COMMENTARY>>Kham Duc

By Chris Rumley
314th Airlift Wing, historian

The air evacuation of the Special Forces Camp at Kham Duc, Vietnam ranks as one of the most heroic days in Air Force history.

In one day at Kham Duc, airlifters were awarded the Medal of Honor, four Air Force Crosses, four Sliver Stars and the MacKay Trophy for the most meritorious flight of the year.

Aircraft flying into the 6,000 foot airstrip trusted combat teams on the surrounding high ground to provide security. Once that high ground was lost in the early morning hours of May 12, 1968, evacuation by air proved difficult.

The first C-130 crew to land that morning was unaware an evacuation was taking place. They had only begun to unload the aircraft when frantic Vietnamese civilians from the camp rushed toward the plane. Damage suffered from enemy fire prevented the crew from taking-on any passengers and they lifted off with only a three man combat control team on board.

A second C-130 landed and took-on more than 150 frightened Vietnamese women and children. The aircraft lifted-off amidst a flurry of heavy machine-gun fire that sent it crashing into a ball of flames not far from the end of runway. There were no survivors.

The next C-130 was piloted by Lt. Col. William Boyd from the 314th Tactical Airlift Wing. Colonel Boyd, having just witnessed the previous C-130 crash, brought his aircraft in at a steep angle to avoid exposure to enemy fire. The crew could actually see enemy soldiers on the outskirts of the camp firing at them with AK-47s. Colonel Boyd’s crew on-loaded more than 100 passengers and took off in the opposite direction. The aircraft was damaged by enemy fire, but made it back to safety. Shortly after landing, one of the men evacuated painted the words “Lucky Duc” on the side of the fuselage.

In all, eight C-130s landed on the airstrip at Kham Duc - two were shot down, one lifted off with only four evacuees, and the remaining five carried out more than 600 people.

Shortly after the last of the camp’s defenders were hauled out, another C-130 landed on the now enemy-controlled base. The three-man combat control team that had been extracted earlier that day ran back into the camp expecting to evacuate more people. Armed with only three M-16’s, the team quickly realized they were all alone.

Overhead, the “all clear” was announced over the radio network and the base commander ordered the camp destroyed. The frantic voice of Maj. Jay Van Cleeff broke onto the “net” explaining he had just dropped off a three-man team. The radio chatter went silent for the first time that day as the implications sank in.

Thinking no aircraft could be risked to pick them up, and with no working radio, the three man team prepared to defend themselves for as long as possible. Just then, a C-123 transport aircraft came in toward the strip. As the plane rambled down the runway, all eyes scanned the ground hoping the team would emerge from hiding. Not finding them, the pilot quickly lifted off - only then did a crew member spot the team scrambling back for cover. The desperate team watched, believing their last hope for rescue had just taken-off without them.

“The thought of another plane was impossible and illogical because the NVA were moving all around us,” said team member Tech. Sgt. Morton J. Freedman. “So much ammo was blowing up you couldn’t tell ‘incoming’ from our own, and it was throwing debris all over the runway. Even if they knew we were here, no man in his right mind would attempt a landing. I never felt so lonely in all my life.”

The next C-123 waiting overhead, hearing the team was alive, immediately started a steep decline towards Kham Duc. Pilot Lt. Col. Joe M. Jackson, broke his descent off at 50 feet above ground level and landed on the debris strewn airfield. The three-man team scrambled from hiding and ran for the aircraft. The plane remained on the ground for less than a minute and then raced down the airstrip, safely extracting the last three men from Kham Duc.