Bill Farnie
28-07-05, 20:03
28 July 1969
Firebase Eagles Nest overlooking the A Shau Valley
0300 hrs.
We were put on alert for a ground attack. The radar at Eagles Nest had picked up movement to the west estimated to be 50 to 60 enemy troops.
0400 hrs.
Two incoming mortar rounds land inside the wire scoring direct hits on two bunkers.
Shortly after the incoming I hear someone yelling that Greg's been hit.
Doc Daniels calls CP and requests a medevac and is told the bird is 15 minutes out.
Medevac doesn't come for an hour and when it does show up it wouldn't land.
Granted, FSB Eagles Nest had a chopper pad that was tricky to land on for it was right on the edge of a sheer cliff but to me there weren't any finer or more qualified pilots in Nam then the medevac pilots who could land on the edge of a dime and fly through hell for a wounded grunt.
The chopper just kept hovering making circles over the firebase for what seemed like an eternity. I climbed on the top of the bunker and was yelling at the top of my lungs to the medevac that I was going to shoot it down if they didn't land. Doc Daniels brought me to my senses by saying "what good would that do".
When it finally did land they just threw the litter out and it slid down the hill. Me, Doc Daniels, another medic and someone else, who I can't remember, had to retrieve the litter, get Gregory on it and climb the hill to get him on the chopper.
I don't know what the problem with that medevac crew was but not coming for an hour and then all the hovering wasted precious time and it's my opinion that was the reason Greg died. Although he was wounded badly, Doc Daniels had him stable and his chances of surviving were good at the time.
Gregory J.D. Denton was one of the heroes of Hill 996. He was awarded the Silver Star for his actions on the hill.
The members of Delta Company will never forget.
http://www.virtualwall.org/dd/DentonGJ01a.htm
Firebase Eagles Nest overlooking the A Shau Valley
0300 hrs.
We were put on alert for a ground attack. The radar at Eagles Nest had picked up movement to the west estimated to be 50 to 60 enemy troops.
0400 hrs.
Two incoming mortar rounds land inside the wire scoring direct hits on two bunkers.
Shortly after the incoming I hear someone yelling that Greg's been hit.
Doc Daniels calls CP and requests a medevac and is told the bird is 15 minutes out.
Medevac doesn't come for an hour and when it does show up it wouldn't land.
Granted, FSB Eagles Nest had a chopper pad that was tricky to land on for it was right on the edge of a sheer cliff but to me there weren't any finer or more qualified pilots in Nam then the medevac pilots who could land on the edge of a dime and fly through hell for a wounded grunt.
The chopper just kept hovering making circles over the firebase for what seemed like an eternity. I climbed on the top of the bunker and was yelling at the top of my lungs to the medevac that I was going to shoot it down if they didn't land. Doc Daniels brought me to my senses by saying "what good would that do".
When it finally did land they just threw the litter out and it slid down the hill. Me, Doc Daniels, another medic and someone else, who I can't remember, had to retrieve the litter, get Gregory on it and climb the hill to get him on the chopper.
I don't know what the problem with that medevac crew was but not coming for an hour and then all the hovering wasted precious time and it's my opinion that was the reason Greg died. Although he was wounded badly, Doc Daniels had him stable and his chances of surviving were good at the time.
Gregory J.D. Denton was one of the heroes of Hill 996. He was awarded the Silver Star for his actions on the hill.
The members of Delta Company will never forget.
http://www.virtualwall.org/dd/DentonGJ01a.htm