YK-13 crashed on December 28, 1969 in the vicinity of the Hai Van Pass under instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) resulting in the death of four crew members and six passengers.  They were coming back from Phu Bai and had filed an IFR flight plan.  They were experiencing radio problems and were cleared at 5,000 feet mean sea level (MSL) but read back and flew the flight at 3,000 feet MSL.  DaNang Approach Control made numerous attempts to alert the crew to their mistake and transmitted on all UHF frequencies at their disposal, including Guard, with transmissions such as, "Swift #__ turn left, you have a mountain at your 12 o'clock, distance 2 miles!"  The  crew never responded and flew into Hai Van Pass under IMC conditions, impacted the terrain and all aboard were killed instantly.  Lt. Bill Higgins was at the controls at the time of impact, as Lt. "Chip" Butler had a pen in his right hand.  The only positive outcome of this was that DaNang Approach Control added FM radios and frequencies as backup communications.  All of our helicopters were equipped with both UHF and FM radios.

When the aircraft was retrieved from the mountain it was placed in the 'bone yard' at Marble Mountain Air Facility.  The regular crew chief of YK-13, Cpl. Stephen W. Mills, cut the logo from the tail pylon and protected it for thirty years.  During a reunion of the Purple Foxes in 2000, Stephen Mills brought the logo to Pensacola with the intention of donating it to Trader Jons, the famous Naval Aviation memorabilia watering hole on Palafox Street.  Other squadron members suggested that it be given to the squadron historian and he did.  That was, in hindsight, the correct choice since Trader Jons no longer exists and who knows what might have happened to the pylon logo.

The squadron historian/webmaster had the logo placed in a shadow box and has drug it around the country to several squadron functions to include three reunions and the active duty squadron's Marine Corps Birthday Ball in 2003.
Getting it through airport inspections, to and from baggage handling facilities, and in and out of various modes of ground transportation proved to be quite ungainly.

About a year ago it was learned that the major exhibit depicting the Marine Corps' participation in the Vietnam War was going to be "Life on Hill 881" which would contain the fuselage of a CH-46 with HMM-364's logo painted on the tail pylon with our renowned slogan of "Give A Shit" in full view.  Since then the squadron historian has, on several occasions, offered to donate this item, of true museum significance, to be placed somewhere in that same Vietnam War immersion scene depicting Hill 881 South.  On March 15, 2005 the following was received from Ms. Jennifer L. Castro, Collections Manager, Marine Corps Museums Branch:

"Mr. Gulledge,

I recently spoke with the Curator for the National Museum, Mr. Ken Smith-Christmas, regarding your offer and we would like to accept your donation of the Purple Foxes logo.  We would like to display the logo in the new National Museum of the Marine Corps in the "Life on Hill 881" exhibit.  We are currently in the fabrication stage of the museum design and there may be a need to remove the logo from its current frame for display in a different mount. At this time I can't confirm whether or not that will be necessary, but I want to assure you that the item will still be properly displayed in a museum mount and be protected in a display case in the event that remounting or reframing becomes necessary." 

Swifty now has a permanent home, will be cared for, and be available for all to see who visit the new National Museum of the Marine Corps scheduled to open in November 2006. 

Stephen Mills, thanks for rescuing Swifty from the "Bone Yard" 35 years ago.

November 10, 2006

Frank Gulledge views the logo now on display in the museum.  It resides at the entrance to the immersion gallery depicting the Siege of Khe Sanh and Hill 881S.  The small metal plaque listing the names of those killed has been removed.  To cover the profane words scratched on the logo, the museum requested an original patch from the 1968 time frame.  Cpl. John Sabol, who flew in support of Hill 881S, still had his flight jacket and donated the patch you now see covering the profanity.
 

Cpl. John Sabol, Jr,	His Flight Jacket