A Warrior from Hill 881S
Remembers Purple Fox Crew

Robert J. "Bob" Arrotta, as a Corporal, served on Hill 881S during the period before and after the legendary siege of Khe Sanh.  Cpl. Arrotta was a Forward Air Controller and earned the title of "The Mightiest Corporal in the Marine Corps" due to the massive amounts of air delivered ordnance placed on the enemy during the 113 days that Hill 881S was under constant machine gun, sniper, mortar and rocket attack by the North Vietnamese Army.  Arrotta developed a friendship with John A. "Al" Chancey, who as a Major was both a pilot and the Logistics Officer for HMM-364, and provided logistical and medical evacuation support for the Marines on Hill 881S.  During a recent telephone conversation Arrotta mentioned that he and Glenn Prentice, another Marine of Hill 881S fame, were going to visit the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC.  Al Chancy asked if Arrotta would stop by Panel 37E and pay his respect to the crew of YK-13 which was lost on February 5, 1968 and had undoubtedly provided support to the Warriors of Hill 881S prior to being lost.

Upon hanging up, Bob Arrotta remembered how others had left various items at the foot of The Wall and decided to do a bit more than simply pay Al Chancy's respect, he would produce an item to leave at the bottom of panel 37E expressing  gratitude on behalf of all the Marines who served on Hill 881S from December 26, 1967 until April 18, 1968.

The memorial was the center of attention by many who were visiting The Wall when Bob and Glenn Prentice placed it there.

Below is a reasonable facsimile of the framed tribute shown above.


   On Friday, 05 Feb 1968, a CH-46D ( BuNo 153986 ) 
   from Phu Bai was tasked for a medical evacuation flight
   in the vicinity of Hue City to pick up three seriously
   wounded Marines. The aircraft was crewed by:

      Major Leonard R. Demko, pilot                   37E line 34
     Captain John J. Burke, copilot                      37E line 30
     Corporal Gerald W. Conner, crew chief       40E line 39
      Sergeant James D. Shelton, gunner            37E line 34
      Corporal Norman O. Copeland, gunner      37E line 39
      HM1 Jack Ehrhardt, corpsman                      Survived

   While en route, the aircraft was fired upon by enemy
   troops. HM1 Ehrhardt was hit by a round which 
   penetrated his right thigh, destroyed the hip socket, and
   exited from his right buttock. Acting on Ehrhardt’s 
   instructions, one of the gunners packed his entry and 
   exit wounds, splinted his leg with a M-14, and injected a 
   syrette of morphine and placed on a stretcher near the 
   CH-46's rear ramp. After consultation with Ehrhardt, 
   Major Demko continued the mission. As the aircraft 
   approached the pick up point it again took fire, this time 
   wounding one of the gunners and seriously damaging the
   aircraft's hydraulic and fuel systems. Although prone on
   the stretcher, Ehrhardt was able to tend to the gunner's
   wound. Because of the damage to the aircraft, Demko
   aborted the mission and attempted to return to Phu Bai. 
   He was unsuccessful. The CH-46 entered an 
   uncontrolled pitch-up, rolled inverted, crashed, and
   burned. Demko, Burke, Shelton, and Copeland died in
   the crash. Ehrhardt and Cpl Conner were picked up by
   their wingman, but Conner died of his injuries 15 days
   later in Cam Rahn Bay. Ehrhardt was evacuated to 
   Yokohama, Japan, and recovered from his injuries.

You are an enduring reminder that No Man, hath 
greater love for his fellow man, then when they were
willing to lay down their lives to protect the lives of 
those they had chosen to protect.  You will never be 
forgotten.


 
 
 


 
 

The Vietnam era Purple Foxes express their gratitude to Bob Arrotta and Glenn Prentice.

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