I did not know it was the Purple Foxes that  lifted me off the hill.  But it had to have been because when I took all those photos of the Super Gaggle it was when I was leaving.  And here to the best of my memory is the airlifting of Dave Powell off  Hill 881S.  Which was in fact only a tiny part of the huge effort  made  that day by the Purple Foxes.

I had never seen a Super Gaggle before, at least not from the ground.  I got on the hill much the same way that I got off with a whole bunch of choppers  coming in like some huge Ferris wheel dropping men and supplies onto the hill.  But, to watch it from the hill was a whole lot different  story.

The first thing I saw, which I had absolutely no idea what it was, was  this huge trail of what looked to me like white phosphorus exploding across the sky in a long tight plume.  The plume started to descend like  a curtain with chunks of it falling faster than the rest of it.  I  never even  saw the jet that created this huge atmospheric effect.  So it seemed like it appeared out of nowhere.  Then I saw and heard, once again to my complete surprise,  Huey gunships whipping around the hill shooting the place up.  I remember very clearly thinking that it was not a good idea for those gunships to be flying that low over such hostile terrain.  I remember  after all the time I spent on 881S the only aircraft I had ever seen were the jets during the CAS missions.  Well I am taking photos like mad amidst all of  this sound and fury when here comes this flight of green choppers diving in  and roaring away just as fast as they can.  And now someone is telling me to get into the trench that was on the LZ.   It was probably that incredibly brave Marine who stood totally upright with both his arms in the air guiding the choppers in.  I took his picture.  It was also like he was saying to the NVA here I am you little bastards do your worst.

The so called trench was about six inches deep.  It was so shallow that the three cameras around my neck made my back stick out  of the trench like a camel.  I distinctly remember rotating the cameras off to one side so I could get down lower in the trench.  I kept thinking who the hell dug this puny little excuse for cover.  As a matter of fact it wasn't really cover the best that could be said was that it was concealment.  Well as always in situations like that time slows down to a crawl.  There were a few other Marines in the trench as well.  As a matter of fact I was lying head to head with a Marine, and what really freaked me out was that he looked so damn calm.  We were just staring at each other or I was staring at him.  I thought to myself  I hope I don't look as terrified as I feel.  I know it sounds kind of stupid but I actually asked  him, "Do I look scared because you don't."  He said no that I didn't look scared.  I was relieved for some strange macho ass reason.  Finally the bird that I am supposed to get on lands and I am waiting for what seems like an eternity for the ramp to come down.  When it does  someone yells GO! GO! GO!. Well, I mentally charted the shortest distance between the two points for that ramp, got up, and just like that movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid when they jumped off they cliff I said to myself "OOOOHH  SSHHIIIIIT!!!!!"  and took of running as fast as I could.

As I am racing toward the helicopter this big Marine comes charging down the ramp and he decides that the way I am coming to the chopper is also the way he is going to to the trench I just left.  Neither one of us changed course and we smashed into each other like two billiard balls.  Both bounced off each each other backwards and to our respective right sides.  So there we are standing out in the open stock still looking at each other.  I am pissed and he is smiling at me as if to say you didn't actually think you could come through me did you you puny little twerp. Hey, I was six feet and two  hundred pounds, that guy must have been a football player or something.  Anyway I took off again and as soon as I hit that ramp I took a flying leap into the back of that helicopter. When I hit the deck I started sliding like I was on ice.  I slid all the way forward and came to rest face down between the legs of the Marine who is manning the 50 cal machine gun at the forward window on the right side.  He was standing there with his legs wide apart aiming the gun.  I turned over and looked up to see this Marine with this deadly serious look on his face staring down at me.  I scrambled forward and sat up against the bulkhead of the flight deck of the chopper  and tried to make myself into the smallest target as possible.  It was then that I realized why I had slid so far forward so fast.  The deck of the chopper was covered with expended shell casings and it was like the whole deck was covered with marbles or ball bearings.  I was staring aft at the open ramp as it slowly started to close.  I was just waiting for the sight and sound of holes being ripped through the chopper.  I am saying, "Come on baby lets get the hell out of here please."   The ramp closes and the engine starts whining and then there is that brief moment when the chopper is not off the ground but seems like it is in the air at the same time and then we are climbing the engines are roaring and the bird is straining for altitude. The machine guns are banging away and the shell casing are showering down on the deck and bouncing all over the place until finally I can feel that we are moving more horizontally then upward and it's getting quieter and an overwhelming sense of relief comes over me. I said to the Marine manning the gun, "Well, I guess we made it."   He didn't say anything but just a slight smile came to his lips.  I took that as a good sign.

So I want to thank you LtCol. Chancey, and everyone one with the Purple Foxes, because  what I just described was only a one day event for me, but for you  it was a way of life and frankly I just don't know how you did it.   What magnificent courage.  I have not and will never forget.  God bless you all.

Semper Fi

Dave Powell