue Center, Paine AFB, Oregon; and Det. 5, Western Air Rescue Center,
McChord AFB, Washington are formed into Det. #2 (Provisional) at Danang AB,
RVN.
Mission
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Detachment One is a Local Base Rescue
Unit equipped with two Kaman HH-43B "Huskie" Helicopters. The
mission of the unit is fourfold: Local Base Rescue and Fire Suppression,
Air Crew Recovery, Base Support, and Training. We serve three F-100
Fighter Squadrons under the 35th Tactical Fighter Wing, two squadrons of
B-57 Tactical Bombers under the 8th Tactical Bombardment Wing, three
squadrons of C-123 "Providers" under the 315th Special
Operations Wing, the Canberra Bombers of Number Two Squadron of the
Royal Austrailian Air Force, the AC-119's (Shadow) of "B"
Flight, 71st Special Operations Squadron, and Forward Air Controllers
School. Because of our proximity to other bases, Detachment One stands
ready to assist Detachment Eight of Cam Ranh Bay in any mission when we
might be required. The area covered is roughly a seventy mile radius
from Phan Rang AB, north to Nha Trang, east almost to the Cambodian
border, half way to Bien Hoa.
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- Operations
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- August 8, 1969
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Picked up an F-100 pilot who ejected 6
miles from the base.
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- September 7, 1969
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Recovered four survivors from the crash of an Army UH-1.
- September 24, 1969
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- Recovered another F-100 pilot who bailed out of his aircraft.
- If you have any photos, anecdotes, etc. for the
Det. 2 Provisional Page, please contact me.
This Page was Updated January 13, 2007
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