LOCATION

1-31 August 1970, Marble Mountain Air Facility, DaNang, RVN

During the month of August,  the "Purple Foxes" flew 1,382.9 hours.  This effort represented  1,639  tasks  for  5,272  sorties,  including  the  transport  of  12,721 troops/passengers  and 322.4 tons  of cargo.  Two  hundred forty  three  missions were  flown  in  support of  537 casualties.   They  included  123  emergency,  122 priority and 292 routine casualties.  Assisted were 442 Marines, 25 ARVN troops and 4 enemy wounded.

HMM-364's  helicopters  were  fired  at  fourteen  times.   One  aircraft  was shot down  the  night of  7  August,  wherein  the copilot and  gunner  sustained  fatal injuries.   Another  aircraft  received one small arms  round through  the cockpit floor  while  flying  at 2,000' AGL.  The  round  impacted  the  underside  of  the pilot's armored seat,  resulting in a certain amount of discomfort,  but no physi- cal injury.  No other aircraft were hit.

The  "Purple Foxes"  maintained an  average  aircraft availability  of ten  and an average aircrew  availability of  fourteen.   Twenty  five  strike flight awards  and two Aircrew Wings  were  awarded  to  various  members of  the  squadron.  The most  active  "Fox"  pilot flew 97.8 hours,  with the  high crew chief  and gunner flying 111.2 and 106.0 respectively.

7 August 1970 - Aircraft 152576  was shot down by  enemy fire while  evacuating an emergency night  medevac mission.  The aircraft  crashed and burned,  fatally injuring  the copilot and gunner.  Other injuries were  six bravo and one foxtrot. No other aircraft were hit.

9 August 1970 - Aircraft  153354 damaged  the three forward bladed on an emer- gency medevac mission.  The blades contacted a small tree in a hillside zone.

13 August 1970 -  Aircraft  153355  damaged  the   three  aft  blades  on  a  recon emergency medevac.  The  aircraft was hovering over  an inaccessible  zone when the blades came in contact with high elephant grass.

15 August 1970 -  Aircraft  153355  damaged  one  forward  blade  on a medevac mission.  The aircraft was at a hover utilizing a Neil Robertson when debris, agi- tated by rotor wash, struck the blade.

21 August 1970 - While on a resupply mission, aircraft 154827 sustained damage to its belly.  The  aircraft had been landed in a two-wheel zone, and several small rocks penetrated the aircraft skin.

22 August 1970 - Aircraft  154827  suffered  damage  to both  main landing gear. While on short final to Hill 65 with  15 troops aboard  and outside the  envelope of single engine capability,  the number one engine failed.  The pilot successfully executed  an emergency landing  in a rice paddy with no  resultant  injuries.  The two main mounts were sheared as a result of the landing.

23 August 1970 - The  "Purple Foxes"  flew a total of 46 flights  for  78.6  hours. Three hundred and forty two sorties were flown for 75 tasks.  One thousand one hundred and seventeen passengers were carried, 43.4 tons of cargo lifted, and 23 medevacs evacuated.  This was HMM-364's busiest day of the month.  While on a  C&C,  aircraft  154027 was struck in  the  cockpit  floor by a  single round  of small  arms  fire.   Although  the aircraft was  flying at  2,000" AGL,  the  round passed  through the  floor and impacted  the bottom of  the pilot's armored seat. There were no injuries.

25 August 1970 - Aircraft  153995 crashed and burned.  There were  no fatalities. The accident is now under investigation.

31 August 1970 - While  on  a  troop  insert  mission,  aircraft  154798  sustained damage  to  the mounting  bracket of  the nose gear strut.  While  landing on  an uncleard hilltop,  the noise gear rested  in a concealed fighting hole,  causing the damage.